The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-07-31

NJ exceed - or 30 ~ the outside
~ the flames died out this after
noeo and searchers prspai ed 10 q
through the ruins Of the Lehigl
docks. only four persons wer
huown to have died they wer'
Leonard Coarah the Lehigh Val
ley's chief Of police; Arthur Tos
sen, baby. shocked TO death and twt
unidsotined men.
Tvsniy-thrss men arc reported
missing.
These were the known facts as &c
y 49, e Me more than 80 hours ate,
~ n5st expiosion.
a serious Aftermath Of the disas
~ dsvslopsd today when many
boges u dynamite and other higt
aGDlostvss wsrs discovered floating
lns1y suhm8yVd IN the harbor
Marine e0c1als tspned warnings tc
- Ovnsxs and established q bar
~ patsua a small boats.
Dsw separate Investigations start
q te1av. " the railroad companies
11gusy CITY sstAoritiss. the state
~ - fsdsgal government. Agent,
g eooA were on the scene and vii
Remain until they 60 into ever
$3.50 q the case.
uu1mA4so a the property dam
g. Suns from 90. ooo, 900 to $4,000
80. Concensus Of opinion amonl
Jorosy CITY officials was that th'
1n1tor figure would be nearer cor
~. azter complete tabulation ha'
boon made Of thousands upon thou
eanAs q shattered windows and sim
i1as damage done In Jersey City
0eoeh1yn. Manhattan and done
s1nal1ss surrounding towns, elite
I'D hgmlets.
This item Of smashed glass alon'
~ been estimated at more than
n1llion and q quarter Of dollars.
Only the facts that the two majo
ezDaosions occurred at the houl
thoy did--2:os and 7:s5 O. m.-an'
whsss they did. undoubtedly pre-
vouted far greater loss OF life ant
considerably more property damage
Black Tom ID situated al the bulgint
81 Of q long peninsula that iuti
about three miles Oh Communipaw'
siightly south OF Jersey City, AMI
south Of Ellis Island. and the sinai
plot OF land In New York harbor OF
which the statue OF Liberty STANDS
Had the explosions occurred on tbs
mainland OF either the New York OF
Jersey coast the shock. ofiicials said
you'd have been much more violent
A Il WAS the giant conclusion o.
the explosions plshed In window
i've and six miles and the shoo'
that Vas carried 10 Msnhattai
rocked giant skyscrapers and mon
ster apartment buildings as far up
town a. One Hundred and siX
teenthrst. a. though q great han'
clutchsd the rock foundations OF m
city end shook them
Il had clearly been established te
+, day that q ire that vas not touche
on by an explosion started the dir
aster. AZ indication Of the impo'
sibility Of determining the start G
this IRE. was the almost humorou
range Of theories which ran tn
gamut from q lighted cigarette {
Z bomb from q mysterious airship.
Bomb theories were set aside a
not worthy. at least at this time.
consideration. Doubt was espresso
!. that the explosions and fires weT
tho result OF any bomb plotting a.
tivities.
some idea Of this wellnigh Il
conceivable let 80 Of tons OF dunit
dynamite, lyddite. nitro-cellulos
aad mere gunpowder was seen u
day when Q United Press represe'
tativs went TO the far end OF u
peninsula where the major expl
uieus occurred. Most OF the terrai
a that point 10 made land. II ma
rowsd to about 30 or 30 feet TO II
pier where stood the barge load
nitro-eeliuioss. Two railroad tracl
5utted against the pier. On thes
tracks were four cars OF high e
plosives.
Today this spot 10 gapin
jasgsd hole, 20 to 30 feet deep. an
4 over 100 feet long. The far end
or rather where the far end was
3 b again . part OF New York Ia
bW. There 10 not trace OF n
q huge freight cars. except for son
s powdered wood pulp and a few tir
hits q steel that once were par
OF grcat wheels and steel platform
s. yust west OF this point that wa
IN lndescfibable tumble OF ca
were scattered about. Fremen co
centrated 20 or more streams {
these hillocks of devastation. ShoI
u after o'clock, however. tbs
Wsre ordered from the scene b
oouss Of frequent volleys OF expo
~ shsllA They left the ho'