The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1920-09-23
EXPLOSION IN
WALL STREET
KILLS THIRTY
Blast Near J. P. Morgan & Co.'s
Offices HurI Men, Women
Children to Pavements.
INVESTIGATING CAUSE
Federal and State Officials Cropping
for Clues to Cause of Disaster on
Threshold Of U. s. S~ubtreasury
Reports Conflicting.

New York-A mysterious explosion,
disastrous in its effect, occurred in
Wall st. killing at least a score Of per-
sons and injuring hundreds.
Office workers were just hurrying
into the street for their MONDAY meal
when a jet OF black smoke and flame
rose from the center OF the worlds
great street of finance.
Then came a blast. A moment later
scores OF men, m children
were lying blood-covereG on the pave
ments.
Two minutes later nearly all the ex-
changes had closed. Men had turned
from barter to an errand of mercy.
While the police toiled for hours
seeking the dead and injured. trained
investigators were trying in vain to
determine definitely whether the ex-
plosion had occurerd from a bomb
dropped in front of the Offices of j.
j. Morgan & Co, or whether al auto
mobile dashing into a wagon loaded
with explosives had taken into toll.
Frank. Francisco, one of The most
able investigators OF department of
justice, declared after arriving on the
scene that it was his opinion that not
a bomb plot, but a collision had been
responsible for the blast which rock
ed skyscrapers, tore the fronts from Of
flee buildings for blocks around and
scattered deadly missiles in all direc-
tions.
The United States s~ubtreasury, i'm
mediately opposite the scene of the ex-
plosion. was placed under heavy police
guard to protect the millions of dol
lars in gold, silver and paper money
lodged in the granite structure.
The first efforts of the police were
directed toward aiding the injured
and removing the dead.
v. S. Troops Rushed to City.
An emergency call was sent to Gov
errors Island from which a heavy
detachment OF troops was sent to New
York to guard the subtreasury and aid
the police.
Heads of the fire department on
reaching the scene directed their ef-
forts toward ascertaining the cause
and location Of the explosion. The
latter was difficult because of the
shattered appearance of the buildings
near the Morgan office. but the author
tiles were inclined to abandon their
theory that the explosion had occurred
the stock exchange. Consensus of OPP
inion at 12:45 was that the blowup
occurred In the street.
One fire marshal expressed the OPP
inion that the explosion had been one
of dynamite. Coupled with this theory
was the automobile which figures in
other versions Of the disaster. This
automobile was reported to have COL
lided with a truck loaded with dyna-
mite.
Many Working Girls In Offices Hurt.
Many Of the injured were girls work
ing in Office buildings. Hundreds OF
persons we're thrown to the sidewalk
with the force of the explosion and
dozens of trucks and automobiles were
pressed into the service to carry away
the wounded.
Little information wos obtainable
from the Morgan office. ]. p. Morgan
himself is now abroad.
Police reserves hastily assembled
found difficulty coping with the crowd
of many thousands persons who tried
to press themselves into Wall st. that
narrow canyon in which automobiles
can hardly pass each other with ease.
Telephone service was shut of from
many public booths in the vicinity
and all banking offices were placed
under extraordinary heavy guard.
A wrecked automobile bearing the
New Jersey license No. 24246 was
found near the Morgan building. and
the police tried to establish whether
this was the machine which had fgur-
ed SO prominently in versions of the
disaster.
An hour after the explosion the po-
lice were inclined to the theory that
IT had ben caused by q collision of a
INT truck and an automobile on Wall
st, between the Morgan Office and the
~subtreasury building.
SO far rs could be learned. no prom
inent financiers or members OF the
Stock exchange were injured in the
explosion. Thomas w. Lamont and
Henry p. Daviso. members Of the
arm, were in the Morgan Offices at the
time. but we're not hurt.
TI