New-York tribune., 1916-07-31
Thought End of the World
Had Come, Says One
Survivor.
CAPTAIN, IN WATER,
STUNNED TWICE
Railroad Conductor Hurled Fifty
Feet from Car RoOf-Then
Building Fell on Him.

Street. Manhattan, captain Of the
lighter. Moran No. S. Raceta was
blown twenty feet in the air from his
/ lighter by the first explosion. lie
dro.ped into the water, swan 20 the
Statue of Liberty and tried 70 reacn
the New Jersey shore, when he vas
caught by the second explosion.
81 was asleep" Raceta said in the
City Hospital, when the fire started,
and went on deck 10 watch IL. The
next thing / knew the air was full Of
flame. there was an explosion that
deafened me and / felt myself going
through the air When ! struck the
water | swan 10 the Statue Of Liberty
and hid under pier
/ "Barges on which | knew there were
explosives were adrift in the river and
several of them were on fire. felt
safe where | was until TWO or three Of
the barges began to drift toward me,
and | knew if they beached on the
island and exploded | would be gone.
As the barges drew nearer, ! deter
mined TO try and swim 10 the New
Jersey shore. ! struck out, but found |
was injured and could make little head
way. While I was foundering about,
/ the UdiBts htDL EOiuAlB AADiH iAA NtA
/ tions-they were New Jersey Central
and Lehigh Valley craft, think-and
| was trapped.
Stunned by Second Explosion.
"By an ecort | managed TO make a
wide detour and got clear of the dan
ger. Just as / was swimming slowly
toward the shore the second explosion
occurred, and for a moment | was lost
crofpr. a N =
hearing something whizzing through
/ the air and burning brands were fall
ing all around me.
Then | regained my senses and made
a further effort 20 reach land. Just as
| was within about twenty feet of one
of the docks | lost consciousness and
went down. That was all | knew until
regained my senses on the pier"
Raceta was observed swimming in the
river by persons on shore and boat
was put out to him. He was dragged
aboard and taken ashore. There he vas
treated until he revived and then was
taken TO the City Hospital, Jersey City.
He is suffering from burns, bruises and
shock
81 had been sent with an engine" ="
said Thomas Welsh, of l03 Mercer
Street, Jersey City, freight conductor
of the Lehigh Valley Railroad, 80 cut
out some cars that had escaped the fire.
| was on the ground beside the train
and my brother John was on top Of one
of the cars. We were not more than a
hundred feet from the blaze when the
explosion occurred.
Thought Ii Was End of World.
"All know is that thought the end
of the world had come and | was
Knocked 70 the ground. while the air
seemed TO be full of fame. | remember
calling 70 John 20 save me, then ! went
out. When / came 20 the first thing |
did was 10 look az the top Of the car
where | had last seen John. The car
roof was gone and so was John. did
not know what had become of him until
reached the hospital and heard he
was in another ward
That's right" said John Welsh when
told Of his brothers experience. Il
saw Tom standing on the ground and
got his signal TO 90 ahead. | started
to walk along the roof Of the car
toward him, when there came an eX-
rlosion. and the roof Of the freight car
seemed to rise up and hurl ME through
the air.
Il landed about fifty feet from the
/ cars alongside OF snack tnat was JUS
beginning TO blaze. and the whole
blamed thing came tumbling down on
top of me. | called for help, and some
men who were running by heard me.
was jammed down by the timbers and d
hot brand was against my face. guess
screamed. ! don't know, but in a few
minutes several men pulled the timber
off me and dragged me out. The next
thing | knew | woke up IN the hos
pital.'
81 was on the tenth barge from ne
shore" said Captain William Stippe. OF
Lehigh Valley Barge No. S, when the
| explosion kicked me out OF bed. MY
wife and two boys were with ne.
found them dazed and led them from
the cabin. When ! got outside the ain
seemed full of flying timbers. Know,
ing that there were explosives all
around, took my wife and boys over
the other barges, which were lying be-
side, to the shore.
Leaving them there | returned "a
my own barge and was busy when the
second explosion occurred. and | was
thrown to the deck. The first thing
did was 70 look toward the spot where
had left my family. They had disap.
peared Hurrying ashore, | learned
that John, my eldest boy, who remained
behind after his mother and brother
left the pier, had been hit by flying
brick 1t was some time later before
found they were safe with friends ID
Claremont Avenue