The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-09-16
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION
fcontinued from Page one.l

(Continued from Page One-)
and Wall when the explosion occurred.
told the police of a great burst of
flame that accompanied the blast. The
flame shot at least 100 feet in the air,
they declared, and many believed there
was more than one shot of flames.
As an indication of the expanse OF
the burst of flames, ambulance work
ers found three young women in the
banking house at AZ Wall street badly
burned, tho they had not moved from
their desks They were at least 100
feet from the sidewalk at the place
they were seated.
Ambulance attendants went from
office to office thruout all buildings
near the scene in search of injured.
facing Broad or Wall streets had es-
capped bruises or cuts from flying glass.
Wall Street Was Packed.
The intersection of Broad and Wall
streets at noon on any day was
probably the most congested corner in
the world.
Tt was at the noon hour the ex-
plosion shook the entire lower section
of Manhattan, shattered windows
| thruout buildings in the immediate
vicinity.
Some one turned in a fire alarm and
the fire apparatus and ambulances
came dashing thru the great throngs
which were pouring from the build
ings.
The explosion occurred in Wall
street just east OF the intersection of
Broad, directly in front of the Nor
gan offices and between the Morgan
building and the assay office, which is
being reconstructed directly across
Wall street from the Morgan house.
When police cleared the lines, twelve
injured persons were stretched out on
the sidewalk
Bomb Was First Theory.
The first police theory of the ex-
plosion was that a bomb either had
been tossed from an automobile on the
Wall street side of the Morgan offices
passerby.
Reports which the police had gath
cred up to 1850 p. m. indicated that
the explosion occurred in a wagon
passing westward along Wall street in
front of the offices of J. P. Morgan &
Company.
One theory was that it was a load
Of INT being taken to an excavation
on Pearl street. The police advanced
the theory that the wagon was struck
/ by an automobile. The wreckage of
an automobile was found in the street
near the Morgan offices. Fragments
of horse were also found nearby.
| The number of the automobile de-
stroyed by the explosion was "24246-
n. j." The police. asked the New Jer-
Isey authorities to identify it.
| Underneath the wrecked automo-
feur's license made out in thSname Of
Jerome H. McKeen. of 1407 Nelson
avenue. Bronx.
Fourteen Bodies on Walks.
The first efforts of police were di-
trected toward aiding the injured and
removing the dead. At 12:4O fourteen
bodies were seen lying on the sidewalk
ana ten others were reported to have
been taken away by volunteer workers
An emergency call was sent 20 Gov
ernor Island from which a heavy de-
tachment OF troops was sent to New
| York to guard the sub-treasury and
aid the police.
The Eub-treasury, Immediately OPP
| pos1te the scene of the explosion. was
| placed under heavy police guard to
| protect the millions of dollars in gold,
silver and paper money lodged in its
vaults.
United States regulars from Gov
Fernors' Island arrived on the scene at
| 1880 for guard duty. At 1905 doubt
was cast on the accident theory when
members of the bomb squad FASTENED
| to the scene expressed the opinion that
bomb had exploded. They added
| that fragments of metal picked up on
the street were being examined on
/ the theory that they may have been
bits OF the Internal machine.
| Street Was ShambIes.
| A reporter who was on the scene
| at Broad and Wall streets five min
utes after the explosion gave the fol-
| lowing description:
Eight bodies. mangled beyond de-
lscription. lay sprawled before the
white stone Broad street side of the
worlds greatest banking house. OF
Ithese. three were those of girls in their
teens On a window ledge lay the
lseyered forearm of a girl impaIed
against the glass. Across the street
Hay her body. the head smashed flat
against the brown stone front OF a
brokers office
Along the sidewalk were men and
lboys, their legs a few feet away
a foot here, a head there. Everywhere
was blood. Glass fell all about me as
tried to keep my head and count the
bodies. When I reached the Wall
street side of the Morgan concern an
even more gruesome sight met my
Ieyes Automobile trucks gathered III
1.-THE dead and injured impartiany Men