EXPLOSION IN NEW YORK.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 10828, 19 December 1902, Page 2

EXPLOSION IN NEW YORK.

- Thrilling Details.

An explosion occurred among a vast multitude of 'people, who were gathered in Madison Square Gardens to witness the ascension of an airship ,and the display of election returns. Twelve persons were killed outright, many being blgwn to pieceß, and at least SCI-were injured, many of them •fatally (says' a Itelegrani in" the' San Francisco Chronicle). The bombs were of* the* most powerful type used for display purposes, aud were charged -with some very | high explosive. Thirty thousand people thronged the square at the time of the ex-plosions.'-which >\yere succeeded by 1 a fright-, ful panic, 'in which hundreds were -thrown down and trampled underfoot. The\men in. >charge of tne fireworks display were, placed under arrest immediately after the, explosion. * T..v >./ . k s ' The disaster , occurred a few minutes after 10 o'clock ,p.m. f when, the first row of mortal's was touclied off. But before tile discharge took pjace: one of the mortars fell oVer 6h its'side, and the next instaait the bomb was shot into tll^ thickest or the crowd, where it exploded and hurled the people into heaps. The fall of the mortar and the concussion of the explosion knoeked'-down tße rest' of the tow of mortars, and a thundering volley of lfuge-pro-jectiles ploughed through the crowd almost instantly. A second group of 20 m.Qrtars, about 100 ft Juttlier iip Ihe avenue, discharged their content^ into,. the, crowd, and a moment later the third group (evidently ignited by showers of sparks) exploded in same manner. 1 In the panic that ensued thousands ran blindly .across the square, tripping over seats and bencnes/anp,, falling, were trampled on. For half ah hour the wildest contusion reigned. After th 6 smoke of the explosion . *haS chared' Jiaway 16 persons, were found ' lying in Madison Avenue, while scores of injured were scattered about tl'ie avenue and square.' A fofee'ol 500 policemen Was soon on the spot, and upwards "bf 100 physicians and 200 nurses were stiinmoned front 1 the hospitals, every' available' vehicle being; jpressed into service ' for the transportation of A? w.ounded. , A tglegxam. from New York, on November 313 1 s£ateHftha^^oinplete revised) lists of (lip dead /t anH r 'in : jurea victims "of the'dx- 1 ' plosion -showed- that 12 persons were killed ' and about', 80- iuirtred. Several of theso latter ,\raye -slightly hurt, and many others were in a- serioiis 'condition. Seven legs of victims of the explosion were amputated at the Bellevu'e* Hdspital: Besides the amputations, there r were dozens of * minor operations- on .Jhands, and feet, and. for burns: ' Marty" p^tfen'ts underVpnt sever.i* , operations, aud'Bevcral lost both hands.