New-York tribune., 1902-01-28
SCENE OF WILD PANIC.
BUILDINGS DANA GED FOR
BLOCKS AROUND.
THE MURRAY HILL HOTEL SUFFERS
MOST SEVERELY-SCENES AND IN
CIDENTS DESCRIBED.


70 W. L. Jaques. secretary and treasurer of the
Murray Hill Hotel Corporation.
We cannot tell what our loss will be 1
would give S1,5O0000 for the hotel as it now
stands he said. THE walls and ceiling of the
main hallway have been cut up TO a considera-
be extent; the front doors were blown open.
The kitchen, billiard room. cafe, the front rooms
of the basement and first floor have been
wrecked. Practically every window in the build
ing is broken We are lucky to get off with so
few Of our guests killed and wounded"
Did you know that dynamite stored so
near your" Mr. jacques asked.
No" the reply 1--WE had no notion OF
the proximity Of danger. Blasts from dynamite
have been of such frequent occurrence that we
had become pretty well used to them. The idea
Of being blown through in the fashion you see
here never entered our heads.
We have done everything possible for the
comfort of our guests Every emplOye has
worked hard to administer to their wants. in
spite Of the fact that most of the employees
were badly bruised and cut from the explosion.
wish TO thank the ambulance people, the police
and the detective bureau for the spirited and
humane way in which they worked"
.sIs il true that the building is IN dangerous
.ondtion?"
NO The Building Department officials were
here an hour ago They told me that the founda-
tions and walls were safe The building is SOL
jdly built and will suffer serious permanent
damage"
" H. H. Young private bookkeeper at the
Murray Hill Hotel who standing at his
desk in the hotel Office at the time of the ex-
pIosion. gave a graphic description Of the dis
aster.
HOTEL ROCKED BACK AND FORTH.
u was working as usual at my books" he
said 1T was only minute or two past the
roon hour. for the bellboys were changing
shifts You see, the hall clock stopped at that
hour Suddenly there tremendous BOOM
ing noise The hotel seemed to rock to the
south and then back TO the north. 1 was
stunned with fright for I thought the whole
building was coming down over my head. Part
ly turning I saw the street was black with
smoke 1t really looked if the end Of the
world had come Without interval of
fraction of a second the front windows and
doors were blown in The ceiling fell in many
places. The crash of falling glass made dis
tressng noise.
When I recovered from the shock I looked
over the desk and saw that a dozen more
people who had been standing in the foyer had
been blown over IN every direction. The girls
at the news and cigar stand opposite were IN
state Of terror from glass that had broken
about their heads. The large theatrical adver-
tising board over their heads had not been com
pletely overturned, and so served to protect
the girls 10 some extent. The colored beboys
tossed about in all directions Many Of
them were cut about the head and face and
otherwise bruised. The head mailman and head
porter were seriously cut. I thought it was all
UP with all Of US. None of US at the office were
hurt"
Dr.. H II. Forbes. at one time connected with
the Presbyterian Hospital. but practising
at No 90 Park-ave., of the first to
reach the hotel after the explosion.
When I entered the building people were
running about in Mysteries. Nearly all Of them
were bleeding. The main floor was covered with
blood from their wounds. 1 telephoned at once
10 Police Headquarters to send every ambu-
lance they had, and then began to bind up
wounds Within five minutes there were from
twelve to fifteen physicians at work, and they
had plenty to do. I personally looked after
fifteen people We found James Carr waiter
in the cafe, to be badly hurt that started
him up 20 the Presbyterian Hospital in one Of
the first ambulances to arrive. He died the
way"
L heard three distinct explosions. My house
rocked as If an earthquake were upon US. The
air was filed with smoke to the height of
hundred feet. Captain Sheehan, Of the Nine
teenth Precinct Station, was one Of the first
70 arrive. he Old excellent work directing his
men Dr. Seward, the hotel physician. did
Splendid work caring for the wounded
CASHIERS NARROW ESCAPE.
The cashier in the mems cafe, in Forty-frst-
ST, near Park-ave., had a wonderful escape
While refusing to give her name, she told this
story:
was standing at my desk, with my back
10 Park-ave., with the hallway between me and
the room which Mr.. Robertson who was killed.
occupied. The wall at my back was covered by
plate glass mirror half an inch thick. The
'orce Of the explosion broke down part Of the
"aH and shattered the mirror. Hundreds OF
pieces OF glass fell about me, but 1 was not
MT The force Of the explosion threw me partly
under my desk, to which fact I probably owe
my HE. man standing within a few feet Of
men was severely cut and bruised The walls
OF the cafe were stripped in many places; the
WIDOWS were blown in. and those who were at
luncheon were covered with glass; plaster and
bits Of wood"
EDWARD Z. Lee, head hall man at the Muir
ray Hill hotel did effective work in quieting the
iears OF the guests, and in caring for the
wounded. He said:
Ihere was big rush for the elevators All
Passengers were landed on the pro,nd aonr