Evening star., 1900-10-29
BLOWN To DEATH
Terrible Disaster New
York Drug House.
THOUGHT 200 PERISHED
Many Girls Employed by
Tarrant & Go.
FIRE FOLLOWS THE EXPLOSION
FIRE FOLLOWS THE EXPLOSION
Elevated Station, Bank and Other
Buildings Burn.
S II OCK w A S 7 E r r FL c

NEW YORK, October 29.-About noon to-
day lower New York was startled by a
booming sound which it developed was an
explosion in the building occupied by Tar
rant & Co, wholesale druggists. The fire
department almost instantly responded to a
CALL but had not reached the scene, when
three additional explosions occurred, more
violent than the first. A column of debris
and smoke and flame shot up 300 feet into
the sky. Persons in the vicinity say they
saw human bodies thrown up in the column
OF debris when the explosion occurred
Four explosions took place In rapid sue
cession. The 9th avenue elevated railroad
structure, which passes the building, is de-
molished at that point. Windows in the
vicinity and for blocks around were blown
out by the conclusion of the explosion.
The houses across the street are in danger.
Calls have been sent for ambulances.
About $50 Persons in Building.
1t was said that there were fully $50
persons in the building at the time of the
first explosion, and few if any of them had
time to escape. One young man, who gave
his name as Harry Ross, said that he was
standing on the corner when the explosion
occurred. He was blown about ten feet
When he picked himself up he said he saw
bodies flying through the air and landing in
the flames Three fire horses We're so cut
by flying glass that they will probably have
to be shot. One fire engine was almost
completely demolished by the falling of the
walls.
1t was said that one hundred of the en-
ployes in the building were girls They
were on different floors when the fire broke
out and the explosions occurred 1t is hard
to see how these girls could have escaped.
In a restaurant next door to the drug store
there We're about 200 people eating their
luncheon. OF these many were injured and
It is reported that a score or more of them
lost their lives.
The first explosion occurred at 1912 p. m.
1t took the roof off the building. 1t was
followed a minute and half later by two
or three sharper explosions that sent col
umns of flame and smoke high into the air.
Persons on the Street Injured.
The explosion sent debris flying through
the air and into the street, where dozens of
persons were injured.
All the ambulances from hospitals south
of 59th street Were called to the scene.
A lithOgraphing establishment close to
Tarrants place caught fire and the flames
spread to the Irving Bank, and to two
buildings across the street.
The Warren street station of the 9th ave-
nue. elevated road, directly in front of the
drug establishment, was completely demoi-
ished, and number of persons who We're
standing upon il waiting for a train were
blown TO the street and received serious
injury.
Several women escaped from the station.
however, by walking along the plank plat
form at the edge Of the track.
Several buildings at the rear of the drug
store were blown down. The flames spread
VI Ef.rf nj
blocks from Chambers TO Warren and from
Washington to Greenwich streets were soon
fire.
John NJ Elliott of BROOKLYN was sitting
on the roof of the six-story building at u
West Broadway, a block and a half away
from the explosion. He says the force OF
the first explosion was directly upward for
matter of thirty feet. when the column
of debris spread and fell downward II
took the roof off the building and he could
hear the cries and screams of injured peo.
sion. which, he said, was the worst of all
came. 1t shook the building where he was
and debris fell all about him.
Policeman Calvin was in the Immediate
Vicinity of the fire when the first of the
series of explosions occurred He said that
a number Of tiremen were blown to death
on the Warren street side of the building
He says he rescued one of them, but no
living being could have rescued the others
Thinks 200 Persons Perished.
Policeman Calvin said that in his belief
not less than 200 persons will be found to
have lost their lives. This was on account
of the suddenness of the explosions. which
rendered ii impossible TO anybody who was
In the building at the time to escape.
The force of the explosion was heard end
felt clear down to Wall street and heavy
plate glass windows We're smashed and
people thrown TO the street a distance of
four blocks.
The employees of tn. Irving National
Bank, whose building stands directly across
the street from Tarrant's place. We're tusiIy
engaged at their desks at the time of The
explosion. The first of the explosions came
and not clerk official of the BIZ nix
building but who was thrown to the floor
by the force of the conclusion
Thinking that the building was about tc
fall, several of the officials ran for the
cash and had it taken out of the building
and to a place of safety.
The clerks and other employees then made
their way to the sidewalk and ran for
places of safety.s
Every available physician and ambulance
surgeon who could be reached was called
were not damaged by the explosions were
turned into temporary hospitals for the
care of the wounded.
1t was only an instant after the first of
the explosions occurred when the elevated
structure caught fire. Fortunately there
was no train in the immediate vicinity al
the moment The structure was In a blaze
than it takes to tell it.
Superintendent Skitt of the Manhattan
Railway Company. hearing of the trouble
hurried to the scene in person and with a
gang of employees directed them in an effort