Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-10-30

Ninth Avenue Elevated road. 1t pass
cd on in time to escape Sle explosion
ana the few people who were left on
the platform of the station are thought
to have escaped before the great explo-
sion. The station master fed across
the structure, carrying with him the
receipts of the day and his unused
tickets, while two women, who had
stopped on the platform to watch the
fire, frightened by the first explosion
fled down the down town tracks. as
sisted by the station porter, who took
them to the Barclay street station in
safety. The explosion completely car
ried away the station and the mass of
masonry that fell with 1t broke through
the liooringS and almost demolished the
structure just below the building.
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.
immense masses of masonry. pieces
OF cornice. great beams, window cas-
tings. and an indescribable mass of
wreckagc of every description tumbled
suddenly into the street in front of the
building. The force OF the explosion
below had thrown the firemen back
across the street. so that they were not
caught, but their escape from the rain
of debris across the street was almost
mira culouS.
The wreckage was thrown across
through the windows of the building in
which the Irving National Bank is on
the northeast corner OF the street. The
officers of the Irving Bank and of
Meclllem Bros, bankers and brokers,
were nearly wrecked.
President Fancher, of the Irving
Bank. was away on business at the
time of the explosion. but Vice Presi-
dent Charles H. Mattlage and John w.
Castree. Cashier James a. Dennison
and Assistant Cashier Benjamin f.
Werner. Paying Teller William Dun
lap and Adjustcr Van Zeidt were pres
ent.
EFFORTS TO SAVE MONEY.
AT the first explosion an attempt was
made to gather all the money and
papers that was lying on the counters
together, and to threw them into the
safe. and 1t was supposed that this had
been done. when the second explosion
brought flying glass and plastering
from the skylighted ceilings down
about the heads of everybody and
caused them TO escape in n hurry.
captain Mccluskey. of the detective
bureau. who hurried every available
man of his staff to the fire. was ap-
pealed to to protect the funds of the
bank. he being told that there were i'm
the vault. the door of which was sup
posed to be unlocked. When the can
tain and his men went in however.
they found $4,000 scattered in confu-
sion over the counters and floors. This
was hastily thrown into the vault and
the door locked.
President Fanchcr OF the bank ar
rived within few minutes of the start
OF the fire ana was nearly historical
when he found what had happened BY
past 2. however, the directors OF
the bank had met and posted a sign
in the window stating that the bank
would do business Tomorrow
Down in Mecklem Brothers office
there were II. c. Mecklcm and his
brother, William, with Frank Hecken-
hn
another man named Bruce and some
girls. among them Ellen VanDean and
May Dunklemann. When the fire broke
out $4,000 in money lay upon the coun-
ters. Hackenberry was stationed AT the
door while this was gathered together
for putting in the vaults.
The first explosion filed the place
with sulphurous smoke that nearly
asphyNiated everybody The second
explosion blew in the windows and cut
the two Mecklems seriously. The boy
Ileckcnherra found the two girls lying
in Il heap, tainted away. He carried
them out To a place of safety. The
others, when they came to their senses
gathered the money from tho floor. put
ii in cigar boxes and carried il to Wad-
dell IL Company.
LOSS OF LIFE.
New York. Oct. 29.-How many of
the girls and other employees escaped
could not he guessed even tonight
although a large number of missing
persons indicated that there were some
Ii was said that half of the employees
were out getting lunch. A rumor went
around that a boy had been seen at
one Of ttTr nearby restaurants getting
lunches for fifteen girls, who were
waiting in the building.
y man named Sexton is said to have
seen two men and woman at one of
the top floor windows just before the
building collapsed. Another witness
said he saw four girls being carried
down The rear fire escapes by men of
Truck 10. AS no firemen are supposed
to have been lost, these girls probably
were saved.
Another witness said that he saw a
large number of girls on a fire escape
Just before the explosion, and that
none could have escaped.
The only person known to have been
killed up to S o'clock tonight was a
man who died in one of the hospitals
from the result of an injury received in
the street.
LIFE AND PROPERTY LOST.
New York, Oct. 30.-12:30 n. m-The
loss of life is not known. but from all
sources of information it is gathered
that there are perhaps the bodies of
thirty persons in the ruins, though.
because of the hot debris and the slow
ness of the moving of it. no body had
been removed un to midnight.
The disaster was one of the most ter
rible that has ever occurred i'm this
city, and rivals the Windsor Hotel fire
in its appalling results. though in loss
OF property it will be worse. Chief
Croker. of the Fire Department, sail
tonight that the loss is fully 81, 800, 900.
THE MISSING AND INJURED.
There are thirtyfve persons reported
missing and one hundred men. women
and children are on the list OF the in
jured.
Search for bodies is going on and will
be continued all night Chief Croker
said tonight that no firemen had per-
ished in the fire. all his men having
bpan accounted 80