The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-07-31
tRy Associated rrcss.,

NEW 1OhN, July Oil W. lucn
are under arrest today on warrants
charging them with manslaughter In
indirectly causing the death OF one
of the victims OF the terrific explos.
ion Of ammunition on Black Tom pier
early yesterday morning.
Estimates of the casualties carly to.
day placed the number OF dead at four
with three others mortally injured,
rs suffering from less serious injur.
les and eleven to twenty missing.
Those under arrest are Albert NJ.
Dickman, agent OF the Lehigh valley
railroad, stationed at Black Tom pier,
and Alexander Davidson, superintend-
Z ent of the warehouses Of the Nation
al Storage company, thirteen OF which
Z lowed the explosion.
A warrant was issued for the arrest
of Theodore E. johnson, president of
"a lightering company one of which
.barges loaded with ammunition is al.
legged to have been moored at the pier.
at least s10,000,000, perhaps. S15..
100000 loss caused by the destruction
OF 1S of the IS warehouses Of the M
tional Storage company in Jersey City.
Edmund l.. Mackensie stated today.
This loss is amply covered by insur'
4 sance.
"it would be mere guess work to es.
8timate the damage now." Mr.. Macken.
gle said, but It was at least 100000
&00lYery likely much more.
"The damaged goods included 30,-
900 tons of raw sugar valued at be.
tween 100000 and S4,000,000 and
$4,000 bales of tobacco"
u On consignments OF munitions and
sother supplies going TO France the
loss will fall on insurance companies
owing to the fact that policy to the
9 French government covers shipments
from the beginning of the trip until
delivery.
English shipments are insured only
ain water side" in New York while In
I. the case OF shipments to Russia poll.
cies are written both ways.
Stories told by those who narrowly
escaped death verge on the miracul.
Gus. One man says he was blown of
a lighter into the bay and swan to
{Bedloe's island but had swim back
again to the Jersey shore when the
FLAMING barges bombarded the island.
""The air seemed to be full OF flames
and thought the end Of the world
had come" said another survivor.
"A third was blown fifty feet from the
Y top Of a freight car and landed near
IA building which fell on him.
The detonations, which were felt
In five states, began with a continu.
sous rapid fire OF small shells, then the
blowing up of great quantities Of dyn-
amite, trinitrotoluene and other high
explosives, followed by the burst
ing Of thousands OF shrapnel shell
which literally showered the surround.
ing country and waters for manys
miles around.
The flames, shooting into the coulds.
were reflected against New York's
"sky line" Of towering office buildings
which only a few moments before were
shaken to their foundations by the
earthquake. Miles Of streets in Man
haitian alone were strewn with broK-
en- glass and shattered signs.
The cause OF the diseaster had not
been determined Officials of the Ma
tional Storage company and the Le-
high Valley railroad, which also suffer-
ed heavily through loss Of property,
declared, however, that reports to
them showed fire started shortly
after l o'clock Sunday morning on u
barge belonging to an Independent
towing company that had been morred
alongside dock used by the railroad
company to transfer ammunition ship.
ments from trains to vessels in the
harbor.
The barge, 1t was said, was there
without authority either Of the rail.
road or of the storage company. The
officials refused to disclose the name
OF the independent towing company,
saying they were investigating "to
ascertain whether the barge purpose
~ had been set on fire as the result
ofithe plot"
Every window in the pedestal of
the statute OF Liberty, on Bedloe's
Island, opposite Black Tom, was blown
off Its hinges. The statue itself, how.
sever, was not damaged. except from
lfhel rain Of shrapnel which bespatter.
ed IT.
Although the plant which furnish.
ed power for Badloe's Island was shak-
en- and partly put out Of commission.
the famous Eight Of liberty burned