The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-02-01
BIG EXPLOSION
|. STRIKES TERROR
To MAhHATTAh
Carload of Dynamite Throws
Gotham Into Confusion and
Shakes Sky-Scrapers
SCORES ARE HURT
BY GLASS FROM
BROKEN WINDOWS
Five Members of Crew Of
Barge Lose Their Lives and
Other Fatalities Are
Probable

NEW YORK, Feb. 1.--At 1s4a \
two bodies, believed TO be those
of members of the crew Of tho
Catherine W.. the barge ON which
the dynamite was being loaded.
had been recovered. No trace WINS
found of any others OF the CROW,
which IL said to have consisted Of
FIVE men. 10
Captain Webb, of the tug War
rem, which was nearby at tn II.
time OF the explosion, says tlaa&
a moment before he saw seven
or eight longshoremen ON the end
of the pier and that when the
smoke had cleared away all Of
the men had disappeared.
NEW YORK. Feb. Am expioE
sion Of carload of dynamite on =
barge alongside pier of the Central
Railroad of New Jersey In the Conn
munipaw section OF Jersey City a.
three minutes past the noon hour to-
day worked a tremendous property
damage In that city and threw lower
Manhattan Island into a panic by
shaking the lower END or the city and
sending sickening vibrations tl,rosoh
the skyscrapers Of the district.
Ambulances and surgeons Ne3o
rushed to the scene of the sxpl0al0n
and q number Of injured, nfnstIy
wcrk1nen. on the neighboring piera
were hurried to hospitals. Seward
workmen were reported unaccountef3
for. but up 70 o'clock the poiios7
had no definite information OF any
actual fatalities, The barge and neAr~
est pasr wore dastrnSest ana the 4k44nssS
minus u tbs Jersey Central Ra4IrOa4A|
was badly damaged. broken glass and
slate from the roofs being piled n ~
tumble about the entrances OF tho
building. A number OF passengers N
the station at the time we're sllghtiy
injured.
At the moment of the explosion
hundreds OF thousands of clerks, stems
pgraphers and business men were
pouring from the Office buildings o.
Scores OF these people were caught
in the rain OF falling glass which,
showered over the entire lower end
OF Manhattan Island Although most
of these sustained only slight injuries
first reports made to police heads
quarters included a number OF sert~
ous accidents.
Many Cut by Glass:
fruit vender at Morris street and
Broadway WAS nearly decapftated ~
failing plate glass and a workman on
u new nkyscraper was shaken frOn4
the roof OF the building upon which
he was working and fatally injured
Those who had not yet reached th3
streets experienced the Eickening sen~
sation of an earthquake shock a. the
aty xrjh TAD x1ytth
sion.
The force OF the shock was I'M
worst AT the battery and diminisheA
as II proceeded north. ]. Pterpon<
Morgan's Offices. the Produce 0x~
change. the Standard OH Building me-
Singer building, the customs houo4
and practically every big building o.
the lower end of the island suffered
from broken windows, and Broadway
from the Battery to the postofiice waA
sprinkled with broken glass.
The police say that the lack -
fatalities was little short Of mira1las
lous.
The shock of the explosion st On
fire alarms throughout the lower part
OF the city and the numerous acci.
dents resulted In q half dozen simnl~
taneous calls for police reserves. ~
OF which added to the confusion. H.
-
of horses stung by the falling Glasn
became unmanageable and the trans
squad had a busy few minutes In the
badly congested streets.
At late hour this afternoon the
cause OF the explosion had not boen
determined. gs
The Catherine W.. the barge -
which the explosion took place, wo0s
completely destroyed. and not q vea
tige OF the car could be found. IN
dozen freight cars were overturn14
and two three-masted schooneru lyfnE
at adjoining piers were practtcali
stripped OF their rigging and everyA
thing above deck.
Windows on two Jersey Central kerS
ry boats were shattered and the DO
sengers peppered with glass s sSs
There was no fire following tl148
explosion. Merely deafenfng r0G34
and a tremendous cloud OF sn0k1
which enveloped the entire vicinixS
1t Is believed that the list Of fnjnf@N I
In vicinity OF the accident will nIIS
proximate thirty-five. 5ss