Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-10-29
A TERRIFIC EXPLOSION
1t Is Believed That Fully 200 People Lost
Their Lives in an Awful Accident
at New York.
TWO WHOLE BLOCKS A SEA OF FLAME

New York, October 29.-About 1890
O'Clock to-day lower New York was
| startled by booming sound, which it
developed was an explosion in the build
ing occupied by Tarrant & Co., whole
sale druggists. Three additional explo-
sions followed, more violent than the
first. A column of debris, smoke and
flames shot upward 300 feet Persons in
the vicinity say that they saw human
bodies thrown up in the column of de-
bris when the explosion occurred. The
Sixth avenue elevated railroad struc-
ture is demolished at that point The
windows for blocks around were de-
molished by the concussion, and houses
across the street We're probably dam
aged.
MANY ESCAPED.
1t was only an instant after the first
of the explosions when the elevated
structure caught fire. The structure
was in a blaze for a distance of half
block in few minutes. In the streets
blood was spattered in every direction,
showing that there must have been
many persons in the vicinity injured by
falling glass. Joseph Beck, an employe
Of Tarrant & Co., was seen after the
explosion. His head was swathed in
bandages, and his right arm hung limp.
He said there were about 200 girls in the
building. Many of them escaped ON fire
escapes; at least seventy-five of them,
he said, could not possibly have gotten
away. The girls We're eating their lunch |
on the top floor when the fire started |
There were alcohol and other explosive |
liquids stored in the building. At 1880 |
p. m. two explosions occurred in the |
building occupied by ]. H. Mohlman & |
Co., groceries, on Greenwich street. The |
entire block on Washington street from
No. 253 to 1853 was burning at 1:30. Soon
after the fire seemed to be giving way
to the efforts of the firemen.
TWO HUNDRED PERSONS KILLED
At l o'clock it was said that there
were fully 150 persons in the building at
the time of the first explosion, and few,
# any, had time to escape. Harry Ross
was standing on the corner when the
explosion occurred, and was blown 10
feet. When he picked himself up he saw
bodies flying through the air and land
ng in the flames. One fire engine was
almost completely demolished by fall
ing walls. 1t was said that 100 of the
employees of the building were girls. 1t
s hard to see how these could have es-
capped. In restaurant next door to a
lrug store We're about 200 people eating
and it is reported that score or more
lost their lives. The police reserves
we're called out. The first explosion oc-
cured at 1912 p. m. and took the roof
)ff the building. The explosions sent the
1ebris flying through the air and into
he street, where dozens of persons
we're injured. All ambulances from the
hospitals south of Fiftyninth street
we're called to the scene. A lithograph-
ng establishment close to Tarrants
)lace caught fire, and the flames spread
% the Irving bank and two buildings
across the street. Warren street sta
ion of the Ninth avenue elevated road,
lirectly in front of the drug establish
nent, was completely demolished, and a
lumber of persons standing upon it
Waiting for the train were blown to the
street without any serious injury. Sew
.ral buildings at the rear of the drug
store were blown down. The flames
spread with wonderful rapidity until
wo blocks, from Chambers to Warren
Ind from Washington to Greenwich
streets, were soon on fire. Policeman
1alvin was in the immediate vicinity of
he fire when the first explosion oc-
'urred. He said a number of firemen
we're killed on the Warren street side of
he building. Calvin said that in his be-
ief not less than 200 persons will be
ound to have lost their lives. The force
# the explosion was felt clear down to
Wall street, where heavy plate glass
windows were smashed and people
brown to the street, a distance of four
blocks. In the Irving National Bank,
lirectly across the street from Tar
ants, everybody was thrown to the
l