New-York tribune., 1922-08-11
Two Persons Believed
Missing in Collapse of
Four-Story Building in
Down Town Manhattan
Fire Complete Ruin
Eleven Horses Burn
Copper Tank and Lumber
Tossed for Block; Cause
Is Not Yet Ascertained

A mysterious explosion at 42s to
42S Washington street last night de-
molished the building, killed eleven
horses and injured five persons. A
rumor that two persons had been
buried in the debris remained uncon-
firmed at an early hour to-day, while
fremen were still playing streams on
the heap Of smouldering rubbish which
completely blocked the corner Of
Washington and Vestry streets.
According to reports received by act
ing Chief Inspector Dominick Henry,
the forcs Of the explosion lifted the
building clean off the foundation and
1t dropped back heap Of disintegrated
bricks and splintered beams and floors.
The miniature mountain of debris was
piled up to height Of forty feet on
the site Of the building and sloped down
across the curbs Of Washington and
Vestry streets. It's summit blazed like
volcano in spite of the streams of
water played by firemen.
Inspector Henry was Of the opinion
that some high explosive was responsi-
BILE for the destruction Of the building
and intimated that it might have been
placed there for that very purpose,
Nothing else than powerful explosive,
he thought, could have lifted the build
ing bodily and disintregrated it SO
completely. Intentional destruction was
indicated, he thought, by the fact that
although the building itself was de-
molished, the watchman and those who
happened to be in the vicinity had time
to seek safety.
The building, four story structure
of brick was occupied by Montagnino
& Scaduto, an Italian groceries i'm
porting firm, and the italian Importing
Company. Beneath were the stables
Of A. F. Young, a produce firm Of
Washington and Duane streets, and
next door was the Anchor Sawmills
The explosion, apparently Of trench
dous force, crumpled up the building
and tossed it into the street. Be-
cause the force of the blast spread
outward into the open space offered
by the Vestry street intersection, the
Anchor Sawmills was not seriously
damaged.
Boy Struck by Debris
The injured are John Desmond, nine
years old, of 80 Laight Street, who
was struck by the flying debris as he
ran shrieking past the spot when tho
building blew up; Alfred W., Reynolds,
fifty-six, of 124 Grove Street, Brook
lyn, watchman for the Mosler Safe
Company, which has a garage in Yes
try Street; Cornelius Mclaughlin,
twenty two, Of Ali West Twenty-first
Street, both of whom were struck by
flying debris and cut; Fire Captain
Slowey, of Engine 6, who was cut in
the left hand by glass, and Francis
McEntee, fireman of Engine 20, who
was overcome sy smoke. The Desmond
boy was taken to Beekman Street Hos
pital with his left foot cut badly and
other bruises on his body.
Daniel Callahan, Of S8 Laight Street,
rescued the Desmond boy from heap
OF wreckage which overwhelmed him.
Callahan remembered after the explo-
sion that two boys had been playing
near the building, and on going to the
spot saw the Desmond boys arm pro-
Jecting from pile of bricks and tim
bers. He managed to drag him out.
A horse was discovered alive, but
severely burned, imprisoned by crossed
timbers near the heart of the volcano
of wreckage, and Patrolman John Null
ligan was sent to put the animal out
Of its misery. He shot the horse, and
the next moment was tumbled heels
over head down this slope Of the pile
Of wreckage by the stream from q Are
hose which had been directed at him
accidentally. He was bruised as we'll
as soaked, and reported sick and went
home.
The explosion occurred at 7:45. At
the moment there were several per-
sons in the vicinity, among them Mrs.
Mary Mcdonald Of 90 Laight Street,
who ran out of the danger zone Just
in time to escape the crumpling
walls which fell all around her.
Mrs. Richard Menke, Of 80 Desbrosses
Street, was walking along Vestry
Street with her six-months- old
baby in a carriage, and with Miss
Marie Miller, of 435 Washington
Street beside her, when the crash
came. Mrs. Menke said the noise
deafened her, and while showers Of
glass and. splinters Of wood came
down, she had sufficient presence Of
mind to pull the hood Of the baby
Garage forward, and so protected the
child from injury. Mrs. Menke and
Miss Miller suffered slightly from
shock, but were not otherwise in
jured.
The warehouse, according to infor-
nation obtainable last evening, was
stocked with olive oil and similar
products. There was apparently moth
ing in the place which might have
been expected to cause an explosion,
and Fire Chief Smoky Joe" Martin,
who was in charge Of the firemen, said
that he was unable to offer any rea-
sonable explanation.
at was an explosion. all right" Mar
: tin said, "but 1t is impossible yet to
say what caused it. Apparently there
was something in the building which
it could not stand. Whether it was
something that had right to be there
or not will require an investigation to
show"
A five hundred-pound steel drum, ap-
parently containing olive oil, was
blown out Of the building and discov-
cred on the other side of Washington
Street. The police took. charge of this
container and it will figure in the probe
which was started on the spot last
night by Fire Marshal Brophy, Mayor
Hylan was on hand early.
Auto Driver and Flyer Killed
CHICAGO, Aug. 10 (By The Associ-
ated Press ).-Edward Schille, widely
known automobile race driver, and
Roy J. Keller, former service and au-
L ~ 3 TT