The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-22
The Terrible Calamity ~ Simsbury,
Connecticut.
EIGHT PERSONS BURNED TO DRATH-sEvHRAL OTHERS

The Terrible Calamity IT simsbury.
COanecticut.
EIGHT PERSONS BURNED TO DEATH-sEvEsAL OTHERS
INJURED.
from the Hartford Courant, Doc 81
Yesterday morning n half past O'Clock, the fuse
factory Of Toy, Bckord Co situated the Congre
eatopal church. in the town Of Smsbury, totally de-
SAID that Sigh. explosion was heard JUS. before the flames
burst out In two minutes from his the building all
fire. and soon burned down. The fire spread rapid
y that but portion OF the employees enabled to
cape; and eight women burned to death and four
persons seriously injured The names OF tho dead
are, Miss Catharne Brissee two girls named Kitchen,
ters Damed Head. Mr.. JOS r. Toy, son OF one ot he
proprieors, was very seriously burned Mr. Griswold
and Miss Sarah BaboOck also burned Mr. Race
our informant was unable TO state how severe their in
jurea
The building was thirty by eighty feet and two stories
In height The operatives mot all at work, the
loss Of life would have probably been greater. The
buildings near by, cotton and other factories,
The building burned was aIIed with machinery, but
nothing was saved Tho loss, tho amount Of which We
are unable 70 ASCERTAIN must be quite large but sinks
into nsgnacance beside the terrible loss Of LIE involved
II the catastrophe.
Mr. George 3, Evers and DR.. Ellsworth, of this city.
urnshed US with the following additional particulars q
the accident:-The flames burst from every wiadow
in the building instantaneousy after the explosion
three women aud two men In the lower story All
who worked In the room above, and Mrs. Lamson VINO
was one OF the three women AT work below, Killed.
making the number OF deaths eight in all Mr.. Lamson
who works in the factory the building and I'm
mediately rushed Of the windows. through which
he dragged two sisters named Of @hom was
etously and the other only slightly burned. Mr. Lam
reached through the window again. and called for his
wife as long as he could breathe in the suphurogs aud
moky atmosphere, but received answer. The
mains Of the dead could DO recognized only by the place
they occupied by the fragments Of clothing remaining
upon the bodies. They all burned to crisp and
in cases the bones all that Of those who
suffered the horrible death The explosion occurred in
the upper room where all the powder used All who
worked here killed, and the of calamity
will never be known.
Mr.. Toy, already mentioned and Mr.. Edwin P. Girls
void, who at work below, received their FIRST init
nation of the accident by the streaming Of the fire dowh
upon them from above burning their faces, necks aud
hands severely. Mr. Griswoid, being near the door,
stepped out Immediately Mr. Toy held his BREATH and
shutting his eyes, started for the door. He failed 10
reach It, but found window, and his hands being
with his head after two trials aud Jumped out into the
fume. He is dangerously, If not fatally injured. In
breaking through the window he received several severe
CUTS his face and neck are badly burned and the flesh Is
burned from his banus Dr. Ellsworth has hopes Of his
ultimate recovery. Mr. Griswold was not dangerously
injured.
The cotton factory for the manufacture of cord for the
fuse stood small stream from the burned build
ing, and connected with it by small bridge, which
Upon hearing the explosion the foreman Of the cotton
factory Mr. Chase this bridge and found Har
1et Head lying BY the door with the blood flowing from
The remains taken to the town no &c. and jury
Of inquest called. The body Of Miss Head, which was
taken from the door upon the bridge by Mr. Chase
the only one which could be recognized
At the time our informant left Simsbury, the jury
had not returned their verdict, discussion having
arisen to whether the deaths caused by fire
or BY the explosion The general opinion is that
death produced by immediate sufocation from
are-Chrtina NJ Kitchen aged fourteen; Elizabeth Kitch
en-, aged fourteen Orpha j. Bacon, aged twenty five
Catharine Brace, aged twenty one; Mrs Charles Lam
son. aged thirty three; Elizabeth Go lizard, aged twenty
four; Elizabeth Head aged twenty one Harriet Head,
aged eighteen.
and buried in grave Thursday, at eleven O'clock
The appearance of the place indicated that the wood
work Of the building saturated with powder The
rules of the factory required that the floor should
swept four times day-twce before and twice af
ter The fires in the building had not been stirred in the
morning. the powder TO be used for the day brought
in 1t appeared If the fire had been driven down from
the upper room with great violence upon the employees
halo