New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-12
Il BUILDING BLOWN UP.
SEVERAL PERSONS KILLED AND WOUNDED.
r,o, III, P6aadclthsa BrAsta, Mares n.

Tlis morning. about 9I O'Clock, the vicinity OF
Tenth srd Master streets CTwertleth "ari) was
thrown into an intense excitement by an eNposion
that toOk place in Alder street. above Master Aier
street is small street running north and south above
Terth street. The shock OF the explosion was so
gre that the buildings in the neighborhood were
shaker, aI the utmost condemnation prevailed. IOe
EXPLOSION was followed ny a fightful CRASH, caused
bv tie tumhling into heap of ruins o. the cabinet
maker shop OF Euhard Beck the east eide ot Alder
street, about fifty feet above Mater. The frghttul
shap vas caused by the explosion OF steam boiler
IT, the cellar which shattered the walls and brought
The entire structure in ruins to the ground
Asi was known that number Of persons were at
work in the building a. the time ot the eXpoSion tne
most intense 1ctement onsuec, hghtened not htte
hv tie trtsence on the spot of some OF the woskmen
The ponce and citizens and two fire companies
lnstned 10 the of the disaster ana ef0tts we're
al Cnce made to rescue those wAo gh have survived
the fiChtfu crash. Some three or four persons crept
ont from among the ruins aud escaped with slght
bruises 9th, ~ were rescued more or less hurt while
the bodies Of two-iather and sop-were taken out
dead. and horribly scaded and manged IT,
TIE proprietor Of the factory was in the cellar within
n few feet Of the boiler which exploded. lie was
dashed to the ground but was rot deprived OF his
serefs He saws the building crashed down all around
him but be found openings among the RUNS through
WI icb he croIt out SAFELY.
There were, II il believed, eight men and two boys,
all Germans in the building at the time of the expo-
zion Their names are follows; Euhard Beck, pro-
rrietor; Charles Eckhard and TWO sous, Herman aud
Charles: Valentine Bowers, 6u-tANus oOuh
Kemre, - Ackerman, Casper Hanshal, -
Mr.. Eckhara, and his son Herman, "a lad Of four
teepD were both employed in the building. Ihey
were both is beeye, at work upon The INST n2or,
IN the front building at tte time of the disaster Their
hodi were taken out scaded ana crushed IN dread
full manner. Their remains were taken to the Iwen,
tieth Ward StGtonHOuse, ut the corner OF Tenth anu
Thompson streets.
head His injuries it is thought will not prove fatal
lie was taken TO bis home in Ogden street, between
Ninth and Tenth. in a deranged condition: -
Gustayus IIanshey escaped serious injuries lie
was rescued from the ruins, and able TO walk to
Fourth ard Franklin streets, with assistance.
Valentine Bowers was Gt work in the third story;
when rescued he was found covered up with RUNS near
the stove that floor. He was carried 10 tue ~. Jo
sepbs Hospital where it found that his le knee
was disocated his head badly bruised and his lett
wrist sprained. His injuries though serious, are not
fatal.
time a, clept out back. He was not seriously hurt.
Cssper Hanshall went home to Franklin and Fourth
streets He was not much injured.
Ii was thought up to near O'Clock that Ackerman
WAS still buried in the ruins, but 1t was then ascer-
tanned that he had got out safely, and as Was be-
eyed that all the persons in the building had been gos
out the further search among the RUNS was gwen up
Tie building which WAS blown to pieces was u thres-
story brick The front building was twenty feet vide
and THIRTY three feet deep. There was also two
story back building, which was thirty feet deep and
sixteen in width
The engine was but of three-horse power and it, as
well as the boiler stood in tae cellar of the font build
ing close to the southern wall. The boiler was an up
rielt one, and the head was blown completely out.
Tie ton taken off clo,e around the edges a. though
| il lad bee n cut with "a chisel
The explosion was 80 severe as 10 dash down the
southern wall, foundation and al, and throw II over
upon shed that aojoned it. The front aud rear walls
were also blown completely out North ot the bul'
ing was the dwelling occupied by the Eckhard family.
n ,,.ala I'M d
floor of tie factory rested upon the side walls but the
upper floor rested upon the rear and 'front.' The de-
srnctOn Of the walls was of course followed by the
falling Of all the floors and the demolition OF the en-
tire structure.
Mr. Bsuk lived in a building on Tenth street, tho
beck part q which directly opposite the factory
large portion OF the ruins was thrown into the yard
OF Mr. BIS dwelling, destroying portion OF the
lower story and filing the kitchen with ruins. The
door of the kitchen which leads into the cellar was
closed at the time and it was blown off It's hinges.
Mrs Beck was in the kitchen, but she escaped un-
hurt. . ,
The most painful part of the affair we were call9d
uIon TO witness was the anguish of Mrs. Eckhard.
ne poor woman was not aware that her husband ana
su had been horribly scaded and crushed, and those
about her who 10th 10 tell her the worst induced
her TO believe that the missing ones were still under
the ruins. The poor creature raved dreadiuIy, and
our heart bled for her.
The bereaved wife and mother had her two remain
ing children with her-Anne, who was IN the yard 0f
her home at the time, and who was slightly injured by
a falling brick aud Charles, who was in the second
story Of the factory when the crash came, and who
was proydentiaIy rescued unhurt.
MI Beck informs us that he had charge of the en-
CINE when the explosion took place, and that he knows
the boiler was fun OF water. Steam had been got up
about an hour before the crash and the engine was in
opefatiOn during the time. He processes himself en-
tirely unable TO account for the disaster.
Tie Coroner VIII hold inquest in the case ct three
o'clock at the Twentieth Ward Station House. The
cause Of the explosion will perhaps be elected at that
time.
ground with strong boOy of policemen, but in
auence Of the distance OF the scene OF the disaster from
tie City Hail. but snail party OF officers were upon
the ground at IN early hour.
Tie factory as wen a considerable portion OF 9th
er property in the vicinity, belonged to Mr.
Beck He estimates bis loss as follows: building,
sl 400; machinery, $780, stock, $1,000. Total,
$500.
AI the men employed about the building were mar
ried. This circumstance added materially TO the ex
ctement that followed close upon the heels Of the mis-
hap The families of most Of the workmen resided IN
the neighborhood, and they were generally upon the
ground before their friends were rescued.
The factory Il q complete wreck; the walls, which
were but nine inches thick, are ell level with the
ground and the floors and other wood work are broken
and crushed TO pieces and thrown into heap Of spAnt
en-. The accident was most fnghtful one, and,
under the circumstances it Is wonderful thar more
lives Lot lOt. 80
In the course OF conversation with the Mayor this
afternoon the proprietor Of the building nfcrmed DIS
Honor that The boiler was full Of waters few moments
before the explosion; he had filed it himself the day
before.
The proprietor also stated that he had used the boiler
constantly for two yearsit had been repaired ~DouEa
When the engine wes bought by Beck If was an old
ore and had been used in potash factory on Frank
lin street He could not tell Row old the boaer was,
nor who was its manufacturer
A nee.irg Of the Sixth Ward Fillmore Club was