The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-12
THE THE 7TAARIlRANT EXPLOSION
New York Drug Firm Held Crimi-
naIIy Responsible.
Verdict of the Coroner's Jury in the
Case of the Death of Seven Per
sons-FataIities Attributed 10 He
gal Storage of CombustibIe Cheni-
Gals in the Building Destroyed.

NEW YORK. Ian. 12.-The coroner's
jury which investigated the death OF sever
persons as a result of the recent fire and
explosion in the building of Tarrant &
Co.. at Greenwich and Warren Streets
handed in verdict yesterday afternoon
holding Tarrant & Co. criminally respon-
sible- Thomas F. Main and William G. B.
Powers members of the firm, were or
dered TO be produced before the jury at
II O'Clock this morning, to be admitted
TO bail Of 50, 900 each, to wait the action
of the grand jury. The verdict follows:
The said seven persons came to their
death on October %. 1900. at 273 Green
wich Street, by incineration caused at the
time and place aforesaid as the result of
an explosion and fire. We find that the
said explosion WAS occasioned by the
storage of combustible chemicals in ex-
cess 81 the quantities permitted by law,
and We hold Tarrant & Co. criminally re-
sponsible for the deaths OF deceased"
The testimony showed that d large
quantity of chlorate of potash and sui
phur and many barrels of spirits were
stored in the building George E. Muir
ray, Inspector of Combustibles, said that
from information gathered since the ex-
plosiOn. and from his knowledge of ex-
pIOsiVes, he thought that the first explo-
sion might have been a dust explosion
This. he said, might have thrown the hot
debris into the dry chemicals. lberating
the oxygen, and causing the second ex-
pI0siOn, which might have been of suf1i-
Gent power to do the damage caused.
He said that after the fire he had found
in the basement enOught spirits to start a
Il
acid, ETC., all of which had not been
| touched by the fire or explosion. indi-
eating Unat the substances which caused
the explosion were on the upper floors.
He explained that chlorate OF potash was
harmless in .sseIf, but was extremely
dangerous wbesz mixed with sulphur,
sugar, certain acids, etc.
Representatives OF different firms stOr-
| ing goods with Tarrant & Co, then tesu-
ned TO having large quantities of sulphur
and chlorate OF potash stored there at the
time Of the explosion. H. NJ. kirkland,
superintendent for the firm of McKessOn
q Robbins, who had testified TO having
Z=5 barrels of sulphur stored with Tar
rant d Co, when asked if he did not know
that. under the law, only che thousand
pounds of sulphur might be stored in a
building, replied. = supposed they had a
| proper permit.
:
said that while Tarrant & Co had been
doing business as wholesale drug house
I they had sought storage warehouse bust
ness Their permit had allowed them, as
a private concern, to keep certain speci-
/ fe1 explosives in the vault under the side
walk, and not to store the goods Of other
firms. He called especial attention 10
/ the storage OF chlorate of potash IN large
quantities by one firm, and OF both sui
r14T mr. hTro
AT the lowest estimate" continued the
/ coroner, ''one firm had "a 200 pounds of
sulphur in the building, whereas the law
allows only Loco pounds TO be stored in
I building If this is true there is no
doubt about there being a violation of
the law"
The coroner added that the charter per-
mitted the issuance of special permits
for the storage Of larger quantities of the
specified substances, and that when Tar
rant & Co sought the business of stor-
ing the goods Of other firms these firms
had the right 10 presume that TarTant &
Co. had the necessary permit
The coroner refused TO charge the jury
that there was no evidence to show that
there had been sulphur or chlorate of
potash on the fourth floor He said that
there was no direct evidence. but ex-
planned that the evidence given warranted
the superstition that both chemicals had
been stored on the fourth floor. He also
refused to charge that there was no legal
proof that the death Of the seven persons
was caused by an explosion Of sulphur
The jury retired at 4.56 p. N. and re-
turned with its verdict at a few minutes
after o'clock When Mr. Ely. counsel
for Tarrant G. Co. objected to Mr.. Pow
ers being held, as he was not actively
Identified with the house, the coroner re
piled that Mr.. Powers had shared in the
profits resulting from the illegal storage
Of explosives in the building and would
LnaraEo-a he held Nth AZ Main