Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-11-03
MANY LIVES ARE LOST
GREAT FIRE AND EXPLOSION IN NEW
YORK CITY.
Explosive Drugs In Tnrrant's store
on Warren street Cause the Terri
bile DisHster--Cnnnot he Asccrtained
How Many Persons Were Killed.

bile DisHster-Cnnnot he Asccrtatned !
How Many Persons Were KILLED.
Shattered by series OF explosions and |
then swept by flames, all of the buildings |
on both sides of Warren street between |
Washington and Greenwich streets were
brought to utter ruin on Monday after
neon. Included In the wreck were those
buildings on the east side of Washington |
street for ut least half block each side |
of Warren and those on the west side of |
Greenwich for the same distance each |
way.
1t will be a week or more before the
place is cleaned up. so that there may he
a definite account of the dead Meantime
the fire department has under way IA IN.
vestigation of the cause of the explosion
and Is endeayoring to fix the RESPONSE
bility.
The revised reports place the list Of
missing persons at 10. At Z o'clock last |
evening workmen found three bodies in
the ruins OF the Tarrant building, War
rem and Greenwich streets. These were
the first human remains found. The bod
les were huddled together partially sub
merged in the water filing the cellar II
tnQk two hours TO dig the three bodies
ouE
This disaster found its origin in the
building at the northwest corner of War
rem and Greenwich streets. n structure of
seven stories with a basement, occupied
by Tarrant X Co. wholesale and retail
druggists and manufacturers of drug spe-
cialtics. The exact origin of the fire Is
not known, and those who should be able
to tell have failed to Indicate what man
ner of oils or chemicals were stored there
IN sufficient quantity 60 have caused the
terrific explosions which We're responsible
for the greater part of the damage.
From eyewitnesses who were near
enough at hand to watch the progress of
the flames il was learned that the fire be-
gan shortly after noon. The hour was
probably n fortunate one, for otherwise
scores of persons would have been at
work in the building. As il was many OF
these had gone out for their midday meal.
by the record Of the fire department the
first alarm was turned in ut just 16 min
utes after II o'clock. Smoke had been
pouring from the building, however. for
several minutes before that time.
Havoc Follows Explosions.
Chemicals probably entered into the
origin of the fire. The first smoke that
was seen was dense aud very black. This
changed into what appeared to be light
vapor greatly increased in quantity. Then
began q series of minor explosions not
heavy enough to disturb persons in the
street further than to warn them from
too near an approach. Suddenly an ex-
plosion of much greater force drove the
glass from the windows, showering IT up |
on the hremcn and policemen and the
thousands of spectators who had gather |
ed in the streets. This was followed al |
most Immediately by another explosion of
far greater intensity that worked much I
disaster.
There was perhaps an interval of two |
minutes, when there came third cxpio-
sion that exceeded those that had pre-
coded it and which brought the buildings
ON both sides of Warren street in that
block tumbiing to the ground as though
they were built of pasteboard.
All was Immediately panic for blocks
in every direction. Those who were well
acquainted in the neghborhood looked |
upon Tarant q Co.'S establishment as
one of great danger. They had seen chem
icals and oils going into the building in
great quantity for weeks and were in "A
measure prepared for the explosions
which occurred Filled with fear, they
fled with those thousands of idle specta-
tors who were running in every direction
to escape a danger the exact nature Of
which they did not know.
One of the prescription clerks employ
cd by Tarrant q Co. is authority for the
assertion that the great danger was early
recognized by those in authority in the |
establishment This man said that just |
as soon as the fire was discovered an or
der was issued to the employees to hurry |
the explosives that were stored in the up |
per floors down into the basement. He |
added that one elevator load had been |
taken to the basement and that in his be |
lief il was n second load stored on the |
elevator that finally came into contact |
with the flames and caused the first of |
the great explosions. He said that he un-
derstood that the fire had begun on the |
third floor though another employee of |
Tarrant X Go. said later that the flames |
were first seen on the sixth floor.