The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-02-04
FREAKS OF THE EXPLOSION
Queer Happenings in Connection
With New YOrk's Disaster.

The New York newspapers print some
interesting stories Of incidents of TIE
explosion that wrecked the Murray
Hill hotel and killed and injured a num-
Der of persons. A few Of them follow:
Chief train dispatcher G. H. Wilson
sat at his desk in one of the front
rooms at the Grand Central railway
station. At the same desk were his
four assistants. Broke glass rained
down pom them, out not one of the
f, Eve men moved from his chir. They
had more than 200 trains to look after,
and, although bruised cut, they
kept at their work. Smoke filed the
roo so that they could rot at one
time see their instruments, but they
never budged. Photographer Foster, who
had charge of the direction of trains
on one of the Connecticut branches, did
not even get up from lis seat to view
the ruins.
John Sulzman, who owns the cigar
stand in the Grand Union hotel, was
injured in a peculiar way by the ex-
plosion- He was standing behind his
cigar cases, which are entirely of plate
glass, when the window at his side was
oio"L Il. Ills Eases we're not even
scratched, but his right shoe was cut
open n the top of his big toe shaved
off as clearly as If it had been done
with a surgeons knife. He was other
wise u%ninjured.
NJ. D. Maggie, chief engineer of the
Murray Hill hotel, was in the engine
room in the sub-cellar when the explo-
sion occurred.
1T would be impossible to describe
the noise nr tho 1oncofio- %h,x <~l1-u
ed" he said. Il was absolutely deaf
for several minutes after landing on
the floor. 1 was knocked completely
on my feet and struck the ceiling. 1t
was the loudest noise 1 ever heard
louder than anything / had ever imae-
ined.
MY first thought when I recovered
my senses was OF my engines and boil
ers. When the mist cleared from my
eyes I saw the engines going along
as though nothing a happened. Up
s-airs I heard confused sounds rs of
2 distant battle. There was no time to
go up and investigate.
The first thing / did was to shout
orders to shut of the electricity uo-
stairs.
The power for the elevators was
kept up.
Presently I ran out to the wine Gel
lar, Just beyond Us. I sank knee deem
in a liquid which 1 found afterward
to be wine and liquor flowing from
thousands and thousands of broken
bottles.
On my way there I stumbled over
Sebastian Smith, a painter. lying m
the Moor. his face badly cut.
He had been knocked fifteen feet
l went on until ] found Max Eisemann.
the cellar man. who's head and hands !
had been badly cut.
-Tne wine was flowing In torrents !
1t was said at the hotel that he dam J
age to the wine cellar would amornt
to etween $4,000 n $4,000. An i'm
n quantity OF ARE wines and IL 3
quors had been stored there and al
most every bottle in the place wa.
~
Thomas jacques, son OF the pronrie-
tor or the Murray Hill hotel. was one
OF N injured He was In the cafe
ana was hurled to the ceiling by the
force or % blast. When he anded
upon Inc floor amid the pile OF broken
glass and h crumbled ceiling, he was
unconscious His head was badly lac
Grated and he had to be attended by
two physicians. The injuries were
and - soon a. Mr.. Jauues
covered from tie shock he went