Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 307, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 December 1912 — CLERKS FLED INTO VAULT [ARTICLE]

CLERKS FLED INTO VAULT

Breaking Trolley Sounded Like Earthquake In Atlantic City and Workers Are Panic Striken. Atlantic City, N. J.—Half a dozen clerks were standing near the big vault in the Chelsea National bank in this city, discussing the earthquake. Thei* hacks were turned toward the street. Suddenly there came a blinding flash, as though from a huge ball of fire, followed by a rumbling noise. The clerks, terror-stricken, and without waiting to investigate, took it for granted that another earthquake had visited the city, and they considered the safest place was the big vault. Into this they jumped, and, pulling the door Bhut, awaited developments. They waited for a long while, but seemingly nothing happened. Then • they tried to open the vault door, but could not It ’was some time later when the cashier, missing the clerka and noticing that the vault door was closed, opened it, and found the young fellows nearly smothered. A big campaign banner, water soaked from the rain, had fallen across the trolley feed wire, breaking the wire and causing the flash and explosion which the clerks noticed. The breaking of the feed wire tied up trolley traffic on the lines for nearly two hours.