The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-23
A Flu II OU s f X e
TWENTY-THREE PERSONS INJURED.
SCENES IN THE CITY
List Of the Wounded, Their Injuries and the
Disposition Made Of Them.

eStADuSnmeDt OF george "A. ETkeupTdcH. NO. 10 LID
erty street. The fire was discovered by the police
man duty In the street to have started on the
first floor. He gave an alarm. and in few min
utes four engines Mos 4, 8, 80 and 2e and three
trucks (Nos /, 8 and 10Y were on the spot. The
hose was attached to the hydrants, and in an in
credibly short space Of time several streams of
water were playing upon the building. Notwith-
standing this the flames spread rapidly, and in q
short time the entire lower part Of the house was
WRAPPED IN FIRE.
The dremen worked INCREASINGLY and a spirit OF
daring seemed to have taken possession of them
that is seldom seen on such occasions. They
dashed into the burning building, rushed into all
the rooms where the fire appeared to be the
hercest and drove torrents Of water into almost
every nook and corner. The people employed about
the place had not arrived at the time the fire broke
out, and consequently the 1remen had the
matter all to themselves. This can only be re.
garded as dreadful misfortune; for, had the
clerks and others who usually worked in the place
been the spot the fremen would have been in
formed OF the dangers they were exposed to- and
no doubt nothing like the damage that afterwards
done would have occurred. While the men
were swarming in the building, using every means
in their power and knowledge to stop the further
progress OF the flames,
TREMENDOUS EXPLOSION
occurred and in an instant number OF men
covered with burning nuid that stung like dag
gers. The first burst of the pen-up element of de-
struction was soon followed by another and an
other, until 1t sounded as if Pandemonium were let
loose within the house. The shrieks and cries Of
the wounded men terrible to hear, as they
rushed from the flames into the air. seek
ing In vain some relief from the sudden
suffering. Legs, arms, heads feet, and in fact, all
parts OF the bodies Of the victims, blstered,
considerable time these ringing reports OF the
bursting bottles OF acids Kept on spreading the mad
nuid in all directions and scattering it the
toing fremen but the uninjured ones continued
TO work steadily, and seemed to take no
notice OF the danger all around them. Like
the cracking OF rines the explosion sounded ut a
distance, and each report was answered by wild
shOnt OF agony that heartrending to listen to-
Very after the fire broke out
AN IMMENSE CONCOURSE OF PEOPLE
gathered in the street, and when the explosions
were taking place and the wounded men were
brought into the street everybody in the
crowd seemed to shrink, as If each felt
himself to some degree the awful agony of
the poor nremen. The police, who were on the spot
almost as soon as the alarm was given, did all in
their power to keep back the people from the burn
ing building but strong the desire to render
some assistance to the fremen that the work ;of
the police was very difficult. When it was dis
covered that the heat OF the flames in
the building was causing the huge bot
the fremen were being injured, corps
OF assistance, composed OF citizens and police,
formed, and everything that possibly could be per-
formed was done for the sufferers. Many OF them
were removed to the Centre Street Hospital, and
several were taken to stores in the neighborhood,
where such temporary relief as was at hand was
administered to them. The police in the vicn-
ity Of the fire conducted themselves in
nal service In keeping back the surging
crowds But for their prompt action a number Of
sions, would have been terribly mangled. The
scene at the Centre Street Hospital while the men
were being brought in was agonizng in the ex-
IRENE. Every bed in the place was taken up by
the poor fellows, and they seemed to be
doing all in their power to make as light az possible
OF their injuries. The medical force OF the in
stituton exerted all their efforts for the
men, and everything that could be was done to
alleviate their sufferings. In an almost incredibly
short short space OF time the news OF the explosion
had spread and the friends of the nremen crowded
around the hospital, each one anxious to find out
fathers hung around the hospital,
IMPLoRING FOR INFORMATION
about the wounded men. or course it was impossi-
Bile for long time to give them anything like def
mite information, as the names or the exact nature
aecerained The flames from the burning building
eat into the premises OF Messrs. f. Schnelchel Il
Of about three hundred dollars to that building
j. Is thought the fire originated in the
restaurant OF Mr. Franz winter, in the
basement OF No. IL, and was caused by putting
Kerosene oil on some Goals TO light the fire. The
insurance on the stock of George A. Erkenbrack is
$4,000, in various companies. As soon as tie
names were subdued and all the injured parties
had received what assistance could be given them
the Fire Marshal held an investigation into the
cause OF the disaster and the following testimony
Gu ana county Of Ne,e York ss.-Charles Baul-
dan, being sworn, says:--I live in Brooklyn, and
am employed IN the basement OF No IS Liberty
street; got there at six O'Clock this morning,
cleaned up and swept out: my uncle, Mr.. Franz
Winter, 80 Bond street is the proprietor; he came
about qtlaters OF seven; Few minutes after that
something began TO run through the ceiling and
drop on the floor; got some pans TO catch it In
DO not know what the stun was 1t had q peculiar
smell ana had reddish color, ike brandy; have
had stun run through from this place before but il
was different rom this. and shortly after II began
10 run through we saw a little smoke come through
ahe celihg az the same point where the stun came
Through;
WENT Up STAIRS
40 the front door OF the store to see what the mat
ter was, and found the place locked up: i did not
give any alarm OF ire; went back down stairs, and
very soon there was an eXploson thar shook the
Building, and fire came through the ceiling; myself
my uncle ana gin who works for rs were in our
pace az the time 81 the explosion, and ran out
my uncle and the girl were considerably burned
the place where the stun came through the ceiling
was abont midway between The 'front.' and rear end
of the store, and little Of the centre; our re
II Oh the west side AT the rear end. about eighteen
or twenty feet from where the stun came through:
The girl Einded fire some i've or ten minutes be-
fore this stun began 10 through: We do not
lave any Kerosene IN cur place.
The Mex witness examined Was Kate Browse
Her statement was as follows - 1--we at y Essex
street; worked for Mr.. winter: got there TINS
morIing al hafpast six O'Clock; Charley, Mr.
Winters nephew was there; made q ire ANA had
IT already made when Mr. Winter arrived; lie sat
III the saloon reading the paper; the waiter was
there too. and was in the Kitchen when this stun
came RAINING down through the ceiling Into The
saloon; Mr.. Winter called ~ me TO bring tubs to
catch IL in 1t poured down Tor ten or fifteen
ulnutes; did not see IL running anywhere except
~ the saloon, where we put the tubs; the sun
made an awful smell; when the flames broke out
was In the saloon gathering up my wash, when all
at,oncc the whole place was on ire: Mr. Winter
called 10 me 70 hurry out and he ran out ahead Of
me;
WAS BURNED
whiie going up stairs 20 the street: Charley in
the back yard ~ the time: don't know OF any OF the
stun running down In my ollce; did not light any
Mre after the stan began 70 pour down; did not
neht match for any purpose; lighted my fire ten
OF hlteen minutes before Mr.. Winter discovered /
do L Id nAlAt nDnr