Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-09-17
By the Associated Press,

By the Associated Press
NEW YORK, September lit was
crash out of a blue sky-an unex-
pected. death dealing bolt which in
twinkling turned into a shamble the
busiest corner OF Americas financial
center and sent scurrying to places of
shelter hundreds Of wounded. dumb
stricken. white-faced men and women
fleeing from an unknown danger"
A reporter for the Associated Press,
who was an eyewitness Of yesterdays
explosion in New York's financial dis
trict. thus described the scene.
II was just turning into Wall street
from Broadway" ne said, when first
1elt, rather than heard, the explosion.
conclusion of air similar to that ex-
perlenced by passenger on the sub
way when train dashes into one of the
under-r1ver tubes was felt. Its force
was sufficient TO all but throw me off my
balance. Instantly following the con-
cussion came a sharp, resounding crash
winch shook to their foundations the
monster buildings facing either side of
wan street. With the roar of the blast.
came the rattle of falling glass, and from
the junction of Wall, Nassau and Broad
streets-a block distant-screams of in
Jured men and women.
Smoke Mounts 100 Feet.
4 lodged into a convenient door
way to escape falling glass and to
reach a telephone and call the office
Looking down Wall street later
could see arising from the vicinity of
the subtreasury building and the j.
+. Morgan & Company bank a
mushroom-shape cloud of yellowish.
green smoke. which mounted to a
height of more than 100 feet. the
smoke being licked by darting
tongues of flame.
after the explosion took place The
smoke had partially cleared from the
street, but from the Morgan building
there was belching forth through the
broken windows clouds of dust and
white vapor. In the street an over
turned automobile was blazing fierce
~, and nearby. close to the body of
dead horse. was another fire. evidently
from a pile of wreckage
Almost in front. of the steps lead
ing up to the Morgan bank was the
mutilated body of man Other
bodies. most of them silent in death.
lay nearby. As I gazed horror-strick-
en- at the sight one of these forms.
half naked and scared with burns.
started to rise. 1t struggled. then top
pleC and fell fffeIess into the gutter
Nine Dead In Fifty Feet.
'On the opposite side of the street
were other forms. One of them was
that of young woman, her clothing
torn and burned away It was NOV.
ing-not in an effort to rise. but in
the agony of death. / started toward
her-but as I did she became still.
CHANGING down. saw that the pave
ment was discolored with blood In
plain sight. within radius of thirty
to fifty feet. were nine lifeless forms
Nha IF hn ~, tI,o
middle of the street showed plain evil
dence of having been in very close
proximity to the scene of the blast.
1t was literally torn to pieces.
The windows of the Morgan build
ing were blown out. and through the
openings could be seen the smoke
blackened interior of what but a few
moments previous had been one of
the handsomest banking rooms in the
city. Opposite. the entrance to the
newly completed white exterior of
the subtreasury annex was battered
and torn as il having been subjected
to bombardment of machine gun
FIRE, The doorway. with it's massive
steel. grillwork, Was shattered and
the stone surrounding the door crack
ed and battered away.
80 Tlkened TO. Air Raid.
by this time the crowd was.press-
ing in. held in check by the hastily
gathering police. AT the doorway of
the Morgan bank was an uniformed
guard. apparently half daze- but
sticking to his post and holding back
those who sought to enter the struc-
ture.
The crowd was strangely quiet.
and over it seemed to hang a feeling
of awe and horror. At the commands
of the police. it moved and fell back
silently. On the steps Of the old sub
treasury building-the spot where
years ago stirring scenes. connected
with the American -retolution were
enacted-stands statue OF George
Washington. Looking down from it's
pedestal between the massive granite
columns. SCARED by missiles from the
explosion, the outstretched hand of
the father of his country seemed to
carry silent command to be calm.
Then came the ambulances. Near
by trucks and automobiles were first