The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-09-17

ness on the Cotton Exchange was
at a standstlI this afternoon ow-
inc to the absence of brokers who
were ascertaining the damage to
their Offices. The advisability Of
closing the exchange was under
consideration.
New York, September ia terri
fic explosion, which rocked all of
Lower Manhattan occurred at noon
today outside the office of J. P. Nor
gan & Co., on Wall Street. Several
persons were killed and many others
injured.
Great excitement prevailed in the
financial district and police reserves
were rushed to the scene. Crowds
were kept back and it was difficult to
see whether the blowup occurred in
Morgan's or the Stock Exchange.
Several persons were seen lying in
jured on the sidewalk.
Young Morgan Injured.
Junius Spencer Morgan, son of J.
p. Morgan and a member of the firm.
was badly cut by ying glass. Off
Gals OF the company denied first re-
ports that bomb had exploded in
The, Morgan building,
The list OF casualties mounting as
excited word passed from mouth to
mouth, at 80 was reported to have
but an accurate count was impossible
In the intense confusion that swept
the tMncial district
Many Reports Conflict.
Ten minutes after an explosion oc-
CURED on Wall Street today, either in
the N. Y. Stock Exchange or the Off
ces of j. p. Morgan & Co., a report
was circulated that a bomb had ex-
ploded in the Morgan building Sew
eral persons were injured and ten am
balances summoned.
Crowds gathered in a moment and
We're held back by police reserves so
that 1t was impossible for newspaper
men, on arriving at the scene, to find
out definitely just where the explo-
sion had occurred. Eight persons
were reported killed.
Another report had 1t that an au-
tomobile in front Of the Morgan Of
noes had blown up while another had
manhole explosion.
Windows Were Smashed
All windows in the financial dis
trict were smached to atoms. FIJI
teen minutes after the explosion &C.
killed and fifty injured. you
At 1915 the report that the stock
exchange had closed for the day was
confirmed. The board Of governors
ordered the closing two minutes aft
er the explosion occurred.
Newspaper men counted eight bod =
les on the street and the bodies of
several horses. The Morgan building
front of the subtreasury across the
street was torn away. The forty
story Equitable building was rocked
by the explosion as was all of Lower
Manhattan.
Stories Are Different.
1t was equally impossible an hour
after the explosion occurred to de-
termine its exact nature or location
Tor spectators were held back by the
police.
1t was reported however, that
shortly before noon an automobile with
two men drew UP in front OF the Nor
gan offices and that when Morgan ap-
preached the machine one man alfght-
ed and either accidentally or purpose
ly dropped what appeared to be a
bomb
Occupants of a sky scraper look
ing down on Wall Street told another
version Of the automobile story. They
declared they had seen the car draw
UP and the men leave it. These
spectators advanced the theory that
the bomb-if it was bomb-had been
timed.
Excitement Was Great.
This version differed from the first,
as regards the two passengers and
their chauffeur. The first story had
IL that they were among the dead or
injured. -
Never in its history has Lower
Manhattan witnessed such excite
ment as prevailed today. Trading on
both the stock and curb exchanges
was ordered suspended for the day
few minutes after the explosion oc-
CURED and from then on Lower New
York forgot all its business matters
in attending to the needs of the in
jured.
Fire apparatus and ambulances
dashed through the narrow, crooked
streets Of the financial district, on
which lay covering of shattered
glass and the broken remains of men
and horses.
Bodies Terribly MutiIated.
Among the bodies were those of
three girls, terribly mutilated. A no
lice Gordon was hastily thrown
around the entire financial district.
when thousands, hearing the explo-
sion, focked to the tip Of Manhattan
Island Police reports at 1925 had
fifteen dead. ="
Unofficial reports had thirty dead
The United States subtreasury, i'm