South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-09-17
MYSTERIOUS EXPLOSION
ROCKS new YORK MONEY
BELT DURING NOON HOUR
Witness OF
Exchange Crash
Describes Scene

NEW YORK, Sept 16.-lt was
a crash out OF blue sky-an uneN-
pected. death-dealing bolt which ir
a twinkllng turned into a shambles
the busiest corner OF Americas fl
nancial center and sent scurrying
to places Of shelter hundreds OF
wounded, dumbstricken. whitefac-
ed men and wOmcn-fieelng from
an unknown danger
4 reporter tor the press, VINO
an eyewitness of Thursday S eX-
plosion in New York's financial dis
trict. thus described the scene.
L was just turning into Wall
street from Broadway" he said,
when first felt. rather than heard,
the explosion. A cOncussion OF Hr
similar To that experienced 10y a pas
senger on the subway when a train
dashes into one Of the under-rlVer
tubes was felt. It's force was sut-
ficient 10 all but throw me off my
balance. Instantly following the
conclusion came a sharp resoundlnB
crash which shook To their founda-
tions the monster buildings racing
either side of Wall street. With the
roar of the blast came the rafting
of falling glass, and from the juno
tion of Wall, Nassau and Broad
Streets block diStant-screamS -oI
injured men and women.
II lodged into convenient
doorway TO escape falling glass and
10 reach a telephone and call the
office. Looking down Wall street
later. I could see rising from the
vicinity of the sub-treasury build
ing and the J. =. Morgan and COM
pany bank a mU shrOOm shaped cl0ud
OF yellowish green smoke when
mounted 10 a height OF more than
100 feet, the smoke being licked Oy
departing tongues of flame
i reached the street Few mo
ments after the explosion took
Mace. The smoke had partially
cleared from the street but lrom
the Morgan building, here was
belching forth through the broken
windows clouds OF dust and white
Napor. In the street an overturned
automobile was. blazing tIerccly ana
nearby. close 10 the body OF a dead
horse. was snOtuCr lire, evidently
from PIE OF WreckaBe.
"Almose i'm front Oh the step
leading TO the Morgan bank was Lne
mutIlaled body OF man. OthcI
bodies. most Ul them silent IN death.
b. nearby. As sdzed horror
stricken al the sight one OF lntse
forms. hair naked, and scared Win
purns started 10 rise. IL struggled
then toppled and Iel lIte-ess .nlO
.6n the opposite side of the street
we're other IOrms. One or them was
that OF a young woman. her clolA-
ing torn and burned away as ll
v.as mo11ng-noJ lu AN effort 10 Ilse'
tuJ IN the agony OF death star d.
ed toward hcr-Dut as i dld, sIe 'e-
came suu Glanclng down saw
that the pavement was dlscolpreu
with blood. IN plain slgnt Wi-Aln
a radius OF thirty 10 iIIly ltt-' were
nine ufeless forms.
The body OF the dead horse IN
tne middle of the street showed
plain evidence OF having been lu
very close proximity 10 the scene oI
the blast. Ii was literally torn lo
pieces.
-The windows OF the Morgan
buildIng we're blown out and through
openings could be seen the smoke
tlackened interior Of what but
few moments previous had been
one OF the handsOmest banking
rooms in the city. Opposite the en-
trance TO the newly completed whit
exterior OF the sub-tredsury annex
was battered and torn as II having
been subjected 20 bombardment
OF machine gun fire. The doorway
with It's massive steel grill work. was
shattered and the stone SURROUNDING
the door cracked and battered away.
"By the time tEe crowd was pres
sing in held in check by the hastl-
ly gathering police. At the doorway
of the Morgan bank was "a Uniform
ed guard. apparently half dazed
but sticking 20 his post and holding
back those who sought 10 enter the
structure.
The crowd was strangely quiet
and over 10 seemed 20 hang feeling
of awe and horror. At the com
mands Of the police II moved and
fell back silently. on the steps OF
the sub-treasury building-the spot
where years ago stirring scenes con-
rected with the American revolution
were enacted-stands a statue OF
George Washington looking down
from ITS pedestal between the mas
slve granite columns. SCARED by mis-
siles from the explosion the out
stretched hand Of the father Of his
country seemed lo carry silent
command 20 be calm.
Then came the ambulanCcs.
Nearby trucks and automobiles were
first pressed into service. Volun-
teers. needing not blOod-sueared
hands and clothing. tenderly lifted
into the vehicles the bodies OF the
dying and the dead The dead that
remained for additional c0nveyances
were charitably hidden from sight
BY coverings torn from awnings or
by robes from arriving motor ears.
1T was such scene as ! had pic
lurcd as a possibility during the
war should the cnerly succeed Bon
dropping on The financial district
one OF his deadly aerial bombs.