Evening star., 1916-07-31
FEARED NEW YORK
WAS BOMBARDED
Excited Populace Thought
Hostile Fleets Were Attack
ing, R. D. HeinI Says.
GIVES GRAPHIC RECITAL
OF EXPLOSION RESULTS
Praises Work Of Police and Firemen
in Courting Death by Going
to Rescue.

Every one in New York thought there
city in the world by hostile fleets. That
is the impression of New Yorks catas-
trophe of Sunday morning given by
Robert D. Heinl. associate editor of
the Chamber of Commerce of the
United States, who went right to the
front even though he didn't know
whether the world was burning up. dyna-
miters at work or an alliance Of all the
other world powers battering away at
Uncle Sans front door. or -.
Graphic pictures Of the destruction
that burst upon New York that foated
about in the harbor; human interest
touches revealing the terror Of immi-
grants who thought the war had fol-
lowed them to the shores of the United
States and the varying passions and
emotions Of the New York populace-
are given by Mr. Heinl in the follow
ing interview:
Feared a Hostile Fleet.
IF a feet of Zeppelins had begun a
bombardment in the dead of night
there could hardly have been more
amazement or CONSERVATION than when
the first of the eighty-five cars and
seven or eight barges and boats loaded
with munitions began exploding in the
lower harbor of New York city. Those
out of range Of sound of the small
arms ammunition cracking and the
detonations of the shells and shrapnel
thought. when they saw the front of
large store blown out in their neigh
borhood, that the blackhanders or the
anarchists had been at work. They did
not for the instant connect it with the
great fre which lighted the skies to
the south On the other hand, the pop
plation Of lower Manhattan and South
BROOKLYN thought that hostile fleet
had attacked the city.
Following the first great explosion
the jar of which knocked a man 1ae or
bed in Newark. and which could be
felt as far away as Philadelphia-peo-
ple ran to the streets in New YORK
Every citizen who had a police whistle
began to blow IT, and the excited gem
tIeman who fires a loaded revolver to
attract the attention Of the patrolman
on most was right on the job. Others
equally as calm hastened to the near
est fire alarm box
when the frst explosion resounded
4 gOTme th1ce uPeo"h' ooASSb
in a hotel on 44th street. just opposite
the Hippodrome The clerk. Of course,
not Knowing the real cause OF trouble.
told me, in answer to my inquiry, tnae
a bomb had been set of under Cowper-
thwaite's. around the corner on 6th ave-
M. rot into my clothes-it being
warm morning. dressed ID the pony
ballet girls / had seen few hours pc
fore at one of the theaters. ho. u
but not too fast. for l knew OF oin
,hssa homb cases of occasionally pinch
ing a few innocent bystanders.
Not a Policeman In Sight.
"coxperthwaite's. large furniture
store. looked as il a cyclone had hit II
However. a mystifying thing about the
occurrence was that though small
fo,,une in valuable furniture was com.
n,.te,y exposed, not a policeman wa.
In sight. I hadn't much time to ponder
over this. however, for just then over
INV shoulder l saw the first glare OF the
great confiagration-far to the south
III Immediately forgot Mr.. Cowper-
thwaite's troubles and cast my eyei
about for a speedy vehicle OF transpor-
tation.
cIambering into the nearest automo-
| bile The occupants were strangers te
me. but didn't remain so for long, be
cause one proved to be Thomas X
Ybarre of the New York Times. whom
| 1 used to know years ago when work
ed in New York Mr.. Ybarre and Mr.
Allen, the owner of the car. are cousini
of Elliot H. Goodwin Of Washington
liz. C.. the secretary of the Chamber Of
Commerce OF the United States:
I'VE had only gone block when ou,
progress was stopped by processioI
Of fre apparatus the like of which
have never seen. There was enough
noise to raise the dead. and In my
eagerness to get along 1t seemed to b'
ages in passing. We started to follow
the ire department. because W.
thought it ought to know where IT wal
going. However. when even the nre
men appeared to be headed In thu
wrong direction we cut loose dowI
Broadway and started for what ap
peared TO be the big show. A. we spet
alonR we encountered more dre appa
!ratus. policemen. civilians, all rushing
about In different directions.
Thousands Of Windows Shattered.
] Then We began 70 notice, ~ We cov