The silver blade. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1895-1903, 1900-11-03

TERRIBLE EXPLOSION INN. Y.
LARGE NUMBER WERE KILLED.
Were Four Terrific Explosions
Wreck Of the Huge Building, |
FILLED with Men ana Women.
Crashed Down-Big Fire Followed. |
New York, Oct. 3O-About 1880 D. |
m. Monday lower New York was startled
by booming sound which it developed
was an explosion in the building occupied
by Tarrant 4 Co., wholesale druggists. The
fire department Immediately responded to !
call, but had not reached the scene when
three additional explosions occurred, moro
violent than the first.
A column of debris and smoke and
flames shot upward 800 feet. sR
Persons in the vicinity say they raw hu-
man bodies thrown up in the column of
debris when the explosion occurred. -Four
explosions occurred in rapid succession.
The Sixth avenue elevated railroad
structure is demolished at that point.
Windows for blocks around were demol-
ised by the concussion and houses across
the street were probably damaged.
Calls were sent for ambulances. Five
alarms of fire were turned in.
Could Not Escape,
1t is said there were fully $50 people
in the building at the time of the first
explosion and few if any Of them had time
to escape.
Three fire horses were cut by flying glass
anu will probably have to be shot, A
fire engine was almost completely demol-
ished by falling walls.
It was said that 100 Of the employees Of
the building were girls. They were on
different floors when the fire broke out
and the explosion occurred.
Restaurant Smashed.
In q restaurant next door to the drug
store there were about 200 people eating
their luncheon. OF these many were in
jured and it is reported score or more
Of them lost their lives.
II Up to l2:45 p. m. ii injured persons had
been taken to the, New York hospital, Til,
4 police reserves from OH Slip, Chgral
Street, Oak Street and Eliaabsth- Stfee'
stations were called out.
The first explosion occurred at l2:l2 p
m. and took the roof off the building
The explosions sent debris flying trough
Z the air and into the street, where dozen
Of persons were injured.
All the ambulances from hospitals soutl
OF Fifty ninth street were finally called t.
the scene.
Blew People Into the street.
\ A lithographing establishment close t
Tarran'ts place caught fire and the flame
spread to the Irving bank and to two othe
, buildings across he street.
! The Warren Street station of the Mint
, avenue elevated road, directly in front o
the drug establishment, was completed,
, demolished and number of persons VIII
were standing upon it waiting for trail
were blown to the streets without an.
. serious injury. Some women escapes
, from the station by walking the plank a
the edge of the track.
Several buildings at the rear Of tn
drug store were blown down.
The flames spread with wonderful rapid
ity. The two blocks from Chambers t
Warren and from Washington to Green
wich street were soon on fire.
F; John M. Elliott of Brooklyn was sitting
on the roof of the sevenstory building
at &C West Broadway, block and hal
: away from the explosion. He says tn
force of the first explosion was directl.
J. upward for matter of 80 feet, when tn
column of debris spread and fell down
ward. 1t took the roof off the building an
: he could hear the cries and screams Q
4 persons.
: Three minutes later the third explosion
. which he said was the worst Of all, CANT
1t shook the building where he was an
debris fell about it.
: Policeman Calvin was in the immediat
: vicinity of the fire when the first of tn
e eA plosions occurred. He said number 9
e firemen were blown to death on the Wal
rem street side of the building. He sal
Il that he rescued one of them, but no Ii,
e ing being could have rescued the others.
He said that in his belief not less tina
200 persons will be found to have los
6 their lives. This was on account OF tn
It suddenness of the explosions, whic
It rendered it impossible for any being !
e the place at the time to escape.
# The force of the explosion was hear
o and felt clear down to Wall street an
e heavy plate glass windows were smashe
n and people thrown down in the street for
distance of four blocks.
Cash Was Saved.
The employees of the Irving Nations
! bank, whose building stands directl,
J across the street from Tarrant's place
were busily engaged at their desks at tn
8 time of the first explosion. There was no
!! clerk or official of the bank but wa
thrown to the floor by the force OF tn
c0ncussion.
. Thinking the building was about to fal