The Brandon news., 1916-08-03
EXPLOSION SHAKES
GREATER NEW YORK
$25, ,O0o, 900 LOST IN MUNlTlON Elk
PLOSION; TWO DEAD AND
SCORES HURT.
FIVE STATES FELT SHOCK
Ammunition Awaiting Shipment Tc
the Allies Is Destroyed-Bursting
ShrapneII Showered New York
Territory.

New York.-All Manhattan Island,
Brooklyn and cities in New Jersey
were shaken shortly after o'clock
Sunday morning by terrific explos-
ion.
The force of the explosion was so
great that thousands Of heavy plate
glass windows in office buildings in
Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn were
shattered. Streets for many blocks in
the downtown section were literally
strewn with broken glass.
Thousands of persons swarmed into
the streets in all parts Of the city from
buildings, subway exits and railway
stations, running about in a panic.
Many women became hysterical. Po-
lice whistles were blown frantically.
Property loss estimated at $25,000,-
600 was caused by a series Of terrific
explosions of ammunition awaiting
shipment to the entente allies AMI
stored on Black Tom Island, a small
strip of land juttiMg into New York
Bay off Jersey City. The loss Of life
still is problematical. It will not be
determined definitely until there has
been opportunity to check up the work
men on the island and on boats moor,
ed nearby.
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 in
five states, began with a continuous
rapid fire of small shells, then the
blowing up of great quantities of dyna-
mite, trinitoltunine and other high ex-
plosives, followed by the bursting OF
thousands of shrapnel shells which
showered the surrounding country and
water for miles around.
Fire that started soon after the first
great crash destroyed 13 Of the huge
warehouses of the National Storage
Company on Black Tom Island, i'll
which were stored merchandise valued
at between $12,000,00O and $15,OOO,-
900. The flames, shooting into the
clouds, were reflected against New
York's .sky line" Of towering office
buildings, which only few moments
before were shaken to their founda-
tions 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 verification, and
the authorities asserted the number
of deaths probably would be small. It
was said that, owing to the extent OF
the wreckage, it might be several days
before the exact figures could be OBJ
tanned.
The cause of the disaster had not
been determined. Officials OF thet
National Storage Company and the
Lehigh Valley Railway, which also suf-
fered heavily through loss Of property,
declared that reports to them showed
a fire started shortly after a. M. on
a barge belonging to an independent
towing company that had been moor
ed alongside a dock used by the rail-
road company to transfer ammunition
shipments from trains to vessels in
the harbor.
The barge, it was said, was there
without authority either Of the rail-
road or the storage company. The OF
ficials refused to disclose the name OF
the independent towing company, say
ing they were investigating ito as
certain whether the barge purposeiy
had been set on fire as the result OF
a plot"
A statement issued by the Lehigh
Valley Railway Company said:
"Thirteen brick storage houses out
Of "a owned and operated by the Ma
tional Storage Company, and six piers
owned by the storage company, ana
leased to the Lehigh Valley road, were
destroyed. Several others Of the brick
warehouses were badly damaged, and
some minor damage was dono to the
Lehlgh Valley grain elevators. In ad-
eition, as far as is known, 80 loaded
cars were destroyed.
According to the evidence obtain
ed by officials OF the railroad, the fire
started In a barge belonging to an In
dependent towing company which had
been moored alongside the railroad
company's dock expressly against or.
ders."