Evening star., 1933-08-04
TEAR GAS BOMBS
SUSPEND TRADING
ON STOCK MARKET
Lower Floors of New York
Exchange Are Flooded
by Fumes.
BADLY IRRITATED EYES
ARE ONLY CASUALTIES
Police Reserves Rushed to Scene OF
Explosion to Hold Back
Milling Thousands.
By the Associated Press.

0y INC ASSOCldLeC fleSs.
NEW YORK, August 4.-Fumes from
what officials decided was a cylinder
Of tear gas swept through the New
York Stock Exchange early this after.
noon, compelling suspension Of trad.
ing and giving the financial district
its most exciting incident since tho
bomb explosion outside the j. p. Nor.
gan Offices many years ago.
The fumes were at first believed to
have come from a leaky ammonia pipe
in the exchanges air cooling system,
but after hasty examination exchange
officials said gas cylinders had been
tossed into the ventilating apparatus.
The New York police Immediately
began an investigation.
A hasty check-up Of traders and
clerks who had been on the floor, g
well as of persons in offices on upper
floors Of the building, disclosed that
no one had been seriously injured. al
though many persons were suffering
from badly irritated eyes.
-Four Floors Evacuated.
The fumes billowed up through the
first four floors which were ordered
evacuated and also swept into the
streets at a time when the stock ex.
change district was thronged with ths
noon day crowd.
Trading on the exchange was i'm.
mediately suspended for the balancs
Of the day.
Police reserves and emergency squads
were rushed into the district and held
back the milling thousands while the
affected floors of the exchange struc.
ture were cleared.
Members of the exchanges own po-
lice force donned gas masks as soon
as the fumes were felt, about 12:l5
o'clock, and groped their way through
the lower part of the building search
ing for the supposed leak in the air.
cooling system. A quick investigation
revealed that two tear gas bombs had
been thrown into an open ventilating
pipe.
Thousands Throng District.
The financial district had not had
such furry of excitement in years and
business affairs were forgotten through
out the downtown section as thousands
Of Office workers swarmed toward tho
corner Of Broad and Wall streets.
The Stock Exchange. an hour after
the incident, announced that a state
ment would be issued as soon as tbs
inquiry had proceeded further Trad,
ing on the Curb Exchange continued a
usual.
Allen L. Lindley. vice president Of
the Stock Exchange, announced shortly
after o'clock that investigation had
diSrlNSad fhof EyS
placed a cylinder containing tear GAG
bombs at one of the intakes" Of tn
ventilating system.
The New York Police Department.
bomb squad also was making an investi.,
cation.
Occupants Of several upper floors o.
the big Stock Exchange structure were
also forced to leave their Offices.
Gas Fumes Dense.
The fumes were so dense that persons
q block away from the building could
feel them. 1t was about an hour before
the exchange structure itself had been
fairly well cleared of the gas.
Lindley. acting president of the ex.
change in the absence of Richard
Whitney, who is on vacation, played
the role Of the captain on the burning
ship. He was probably the last to va
cate the exchange floor and as he left
he humorously rang the gong which
signals the opening and closing of the
market
TIL exchange ruled that market prices
at the time Of the forced suspension
would be considered the days closing
quotations. It was also decided not to
list Ibid and asked" prices which are
gathered from specialists at the close Of
each session.