The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-09-17
CAUSE OF BLOW-UP
NOT ASCERTAfNED
AUTHORITIES BELIEVE
WORK OF BOMB PLOTTERS
Terrible Scenes, With Street
Filled With the Dead
and Injured

New York. Sept. By The Asso-
ciat"d PresS)-A mysterious explosion
in Wall street. near Broad. believed b.
trained department If justice and pc,
lice investigators TO have been caused
BY an Internal machine. rocked the heart
OF New Nork's financial district ~ noon
today. leaving death and destruction
IN its wake.
moro than 200 were injured. IN" bank
ing house OF J. T. Morgan & Co. tho
sub-treasury and the assay office were
partially wrecked and property damage
estimated in excess OF $lo00.'0O' was
caused by the blast.
Thomas ". Lamont Of the ]. P. Nor
gan tirm. cXpresscd the belief. how
ever. that tho explosion was purely an
accident, caused by collision between
an explosive wagon and another Nr-
of anv kind he said and there was NJ
real reason for the planting OF bono
outside the FIRMS office.
Dea1ening Blast
The noon hour had struck and an
endless stream OF othce workers haa
from buildings IN the neighborh%o";
Suddenly, a cloud Of !cliowtsh. black
smoke and piercing jet Of flame leap
ed from the street outside the Morgan
office.
moment later scores OF men. women
and children were lyIug PROSTATE on the
ground and tho streets were coNeren
with debris from thousands or oroKen
windows and the torn facades Q: ad!S-
cent BUILDINGS. Two minutes later the
stock and curb exchanges. the hnancial
pulse OF the world had closed: Panlc
and confusion re!gned in the heart OF
New York's financial district.
Thousands Of clerks and stenoGra-
nhers fled in terror from adiointnE;
srructures. Scores tainted. fell ana
were trampled on in the rush. Mean
while the noise OF the explosion wn'cn
was heard throughout lower ManhatIahn
and across the river In Brooklyn brought
thousands Of the curious to the scene
treasury Guarded. a.,
The Few police on duty IN the u!s-
trict were unable 70 cope WIN ln'
crowds, and a hurry call Tor pollce Te-
serves was sent TO all downtown ponce
suh-treasury officials, fearing that
an attempt might be made 10 rob tho
building ali the windows OF which were
broken. requested assistance OF III
military authorities at Governors ISL
and and a company Of soldiers was sent
10 guard the institution. m
Hurry calls were also sent TO AZ
hospitals IN tho downtown section OF
Kew York and scores. OF arbulances
w.re soon speeding through the narrow
s,rsc.s Dressing ztations were estao-
Iished in the Ioooies OF buildings near
nv where the less seriously lnJureu
we're given immediate treatment Gntnsr,
Cn:ef Police Inspector Lahy report,
cd late this afternoon that he had founa
Evidence TO Justify the conclusion that
the explosion was caused pE nuEo *
,,ni-reInforccd with iron slCgs fashion
Oh from, window weights bars.
John Markle OF teddo. Pennsylvanla.
SaId to be q wealthy coal operator w
IN the Morgan Offices when the cSptH-
ION occurred. He and \. D.. Jessup. ms
nhi.r snslneer. were in conference with
several business men including waiter
DtckersoD. .,us
and sma shed in windows. Markle Gov
cred his head with ms arms. a'tu sahrjs
cared the shower OF glass and deoris
which ftlled Dtckerson. fracturins ms
skull Markle and JcsSup escaped with
SHE The body Of Colonel Charles NsTi,is; s,i,s.
who was attached to the IniSsq be @'S wes
Identified tonight among the dead IN
.bo broad street hospital.
plane Five Stories High;
4 reporter Of the Assoctateo
RroadSav suddenly saw 90 up in front
o; him a conc OF flame and SMOKE X
anna from the very center OF wall ana
Broad streets between the Morgan
building and tnc Sup-t eaouiS'
mounted so high that awnings on inc
fifth floor of many skyscrapers were
burned to cinder
Then there was a roar that was hears
far up Manhattan Island and hundreds
Of persons were hurled 10 the pavement
Crie. arose and on Wall street paNod
with broken glass there gushed tor5h
streams OF blood more Fit for battle
field than Americas financial center
One man WAS seen 10 sit up. orusn
his hands over his eyes and then topped
over dead into the gutter. Near him
ware found the bodies of three women
and further on more bodies. lying size
by side with the carcasses or horses
Hardly had the roar OF the explosion
ended when a rush for the rlnanc;aI
district was made from all parts OF the
city. Thousands came. moved only by
curiosity. but there were others IN.
splred by other neutrality-suspicious. ana
nurses bsnt on missions OF mercy ana
police, secret service men and soldiers
ordered 10 protect property and, run
down bomb plotters. If bomb p!otters
there were.
The first thing that occupied tho at
tsntton OF the Investigators were
wrecks of 4 truck and automobile at
the spot from which tho blast was be-
lieved 70 have come. From the wreck"
age were taken a New Jersey automo-
-