Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-02-01
WINDOWS ARE SMASHED;
TALL: BUILDINGS ROCKED
Scarcely a Building From CORTLAND
Street to Battery Escapes Damage.
NUMBER OF DEAD IS UNKNOWN
Pier at Foot of Henderson Street,
the Scene of Explosion, Complete
lv Demolished-Ellis Island I'm
migration Station Damaged.

NEW YORK, February IA dynamite
explosion OF titanic force on the jersey
city water front just before noon 'ooas
caused an unknown-as yet-loss OF me-
shook New York city and its vicinity TOT
miles around to it's very foundation and
caused heavy financial loss.
The explosion occurred as the dNhanii'e
cargo of a lighter, moored at a Jersey
central railroad pier. was being unioadco
into freight car. The explosion wrecked
everything in the vicinity of the pier ard
shook Manhattan Island. Brooklyn and
the country within twenty miles of Jer-
sey City. Window glass was smashed IN
thousands of skyscrapers III New York,
including the financial districts
Panics in Scores of Buildings.
Panics followed in a score OF big build
jnys. but no casualties from this source
arc reported. II was difficult at first to
learn where the explosion had occurred,
and for a time it was enormously To-
Gated at the Standard Oil plant at Ba-
yonne, n j. at Governors Island, the
military post which is the headquarters
of this department. and. in the subway.
1t was not until the Jersey City police
aupealed TO New York for ambulances
and surgeons that any official knowledge
of the scene of the disaster was made
known. This was nearly an hour after
the explosion.
Fire Alarms Set Off.
The conclusion set off fire alarms IN
many parts of the financial district OF
New York, and the clatter OF flre appa-
ratus and the shrill shrieks OF the nre
engine sirens added TO the confusion
Men and women swarmed out Oh the
buildings, some Of them by the ire es-
cane route, and added to the CONFUSION.
The firemen found the streets dangerous
w crowded and the sidewalks covered
with broken glass. while frightened store
keepers guarded their exposed wares.
The shock caused some trouble In the
telephone exchanges. resulting in dini-
Guilty in transmitting accurate news Oh
the disaster.
The explosion caused as much commo-
ton on the water as on land New YORK
flreboats and police patrol boats crossed
the river to the scene. and Jersey Central
tugboats and other craft hurried to the
foot Of Henderson street. where lay what
vas left OF the dynamite boat
Damage Heavy in Jersey City.
The damage was heavy in many Sec
tons OF Jersey City. and the result OF
the explosion resembied the visitation of
an earthquake. Glass was blown out OF
windows of business places and private
houses
In some buildings the ceilings fell
and ornaments were shaken from man
telpieces. The dynamite boat Cath
crime was unloading at the Jersey Cen
trail pier when the explosion took place
Just what caused 1T may never be
known.
Train schedules on the Jersey Cen
trail railroad were interrupted for
short time. Windows all over the sta
tion were shattered and passengers
subjected to the danger of falling glass
Number Of them received injuries
more or less serious. Portions OF the
a,ation facing the water front were
badly damaged -
The Catherine G. was about to leave
her pier, which adjoins the passenger
station of the Central Railroad of New
Jersey, when the explosion occurred Inc
boat was under the command Oh capt.
]. Lamb, who was badly scalded and Is
An q critical condition. William Nelson
Of Brooklyn, employed on the Doat' also
vas seriously injured. a number of clerks
in the adjoining passenger station were
injured.
Telephone Operators Flee.
A. IN. hot &c Inn
as Communipaw. Pier was practically
demolished.
The confusion was so great that tele
phone and Telegraph operators all LEFT
their posts and communication was rem
dered almost impossible.
The explosion caused panics in severa
of the big downtown Office buildings
which seemed rocked totheir foundations
by the shock alarmed employees and
tenants of the structures made rushes fol
the elevators and other exits The quick
subsidence of the tremblings. however
seemed speedily to reassure the alarmed
multitudes and there were no early re-
uorts OF casualties due to the panicky
conditions which prevailed.
broadway showered With Glass.
The shock of the explosion caused fire
alarms 10 be rung In from various parts
OF the downtown section. and fire ap.
paratus from all the nearby stations was
sent scurrying around the district In a
vain search for the scene Of the explo-
sion which was commonly reported al
first to be on the lower ma Of Man.
haitian Island.
broadway and Church street from Full.
ton street south were literally showereC
With fragments Of glass broken from
hundreds of windows on these thorough
fares The plate-giass windows In ths
custom house were shattered and there
Was extensive breakage of window light.
on all sides
People who witnessed the explosion
from the windows Of ONCE building,
fronting on tire harbor say they saw al
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