The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1920-09-17
REPORTER TELL S
EYEWITNESS
BOMB STORY

New York, Sept. 17-"It was a
crash out of blue sky-an unex-
pected, death dealing bolt, which
in twinkling turned into a
shambles the busiest corner of
Americas financial center and
sent scurrying to places of shell
ter hundreds of wounded, dumb
stricken, white-faced men and
women--fleeing from an un-
known danger"
1t was reporter of The AS
sociated Press who was an eye
witness of the explosion in
New York's financial districts,
who thus described the scene.
II was just turning into Wall
street, from Broadway" he said,
when first felt, rather than
heard, the explosion. A eoncus-
sion of air similar to that ex-
perienced by passenger on the
subway wehn train dashes
into, one Of the under-river
tubes was felt it's force was suf-
ficient to all but throw me off my
balance. Instantly following the
concussion came sharp re-
sounding rash which shook to
their foundations the monster
buildings facing either side of
street. With the roar of the blast
came the rattle OF falling glass
and from the junction of Wall,
Noccou nnd proo1 ctroofc
block distance-screams Of in
jured men and women.
II lodged into a convenient
doorway to escape falling glass
and to reach telephone and call
the office. Looking down Wall
street later could see arising
from the vicinity of the sub
treasury building and the J. P.
Morgan and Company bank a
mushroom-shaped cloud of yell
lowish, green smoke, which
mounted to a height of more
than 100 feet, the smoke being
licked by darting tongues OF
flames.
81 reached the scene few
moments after the explosion took
place. The smoke had partially
cleared in the street, but in 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
furiously and nearby, close to
the body of a dead horse, was
another fire, evidently from a
pile Of wreckage.
almost in front of the steps
leading up to the Morgan bank
was the mutilated body Of man.
Other bodies, most Of them silent
in death, lay nearby. AS | gazed
horrOr-stricken at the sight, one
of these forms, half naked, and
scared with burns, started to
rise. 1t struggled, then toppled
and fell lifeless into the gutter
"On the opposite side Of the
street were other forms. One of
them was that of young wom-
an her clothing torn and burned
away. 1t was moving-not in an
effort to rise, but in the agony of
death. I started toward her--but
as did, she became still.
Glacing down saw that the
pavement was discolored with
blood. In plain sight, within a
radius of 30 to so feet, were nine
lifeless forms.
"The body Of a horse in the
middle of the street sohWed a
plain evidence Of having been in
close proximity to the scene OF :
the blast. 1t was literally torn to
pieces.
"The windows of the Morgan
building were blown out and
thru the openings could be seen
the smoke -blackened interior Of
what but a few moments previ-
Gus had been one of the hand
soonest banking rooms in the
city. Opposite, the entrance to
the newly-completed white ex-
terror of the sub-treasury an
mex, was battered and torn as if
having been subjected to a bonn
bardment of machine gun fire.
The doorway, with its massive
steel grill work, was shattered
and the stone surrounding the
door cracked and battered away.
"By this time the crowd was
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