New-York tribune., 1916-07-31
Windows Smashed from
Coney Island to Green
point by Explosions.
NIGHT-CLAD CROWDS
ARE PANICSTRICKEN
Women Shiver at Waterfront
Watching Flames Squirting
from Jersey Shore.

/ downtown portion OF Brooklyn. rumors
that the subway had blown up, and
] thousands Of people rushing toward
/ the waterfront made Brooklyn, early
yesterday morning, seem like city
under q heavy bombardment.
Flashes Of flames that forked the
/ sky 10 the east caused the report that
| the blast was within few blocks OF
the business portion OF the borough
/ Crashing glass from hundreds of build
/ ings added TO the terrors of those sud
/ denly aroused and who had tumbled
out Of bed. Partly dressed, they ran
| into the streets.
Some excited chauffeur turned in an
alarm from the fire box near the Bor-
ough Hall subway station. report
that ten persons were killed In sub
vav explosion caused by a bomb in
the hand of a crank reached Manhat-
tan Police Headquarters through the
Brooklyn police.
One thousand policemen on reserve
duty we're hurried to the Borough Hall
district within fifteen minutes after
the first explosion. only to hnd that
the police under Captain Barnes had
the situation we'll in hand.
First Warning Of Blast
"Bill" Holland, chauffeur at Police
Headquarters, Brooklyn. ran into the
reporters room, across the way from
the building, shortly after 2 O'Clock
yesterday morning.
"An ammunition ship is ahre, on
Liberty Island" he said. A few min
utes later q rumbling sound was heard
followed by a tremendous explosion.
The sky was illuminated with sheets
of iutting flames which came from the
direction of the last River.
The downtown streets Of Brooklyn
were Immediately filled with excited
men. Ambulances from every hospital
in the business section of the Dor
ough changed their way to Washington
Street and Myrtle Avenue.
Within ten minutes after the explo-
sion CAPTAIN Barnes, Of the Poplar
Street station, began stationing his
men in front of buildings where show
windows were wrecked.
Policemen from the nearby precincts
were sent to the aid of Captain Barnes,
and. aided by citizens who volunteered
their services, many Of them being
members Of the Home Defence League.
the authorities were enabled to posi-
tivelv ascertain before 3 o'clock that
no casualties had resulted In the bor-
ough.
In the upper Broadway (Brooklyn)
shopping district department stores
were the heaviest sufferers. The Ber-
lin lost almost all its glass front. Price
& Rosenbaum's windows also were de-
molished and the Buckley e. Newhall
Company's display windows were
blown in.
Up as far as Manhattan Junction the
street was Uttered with glass and the
streets filled with persons only partly
attired. Many thought that the Bliss
munitions plant had been blown up;
another report was that it was an Erie
Basin explosion, and another that an
electric storm had caused II all.
/ ne DucUN IGN HtlNiiN tNN'''A'
swamped with calls. While badly fright
ened, all the operators stuck to their
switchboards, but it took thirty-hve
minutes to get Brooklyn Police Head
quarters.
Local newspapers enterprisingly
rlaced the scene of the trouble at the
Standard Oil Works, Communlpaw, and
had extras on the street with the
startling story, which were eagerly
purchased by the thousands who lined
the Brooklyn side of the waterfront:
Federal employees in the Postoffice
building on Washington Street, Brook
lvn. suspended operations 10 see that
no one was missing. At first many IN
the building believed that some crank
had attempted 10 wreck the big gray
granite building, and rushed TO the
street .-a
Big Crowd at Waterfront
Along the waterfront the crowds soon
swered TO thousands. Automobl le
parties from all parts Of the city add
ed to the crush. The best view was
obtained looking off Montague Terrace
from Montague Street and the several
streets paralleling eithe- side Women
1 in evening dress stooo breathlessiy
/ watching the pyrotechnic display OF
/ exploding shrapnel which lighted up
| the whole waterfront every few min-
utes. ,
The authorities made a superficial
survey of the surrounding conditions,
/ and engineers assured them that therc
was no reason TO fear any serious dam
age other than that incident to the
rocking of the buildings, which caused
.kovcorAc of nance Of glass to crash
10 the street.
Damage TO plate glass windows in
South Brooklyn and Coney Island
amounted 10 S26000, according to re-
ports of the police. This did not IN
clude windows in residences or any
loss by looting. The damage was
slightest in the precinct nearest the
explosion, that at the Fort Hamilton
being $3.50, but the precinct next north
of il, that included the Bush Terminals,
suffered to the extent Of Sl,l0O. Even
far Flatbush charges the explosion
with 81 500 damage. The Fifth Avenue
precinct reported loss of $4,000,
mostly department store windows.
There was wild confusion at Coney
Island following the first crash. Clocks
had just sounded o'clock. official
closing time on Saturday night-or
Sunday morning the big smuse-
ment Fairgrounds, and it is probable
that a larger crowd than was gathered
at any other place within the radius
of the explosions shock was waiting
al the Coney Island terminal for trains
back TO Manhattan.
Coney Hotels Shaken.
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