New-York tribune., 1900-10-30

followed as the plateglass windows were stove in
CROWD HURLED ABOUT BY THE CRASH.
Such panic as there was among the people
In the street never saw before They rushed
by in q maddened fight for their lives. Many
Of them fell. and were trampled on by the
others. I saw many girls among them who
were cut and bleeding. Some seemed to be only
slightly injured, while the faces of others were
covered with blood. 1 think that these girls
were among those who worked in the drug house,
and who had reached the street before the ex-
plosions took place. The big plategass windows
in Acker, Merrau & Condits store. across the
street, went in with a crash which added TO
the terrible din and uproar"
r. w. Phair, whose main Office is at No. 10
Platt-st.. but who used the Tarrant Building as
a storehouse, was at John and William SITS.
when he heard the explosion.
II wondered where the explosion was" said
Mr.. Phair. Just then a breeze waited to me
a circular such as is wrapped around the drug
I manufacture some Of which was stored in the
Tarrant Building. The Tarrant Building was
used as a general storehouse for the drug trade
At the time Of the explosion I had only about
500 worth of goods, chiefly condensed milk In
the building. 1t was covered by insurance"
c. B. Jacqua. clerk at No. 800 Broadway
was standing in front Of the Irving Natonal
Bank when the explosion occurred. He said:
II was one of a crowd which was watching the
flames. thought at the time that there would
be an explosion. though 1t was almost fifteen
minutes from the time the flames broke out un-
til the explosion occurred. When at last it DID
occur we all thrown down so violently that
we were stunned. The windows Of the bank
were shattered"
Thomas Mcfarland. clerk at No 66 West
Broadway, was standing in front Of the Home
Made Restaurant at the time Of the explosion
he said:
81 was hurled against a truck and lay there
for some time without knowing what had hap
pened. was badly bruised. but was not other
wise hurt"
PROSTRATIONS BY CONCUSSION.
Stephen Van Arsdale, Of the produce firm of
Van Arsdale, Penniwell & Co.. of No 267 Wash
tngton-st said: In our own building there is
not sound pane of glass remaining. The most
violent explosion was the last one, which took
place, I should imagine, about seven or eight
minutes after the first. The force of the con-
cussion seemed to hold people to the ground"
F. T. EHithorpe, president of the Ellithorpe
Safety Air Cushion Company. Of No. II Broad
way, was a witness OF the first explosion 1T
had the effect he said, "of blowing out the
front Of Tarrants building, and a huge sheet Of
flame shot entirely across the street. After the
last explosion I saw the walls of adjacent build
ings bulge, and then after trembling for few
SECONDS Iney suddenly COlIdpStO
-Four passengers who were riding in Wash
ington-st. horsecar to the Cortland-st ferry
had miraculous escapes. The car, No. 21, had
almost reached Warren-st. when the building on
the northeast corner Of Washington and War
rem sts collapsed. The roof of the building
missed the car by merely few inches, but great
quantities of falling bricks and timber struck
the top of the vehicle and piled around
Fortunately" said John Cornfeld, con-
T,eI1 he
passengers, together with the driver and my
self, would undoubtedly have been killed. Every
window in the car was shattered. None Of the
passengers were injured by the flying glass.
but all were badly scared and made a wild rush
for the doorway. Wnen the driver saw the
wall of the building giving way he instructive
ly pulled his horses round and by that means
saved them from being buried"
AN ITALIANS AWFUL FATE.
Two young men. H. NJ. Lloyd and W. H.
Spurge who were standing outside No. SO War
ren-st, saw an Italian who standing
der the Ninth-ave. elevated station. with
peanut stand. blown entirely across the street.
His cart was overturned and his stock in trade
was scattered over the street.
The whole front of the establishment of
Whitmore & Co, produce merchants, who
cupy the ground floor of Nos SO and 81 War
titons OF the Office. which is at the rear of the.
building, were shattered TO fragments. when
We that a fire had broken out IN Tar
rants place" w L. Whitmore said, I'VE knew
that an explosion was inevitable. My brother
D. w. Whitmore, rushed upstairs to close the
shutters of the windows, but before this could
be accomplished. the awful result we had an
ticipated occurred. The effects Of the explosion
you can see about you. Not a sound window in
the building remains. Many Of US were thrown
down by the force Of the concussion and my
brother was so badly cut by flying glass that
his wounds had to be dressed at the hospital
little while ago I was speaking to
man who worked for Tarrants He said
"I feel anxious TO whether my boss got ont
safely. When he told that the building
fire he told not TO run, as it was
only a little smoke and that there was no dam
ger. But I knew that there was danger and I
got out as quickly as I could. Another friend
Of mine told me that he had seen a man and
a woman standing the roof Of the building
and he thought it was impossible that they
could have been saved. 1 think that at least
fifteen minutes must have elapsed from the
time the fire was discovered until the final ex-
plosion happened. It is conceivable therefore
that there was plenty Of opportunity for most
Of those in the building 10 get out in the mean
time"
An employe Of Messrs. whitmore said that
sust before some Of the structures in the blocl,
collapsed the street seemed to be black with
people and he feared that many Of them must
have been buried beneath the falling walls
SAW A BUILDING TORN TO PIECES.
'I was standing on the sidewalk in front of
my store" said Edward GarIick, a produce
dealer, Of No 26S washington-st "v,ben q +er