Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-02-02

JERSEY CITY, Feb. 2.-Yes-
terday was the first day, exclusive of
holidays, for six weeks when no immi-
grants were received at Ellis Island,
which is about a half mile from the
explosion. On the main floor OF the
registry building there is a huge room
forty feet high with heavy glass lights
and huge slanted windows 10 by 80 feet.
About thirty persons were hurt OIL
the island altogether, only three OF
these being immigrants. Giuseppl Gree
co, an Italian boy, who has been re-
fused entrance and Will probably be
sent back to Italy, was seriously cut
about the forehead and hands by fall
ing glass in the baggage and dormitory
building. Several doctors at work On
the lam side of the main building were
severely cut when a window neal which
they were experimenting was blown In
upon them. DR.. Ashford had a temple
artery cut open. He, with DR.. Mullen,
both assigned to inspection duty, were
the worst urt of anyone on the island.
With the other inspection doctors, how
ever, they went to work tying bandag g
on the injured.
Both Commissioner William Williams
and Assistant Commissioner E@ald
were subjected to a shower of glass in
their offices, but neither was cut. In
the latter's office the glass was hurled
close by him and his stenographer,
Miss Emma B. O~sterhoudt, sitting on
the opposite side of the desk was quite
severely cut. She was cool during the
actual excitement, but when 1t was all
over she quietly tainted. One of the
young women stenographers in the Of
flee became hysterical just after the
crash and began to pray.
In the dormitories, where approx
mately $50 immigrants were quartered,
there was only a slight panic. Several
of the foreigners got down on their
knees and began to pray. Someone
screamed something about Messina,
and for a moment it looked as though
there would be a real panic, but just
at this point, a squad of interpreters
rushed In among them and shouted 10
them in a babel of languages that
whatever had happened, it was all over
now and there was no cause for
-alarm. Quie. was quickly restored
Illt Immigrants NtlS dudAh N'So
the baggage and dormitory building
which is the nearest large building on
the island to the scene of the eXplo-
sion. Every pane of glass On the first
floor Of this building a powdered,
but there were only two small windows
broken on the second floor. In the
statistical building, adjoining this on
the south, several government en-
ployees were badly cut and bruised by
falling glass. Among them chief Will
lam L. Junker was the most severely
hurt. His face was gashed with sew
eral long deep wounds.
There were about 1,400 persons on the
island at the time. None of the bargef
used to transport immigrants from
steamers to the island were so much
as scratched, but considerable damage
was done far beyond where they lay.
The civil engineer of the island ex-
poets to make an accurate report of tho
damage tomorrow. 1t was roughly esti-
mated today In the neighborhood OF
$50, 900. This Is exclusive of several
ugly looking cracks in walls of the
buildings In various parts of the island
which may prove serious n add q
large amount to the figure.
The property loss occasioned by the
explosion will be enormous. The
heaviest sufferer in this respect is the
Central Railroad of New Jersey, at
whose docks the disaster occurred,
Vice-President Besler sets the rail-
roads loss at about 5000. 900. The
United States Government is also 9
heavy loser, with $500 0 damage al
Ellis Island and an additional $40, 00C
or SIS, 900 at the army headquarters on
Governors Island and at Bellows
Island, where the Statue of Liberty
was shaken bare of many windows and
big electric lights.
The blast was probably the largest
explosion of dynamite that has ever
occurred anywhere, Intentionally or by
accident. Fifty thousand pounds went
up in the single defamation, There vas
a marvellous escape. however, from q
much bigger disaster, for there was
another $4,000 pounds standing on g
siding within 100 feet Of the pier-end
which stood unexploded through all the
J tumult. The cars which contained II
were twisted and torn and the boxes
were strewn on every side, but the
| 5,ynauoita fhicL with the dust and