The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-01
N. Y. is SHAKEN.
Explosion of Dynamite Jars
City to Foundations.
Plate Glass Is Shattered Over a
Large Area.
MANY WERE INJURED.
Those Near Scene Blown into
the River.
Great Excitement About Office
OF j. p. Morgan.
MANY WERE INJURED.

New York, Feb. IA dynamite ex-
plosfon on the Jersey City water front
Just before noon today shook New
York City and its vicinity for miles
around to its foundation and caused
heavy financial loss.
The explosion occurred as the dvna-
mite cargo of a lighter moored at a
Jersey Central pier was being unload
ed into a freight car. Window glass
was smashed in thousands of sky-
scrapers IN New York Panics fol-
lowed In many big buildings, but no
| casualties from this source are report
ed: For a time the explosion was To-
Gated at the Standard Oil plant at
Bayonne, N. J.; at Governors island.
the military post, which is the head
quarters OF this department, and in the
subway 1t was not until the Jersey
CITY ponce appealed to New York for
aInoulances and surgeons that the
scene OF the disaster was made known
The concussion set off fire alarms in
many parts of lower New York and
the clatter of fire apparatus and the
shrleks of the fire engine sirens added
10 the confusion. Instead they found
the streets crowded and sidewalks
covered with broken glass while fright
ened storekeepers guarded their ex-
posed wares.
The explosion caused as much com
motion on the water as on the land.
New York fire boats, police patrol
poats. tug boats and other craft hur-
r1ed to the foot of Henderson street,
where what was left of the dynamite
boat lay. The damage was heavy in
many sections of Jersey City The
dynamite boat Catherine c. was un-
loading at the Jersey Central pier
when the explosion took place
Rush From Singer Building.
The force of the explosion blew the
glass from windows and doors in a
large number of buildings from Cort-
land street down to the battery
The whole front of Henderson's seed
mouse on Cortland street was blown in
and many window panes in the Hud-
son terminal buildings were shattered.
There was. much excitement lin the
tall Singer building. there was a rush
for the elevators and for time the
cars were taxed to their capacity.
A large plate glass window in the
Cafe Savarin was blown in and several
persons sitting in the restaurant mar
rowly escaped injury.
People who witnessed the explosion
from the windows of office buildings
fronting on the harbor say they saw an
immense black cloud shoot upward to
a great height This cloud reached its
height before the crash of the ex-
plosion was heard by them
1t was fortunate that no immigrants
were being handled at Ellis island.
Three immense holes were torn in the
hall where the immigrants are inspect
ed Each was at least 80 by Is feet.
Injured Blown Into River.
The dynamite in boxes was being
carted from the freight cars to the
boat. 1t is doubtful if any one near
enough to see what happened is alive
to tell just what ignited the explosive.
Many of the injured were blown into
the river from which they were
rescued by tugs and taken to hospitals.
Father O'Reilly of Jersey City says
he administered the last rites of the
Catholic church to five men and saw
one headless corpse near the pier.
The only connected story of the ex-
plosion which has yet been told is that
of James Wynne, weigher for w.
H. Brown & Co., of Exchange place,
New York.
''I saw a small powder boat pull into
pier 5, and anchor there he said "She
tied up to the pier and men began TO
run back and forth. They seemed to
be carrying dynamite from freight cars
that were standing close at hand.
"All at once there was a flash of
| flames. The little boat disappeared and
I felt myself being carried through the
air. I fell into the water
Wwnne'S statement makes it certain It
was the Katherine W. that was de-
| stroyed. for this boat was the last to
reach the slip before noon today for
! her cargo of explosives.
| The ferryboat Somerville of the Jer-
sey Central line was close to the scene
of the explosion and many of her pas
sengers were injured. When the Som
ervil1e reached the ferry house on this
| side of the river a temporary hospital
was established on the shore. One
| of the most turbulent scenes down
! town was outside of the banking office
/ M n r g.
sion prevailed in the streets that a
| bomb had been hurled. and instantly a
crowd collected about the entrance.
Most of the windows of the Morgan
| building had been blown in as had
| the windows of the Mills and other
buildings in the vicinity. There was
tremendous excitement on the floor
of the exchange.
| Estimated Casualties.
Estimates of the killed or fatally in
| jured run all the way from half a dozen
up to a score or more.
The first estimates of loss of life any
| where near approaching defniteness
were made by w. G. Besler, vice presi-
| dent of the Central railroad of New
| Jersey who said from 10 to II men
! who were working at the end Of the
| pier where the explosion occurred were
missing and were believed to have been
killed Five others were probably ia
! tally injured. From 80 to 100 men Were
| on the pier at the time and most OF
these were injured to greater or less
extent All the missing and fatally in
jured are Polish laborers. The num-
| her of injured runs into the hundreds
| Vice President Besler of the Jersey
! Central said that besides the ten tc
twelve men missing from the pier, the
loss of life might be largely increased
through fatalities on the boats nearby
which were destroyed by the explosion
Two boats have completely disap.
peared, Mr.. Besler said These are the
! Katherine W., a dynamite boat, anc