New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-05
Explosion Near Place
Where |. w. w. and
Anarchists Met.
THOUSANDS ESCAPE
BURSTING MISSILE
Workers Throng Park as
Explosion Tears Up
Area Masonry.

bopb was exploded last night in
rr;op Square East, opposite the scene
~ anarchist meetings, in front OF a
,,urk and bag store adjoining the
r,ion Square Savings Bank. The oc-
,rrsnts Of the store cannot explain the
outraee. and the officers Of the bank
have received no threats.
Whoever was responsible for the
outrsce selected a time-6:S0 O'Clock
when the square was filled with
thousands Of people, the majority siri
vorkers. hurrying home after the day s
xo,k In spite Of this, no one was
hut and. although a patrolman was
IN, thirty feet from the place where
"A. bomb exploded, with a report that
as, heard as far away as Sixth av'
and 2sd ST.. no one was seen running
away from the spot.
Their Escape Miraculous.
The force of the explosion was
nsutraliled By the fact that, when the
bomb dissolved, with such terrific
power that not a particle Of the mis-
sils could be found, an iron stairway
bore the brunt. The stairway lost a
buge chunk six feet long. Hundreds
who were so near that their escape
from injury seem inconceivable were
thereby saved.
This stairway runs up from the
sidewalk 10 the first floor Of the
building at "a Union Square. This
floor is unoccupied. The tenants on
the three upper floors suffered no dam
age. In the basement however, three
steps down from the sidewalk, the big
plate glass windows Of the Faber q
Winship trunk concern disappeared as
cid the bomb that caused their de-
s.ruction. One might run his thumb
over the entire interior of the sash
without getting so much as scratch.
Patrolman Mcconnell, Of the East
22d st. station, was about thirty feet
north OF the trunk store when the
ground apparently quivered under his
feet, and there was a deafening roar
that for a moment put his hearing
oat Of commission. A trace Of smoke
from the direction Of the roar sent
rim to a fire alarm box. The hook
pulled, he fastened back.
The crowd, which had instinctively
retired at the flash Of tn explosion
was creeping toward the areaway where
Il bomb had landed. Thousands OF
others were pressing across the square
Not one Of them saw any suspicious
person seeking getaway from the
scene Of his crime.
Spectator Com .letely Dazed.
A few hours after the explosion a
man was arrested on information fur
nished by patrolman some distance
from the bank who thought the man
was IN a suspicious hurry. After be-
ing grilled for more than an hour by
Inspector Fsur {, the prisoner was re-
leased and departed with two women
and several men frier ds.
l.speetor Owen Eagan, of the B
reau Of Combustibles, arrived soon
after the explosion, in company with
Police Inspector Morris and Detec-
tives Stapleton and Dundero. Eagan
took swift look at the place and then
gave Il as his opinion that the explo-
sWs had been what is known as o
e1emieal bomb. Inspector Morris and
MS men began their investigation with
Practically nothing TO work on.
William II. lockwood, president OF
loe Union Square Savings Bank, in
SISTED. that his institution had never
Teen bothered By cranks, probably be-
e-use few Of that class were on the
roosevelt, director, had heard of the
explosion until informed by The Trib'
uns.
In View Of ]. w. w. Stand.
Practically no damage was done in
ne heighborhood outside Of the area
ssaJ where the explosion occurred
some glass was broken in the building
tsn p north, at 26 and % Union Square
z. Z. Strang, manager of the trunl
.'neern, who lives at the Hotel Nadi
Madison av. and East 9th St, de
sl1iea there WAS no reason why hi
-'m should be attacked. Only foui
Zen were employed. No one had beer
olsenafged and no threatening letters
ne,lysd. He believed the explosive
vas intended for some one else.
directly across the avenue, at tn
Aoftn end Of Union Square Park, is th'
s-ana from which the |. w. W., an
Sr.1lt SSles.st and other fiery speakers hav'