"Maxwell Grant - The Shadow - 008 - The Black Master" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Maxwell)

The customer's left hand rested on the counter as he grasped the cigars successfully. There was a slight
smile upon his lips. It was the last action he made in life, and the one man who witnessed it did not remain
to tell the tale!

The cigar store was rocked by a mighty tremor. The counter and the cases disappeared in a tremendous
explosion that sent pieces of wreckage flying in all directions. The crowds that were hurrying through the
concourse of the terminal fell in struggling heaps.

Showers of broken glass clattered everywhere. In a trice, the serene regularity of the huge depot had
been changed to a scene of chaos! Smoke swept through the concourse! Women screamed in terror!
Utter confusion reigned!

Another catastrophe had terrorized New York! Here, scenes of Wall Street were reenacted, but in a
different setting.

Police arrived and were joined by hospital attendants. Railroad employees were prompt in giving aid.
Trains were held; emergency orders were put in force.

The explosion had been confined to a corner of the concourse. The cigar store and two neighboring
shops were completely wrecked. Two clerks and three customers were killed in the cigar store.

One man, who had been telephoning from a booth, escaped miraculously and was drawn from the
wreckage virtually uninjured. Hundreds of persons had been stunned, and many had suffered minor
injuries.

The huge extent of the concourse, with its acres of open space and its high-domed ceiling, had offset the
death-dealing power of the explosion.

It became a day of terror in New York.

The newspapers were spreading the details of these catastrophes like wildfire. With the exact reports of
the Wall Street explosion came the stop-press news of the bombing in Grand Central Station.

Police were appearing everywhere.

It was exactly half-past twelve when an enterprising newsboy took his stand at the entrance to the
downtown side of the Broadway subway at Columbus Circle. He had a stock of the latest editions of the
afternoon newspapers. He was selling them with great rapidity.

A well-dressed man stopped and gave the boy a twenty-five cent piece. The gamin fumbled for the
change and found it. Some of the coins fell to the sidewalk as the boy turned to another customer and
began his repeated cry:

"Big explosions! Read about the big explosions! Hundreds killed in Wall Street -"

The man who had bought the newspaper stopped and picked up the loose coins. He seemed annoyed.
He drew a large watch from his pocket and glanced at the time. He noted that the watch was stopped.

He looked around for a clock by which to set his timepiece. Then, apparently disturbed by his delay, he
thrust the watch angrily in his pocket and hurried down the steps.