The Green Forest tribune., 1916-08-04
EXPLOSION CAUSES
 S25,OOO,OOO LOSS
AMMUNITION AWAITING SHIP MENT TO ALLIES DESTROYED
 FIVE STATES FELT SHOCK.

New York.-Property loss estimated at $25,000,000 was caused by a series of terrific explosions of ammu- milton awaiting shipment to the en- tente allies and stored on Black Tom Island, a small strip of land jutting into New York Bay off Jersey City. The loss of life still is problematical. It will not be determined definitely un- til there has been opportunity to check up the workmen employed on the is land and on boats moored 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 detonatlons, 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, trintoltuninekand otf1q31tt1.sh ex plosives, followed N the " ' se;-1>> ;, " mollycoddle9 1-Ns sss wbSyee; =, u won -.= ..,-. .,-9,- effa--s. -.--,,-S- Whlct 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, in which were stored merchandise valued at between $12,000,000 and 15,000,0OO. 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 foundations 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 ob tained.
 The cause of the disaster has not been determined. Officials of the Ma tional Storage Company and the Le- high Valley Railway, which also suf- fered heavily through loss of proper ty, declared that reports to them showed a fire started on a barge be- longing to an Independent towing con- pany that had been moored alongside dock used by the railroad 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 ticials refused to disclose the name of the independent towing company, saying they were Investigating ito ascertain whether the barge purposely 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 the "A owned and operated by the National Storage Company, and six piers owned by the storage company, and leased to the Lehigh Valley road, were destroyed. Several others of the brick warehouses were badly damaged, and some minor damage was done to the Lehigh Valley grain elevators. In addition, as far as is known, S5 load ed cars were destroyed
 According to the evidence obtain cd by officials of the railroad the fire started in a barge belonging to an independent towing company which had been moored alongside the rail- road company's dock expressly against orders.