The New York herald., 1922-08-11
MYSTERIOUS BLOWUP
WRECKSWAREH0USE,
FIERCE FIRE RESULTS
Garage and Fruit Store in
Washington Street Also
Destroyed.
MANY NARROW ESCAPES
Hiss Preceding Explosion
yyr~ Noapbx, DoonIa
Hiss Preceding Explosion
Warns Nearby People,
Who Flee.
LOSS is PUT AT 100000
One Boy, of Half Dozen In
jured, Is Rescued by
Heroic Man.

An explosion the nature of which
the police have so far been unable to
ascertain demolished the warehouse
at 426-42S Washington street soon
after Z o'clock last night. destroyed a
garage on one corner of the same
block and a fruit store on another
corner. About half dozen persons
were injured.
According to eyewitnesses the walls
of the warehouse, with virtually no
warning, crumbled inward, the whole
structure collapsing into itself, with a
roar and a hiss that. fortunately,
warned passersby. Then there was
another muffied explosion and flames
appeared in the mass of debris as the
clouds Of dust and litter began clear
ing away. Inside of few minutes a
fire somewhat reminiscent of the re-
cent warehouse fire that burned for
days was In progress.
Flames Light Up District.
The explosion. II It really was an ex-
plosion, occurred about Z :30. The first
fire alarm was recorded at 7:32. A
second and a third alarm were turned
in in quick succession. The piles OF
brick and mortar ana the larger heaps
OF crates, tin cans and barrels with
which the warehouse had been filled
burned furiously, lighting up the whole
waterfront in that section. Tss'- !,
The structure houses two importing
firms handling olive OIL. cheese and
cigars. One was the italian Importing
Company at 426 and the other the firm
of Mantagnlno & Scaduto. On the corner
nearest the warehouse was a garage
owned by the Mosler Safe Company.
This was demolished, either by the ex-
plosion itself or through the fall OF the
larger building. in like manner the
stable of the A. F. Young fruit and
produce concern on the other corner
was destroyed.
Something in the sound of the kissing
that marked the beginning of the fall
of the building warned the passersby.
and even before the walls had dropped
every one who could possibly get away
had done so. Not every one was sue
cessful. however. As some of those who
had reached safety turned to see what
had happened they saw a huddled figure
lying just beyond the outer line OF the
wreckage.
Risks His Life to save BOY.
One of the lucky ones, Daniel J. Gala
han of S6 Laight street, near by. took
chance on another explosion and ran 10
rescue the one who had fallen. The
latter proved to be John Desmond, lad
of Q, living at Laight street He had
apparently been struck by a piece OF
falling debris for at the Beekman Street
Hospital, where he was taken. Il was
said he was suffering from concussion
OF the brain.
The thoroughfares adjacent 20 the
warehouse, besides Washington street.
are vestry and Laight. which are filled
with the smaller types Of homes that
abound in that section OF Manhattan.
Women were sitting about in front OF
these places and children were playing
In the streets. According to Inspector
Dominick Henry It is as big a mystery
a s the origin of the explosion or fire that
rome of the children save the Desmond
boy was injured.
One OSHeT ldu WAS nuTI Dut not Sc
iiously He was John Callahan.
years old, of 72 Beach street. Cornelius
Mclaughlin, 20. Of AZ West Twenty
first street, also suffered laccrations due
to flying debris, and Alfred Reynolds,
IS. was also hurt slightly In a similar
manner.
According to the accounts given 70
the police by q half dozen eyewitnesses
two men reading newspapers were Sit
ting on the freight loading platform oi
the warehouse when the collapse oc.
Cured. What became OF them no one
was able to say last night. The place
at which they had been sitting was GOV.
cred yards deep with bricks mortar
lumber. barrels. crates and debris OF al
sorts. In the Judgment Of those whe
saw what happened Il Is inconceivabl,
that the two men escaped.
Mrs Mary Mcdonald OF 80 Laight
street was with the Desmond lad and
Continued on Page Three.