Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-09-16
TERRIFIC BLAST IN WALL STREET KILLS MANY

showered with broken glass but was
not kurt. When the explosion oc-
CURED. he said, he was sitting in
his office on the first floor of the
building while other members of the
firm were at a meeting on an upper
| floor.
Police Think it Accident.
An hour after the explosion oc-
CURED the police were inclined to
the theory that it had been caused by
a collision of T. N. T. truck and an
automobile on Wall street between
the Morgan office and the sub treas
ury building.
So far as could be learned no
prominent f1nanciers or members of
the stock exchange were injured in
the explosion. Thomas W. Lamont
and Henry P. Davidson, members OF
the Arm, were in the Morgan Offices
at the time but We're not hurt.
United States regulars from Cover
fnof's Island arrived on the scene al
1850 p. m. for guard duty.
Accident Theory Doubted.
~ y -
rAt 1905 doubt was cast on the ac-
cident theory when members of the
bomb squad hastened to the scene,
expressed the opinion that bomb
had exploded. They added that fras
inents of metal picked UP on the
street were being examined on the
theory that they may have been bits
of the internal machine.
Police summoned al ambulances
from Thirty fourth street south and
all available police reserves were
mobilized.
Scene Of Great Demolition.
The financial district after the ex-
plosion presented a scene of the
greatest demolition. Ir, addition to
the bodies OF human beings and
horses scattered over the pavement.
great blotches Of blood appeared on
the white walls Of Wall streets office
buildings. Almost every pane Of
glass in the vicinity was shattered,
and besides mantel of broken crys-
tal, the streets were covered with
fragments of brick and stone blasted
from the base walls OF the sky
scrapers. Several persons We're hurt
in these office buildings when
missiles hurtled thru windows. The
front of the Morgan building was de-
molished and the sub-tre asury build
ing was also badly damaged. With
the arrival OF soldiers and police
fifty street cleaners were put to work
sweeping up the streets to make pos
sible Jeasier passage of arnbulances.
- ! {
At LIS p. m. the police estimated
the number OF injured at 200.
!. After suspending trading in stocks
for the day the governing; committee
of the exchange ordered that all de-
livefies or securities be deferrsh un-
til Monday except by mutual con-
sent. The committee called another
meeting for, later in the day to take
further measures In connection with
the explosioneon trading. \
The reported license number OF the
wrecked automobile was that Of
Rushman Beldon, III South Third
street, South Orange. Beldon is man
ager of pharmacy in Newark.
1t was said in Newark that Dun
ham Beedon had left his pharmacy
Wall street.
Financiers Escape.
The cause Of, the explosion was
dynamite in the street, Police Com
missioner Enright, said that he had
been informed by members Of the
firm.
AS far as it could be learned two
hours after the explosion The disaster
did not take the lives Of any promin-
ent financiers.
Altho the front and sides of the
Morgan banking house Were demol-
ished, no member Of, the firm was
seriously injured.S j. p. Morgan is in
Europe, but at the time OF the blast
Thomas A. Lamont, Elliot c. Bacon,
Dwight c. Morrow and George Whit
ney, all directors Of the ! company,
were in consultation.
z Police Commissioners Enright sail
that after comforting with the mem.
bers .of the fir1p lie had learned that
Mr.. Bacon was slightly injured. as
was Junius Spencer Morgan, another
official of the company. Several en-
ployes were injured and one killed.
Mr.. Enright quoted firm members
as stating that the blast assuredly
came from the street and not from
within the building.
Banks Under Guard.
The spectacular explosion ripped
windows from the suf,-treasuny
across the street from the Morgan
office and within short time sold
iers from Governors Islahd and all
the police reserves that could be as
sembled were placed around the gov
ernment building, in which was stor-
ed more than $1,000, 100000 in metal
and notes.
under heavy guard and Unired States
regulars with fixed bayonets were
patrolling the streets.