The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1916-08-03
$25,OOO,OOO IS
DAMAGE DONE
BY EXPLOSION
Lives Lost When Several
Car Loads Ammunition
were Ignited

New York, July 30-Property loss
estimated at $25,OOO,OOO was caused
early today by a series of terrific ex-
plosions of amG.uuition awaiting
shipment to the entente allies and
stores on Black Tom island, a small
strip of land jutting into New York
bay off Jersey City. The loss of life
still was predetermined tonight. 1t
will not be determined definitely I'M
til there has been opportunity to
check up the workmen employed on
the island and on boats moored near
by.
Two are known to be dead and at
least two more are missing. Scores
Of persons were injured, some of
them probably mortally.
The detonations, which were felt
n five states, began with continu-
Gus rapid fire of small shells, then
the blowing up of great quantities of
dynamite, trinitoltunine and other
high explosives, followed by the
bursting of thousands of shrapnel
shell which showered the surround
ing country and waters for miles
around.
Fire that started soon after the
first great crash destroyed thirteen
of the huge warehouses of the Ma
tional Storage. company and Black
Tom inland, in which were stored
merchandise valued at between $12,-
100000 and y $15,00O,000. The
flames shooting into the clouds, were
reflected against New York's "sky
line" of towering Office buildings,
were shaken to their foundations as
if by an earthquake. Miles of streets
in Manhattan were strewn with
broken glass and shattered signs.
Early reports of heavy loss of life
were impossible of verifcation, and
the authorizes asserted the number
of deaths probably would be small.
1t was said that owing to the extent
of the wreckage it might be several
days before the exact figures could
be obtained.
The cause of the disaster had not
been determined tonight. Officials
of the National Storage company
and Lehigh Valley railway, which al
50 suffered heavily through loss of
declared that reports to
Them showed a fire started shortly.
after one o'clock this morning
barge belonging to an Independent
towing company that had been moor
I'd alongside a dock used by the rail-
road company to transfer ammuni-
ion shipments from trains to vessels
n the harbor.
Official Statement.
The barge, it was said, was there
Without authority either of the rail-
Dad or the storage company. The
officials refused to disclose the name
# the Independent towing company,
aging they were investigating "to
scertain whether the barge purpose
Y had been set on fire as the result
f a plot" A statement issued to-
light by the Leigh Valley Railroad
ompany said:
"Thirteen brick storage ware j
ouses out of the twenty-four owned
nd operated by the National St9r-
ge company and six piers owned
Y the Storage company and leased
0 the Leigh Valley road, were de-
troyed. Several others of the
rick warehouses were badly damag-
d and some minor damage was done
} the Lehigh Valley grain elevators.
n addition as far as is known,
ighty-fve loaded cars were destroy
According to the evidence OBJ
lined by officials of the railroad the
re started at l :05 this morning in
barge belonging to an independ-
1T towing company which had been
oored alongside the railroad com
any's dock expressly against orders.
NJ. T. Henley, night yardmaster
n the New York Division of the Lee
gh Valley railroad, was on the uner
hen the fire started. He said the
,plosion, which occurred at 2:08
clock, was in the barge where the
e started.
"Mr. Henley's first thought was to
move the loaded cars on the pier
ON the danger zone. He said that
1en he reached the end of the pier
e barge was burning fercely all
er and the fire was beginning to
Itself to some of the
rs nearest the barge.
Two long cuts Oh cars were SuC-
ssfully removed from the danger
ne before the rapidly spreading
e engulfed the balance.
at has not yet been definitely de-
mined just what the money loss
Il be. Some 10000 tons of raw
gar, valued at approximately 3d.
0 900, is known to be lost. 1t is
Iieved that the other contents of
, warehouses destroyed will great
increase this amount. There were
explosives stored in the ware
uses. Two of the cars destroyed
re loaded with shrapnel, which
uld not have been a source of
niger but for outside fire. The
Ter cars were loaded principally
tn salt and pork.
''The scene of the explosion and
e is no way adjacent to the main
ssenger and freight terminals of
E Lehigh Valley railroad, either at
wv York or Jersey City, and the
shap will not interfere with the
eration of business.