Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1900-10-30
TWO HUNDRED
PEOPLE KILLED
Were Hurled to Their Death
by a Series of Terrific
Explosions.
FIRE ADDS TO THE HORROR

Bodies Were Seen Flying Through tho
Air Only to Fall Back Into the
Fiames-ExpIosions Occurred In q
Drugstore and Their Force Was Felt
In Wall Street-Great Destruction Of
Property by Fire.
New YORK, Oct. 29.-About 1890
o'clock today lower New York was
startled by an explosion in the building
occupied by Tarrant & Co., wholesale
druggists. The fireman responded to
the call, but they had not reached the
scene when three additional explosions
occurred, more violent than the first. A
column of debris and smoke and flame
shot upward 800 feet. Persons in the
vicinity say they saw human bodies
thrown up in the column of debris when
the explosion occurred.
Four explosions occurred in rapid sue
sion. The Sixth avenue elevated rail-
road which passes the building is de-
molished at that place. Windows in
the vicinity and for blocks around were
blown out by conclusion and the houses
the street were probably damaged
Fearful Loss of Life.
Five alarms Of fire were turned in. 1t
is said there were fully $50 persons in
the building at the time of the first ex-
plosion and few if any Of them had time
to escape. Three fire horses were cut by
flying glass so badly that they will prob
ably have to be shot. One fire engine
was almost completely demolished by
falling walls.
It was said that 100 of the employees in
the building were girls They were on
different floors when the fire broke out
and the explosions occurred.
In a restaurant next door to the drug
store there were about 300 people eating
their luncheon. OF these many were
injured and it is reported that q score or
more of them lost their lives.
The explosions sent debris flying
through the air into the street, where
dozens of people were injured.
A lithographing plant close to the
Tarrant place caught fire and the flames
spread to the Irving bank and to two
buildings across the street.
The Warren street station of the Ninth
Avenue Elevated, directly in front of
the drug establishment, was completely
u0IlOLISAGu SlIu u nuI1lDCA VI pCLSOnS
standing upon it waiting for a train
were blown down to the street and re-
ceived serious injuries. Several women
escaped from the station, however, by
walking along the plank platform at
the edge of the track.
Fully 200 People Persisted.
A number of buildings at the rear of
the drugstore were blown down. The
flames spread very rapidly until the two
blocks from Chambers to Warren and
from Washington to Greenwich streets
were on fire.
Policeman Calvin was in the immedi.
ate vicinity of the fire when the first Sc
ries of explosions occurred. He said
that a number of firemen were blown to
death on the Warren street side of the
building. He said that he rescued one
of them but that no living being could
have rescued the others.
Policeman Calvin said that in his be-
lief not less than 200 persons will be
found to have lost their lives This was
on account of the suddenness of the ex-
plosions which rendered it impossible
for anybody who was in the building at
the time to escape. The force Of the ex-
plosion was heard and felt clear down
to Wall street and heavy plateglass win
dows were smashed and people thrown
to the street distance of four blocks.