The Portland daily press., 1900-11-08
ON THE EDGE OF A PANIC.
A scene which Those who Saw 1t WIN
Never Forget.

("HoIland" IN Philadelphia Press /.
First of all the startling features noticed
| by those who ware not in the Immediate
vicinity of the catastrophe was the SUD.
den panic which for a little while pre-
vailed throughout all of New York city
below Canal street. Those who saw vast
crowds running this way aud that hold
ing their hands TO their faces that they
might shield themselves from noxious
fumes and blasts of hot air, received
some idea of wnata true panic would
mean for New York unless 1t were In
Rtantly checked. Everybody In the lower
pskt of the city heard the several explo-
sions. The first one suggested an acoi-
dent in one of the fireworks repositories,
partly because the detonation resembled
the explosion of bombs, ana partly be-
cause the direction whence the sound
came was almost exactly in line with
the. three or four shops that are snow very
actively engaged in furnishing fireworks
for campaign PROFESSIONS.
In two or three moments (there is no
4
between the first and succeeding expIo-
sIons) violent detonations like this dis.
charge of number Of big cannon one
after ths other were heard. But it was
not the hearing of these explosions that
eau sed the terror that for few moments
took absolute possession OF the vast
crowds upon Broadway and the sdjoin-
ing streets.
They saw the tall buildings shaken
back and forth as though an earthquake
were moving them. The vibration In
the lofty Syndicate building each way
seemed to the eye to measure as much as
two or three feet. although in all proba-
bility the distance was much less. In
addition TO that those who were upon the
sidewalk were violently shaken II they
were between barclay street and Canal.
and below that street the conclusion
caused almost the same sensation that o
violent earthquake does,
1t WAS the swaying of the tall build
| ings, the sense or insecurity, unsteadiness
| caused by the jarrIng of the streets, that
| for the moment flied men and women
with terror. In addition to that We
| heard in every direction the whistles
| and bells OF the fire steamers going at a
pace which always indicates TO the ex-
property and life, and 1t was apparent
not only that one Of those very rare oc-
casious was upon us when the fire depart
ment deemed 1t necessary to call out the
entire force.
In a few moments, there being ano re-
currence of the explosions, nor any con-
tinued violent swaying or the tall build
ings, it was apparent that whatever had
happened was, SO far as imminent danger
was concerned, all over.
But then every eye was turned sky
ward. where the most extraordinary spec
| taole associated with disaster ever wit
| n essed in this city was observed. High
up above the mist clouds that hung rather
| low today and far above the talIest build
| Ings the sky was speckled with black
| fragments OF various sizes, some almost
atomic and others carrying danger by
! 9eason of their size. They were rrag-
ments of the building or of its contents
that had been driven high into the air by
| the force OF the explosion. Some heavy
pieces of iron and roonng were carried
not only very high, but three blocks to
the east, landing In the City Hall Park.
| In few moments the atmosphere was
/ filled not only with dust, but with coarse
| bits OF oharred wood. paper and what ap-
p.ared to be pieces of glass. This feature
| was noticeable within a radius from the
City Hall OF about six blocks either way,
/ and Ii was not until fully an hour after
the explosion that all of these deposits
| seemed to have settled back to eartn.
They encrusted many Of the pavements
so that as a person walked be crushed
them under his feet until in little while,
so dense was the throng In Broadway,
they were ground to powder and caused
much Inconvenience through the chok-
| ing sensation they occastoned.
| 10 add TO the horror OF the moment the
dense clouds of smoke which the heavy
atmosphere caused to settle soon threw a
curtain over the lower part or the city
/ through which the sun seemed to be try
/ ing to penetrate. So thick was this cur
tain that It was possible to look squarely
i at the sun with the naked eye, just as
during an eclipse 1t is watched with a
little smoked glass.
| The light OF the sun stBeaming family
through this curtain, cast upon the city
| the ghaatiiest, most awesoIne nlumina-
| tfon that we have ever seen. 1t was
similar in character to the unearthly,
weird light that prevails during total
eclipseN of the sun. 1t tended TO throw a
/ palior upon the faces of this people, many
or whom needed no illumination or that
kind to reveal pailid cheeks that had
been occasioned by the fright
| These ars some OF the incidental fest
ures OF the explosion noticeable to every
one who was in Broadway below Canal
street. Probably the most impressive OF
all the recolleotions that Will be carri I'D
by those who saw this CHASTITY aud terror
making spectacle was the suggestion 1t
| gave them of what New York would be
| If there came an absolute panic, based
upon good cause, which could not be
Immediately checked. Had this condi-