The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-21
TERRIBLE EXPLOSION,
Followed by a Disastrous Fire.
A Large Number Of Persons Killed
and Wounded.
The Victims Of the Fire as Yet
Unknown.

New YORK, December 20.-The boiler
iu the candy manufactory Of Ernest
Greenfield, No. 63 Barclay street, ex-
ploded about o'clock this afternoon
while large number OF female employees
were still at work. The building was al.
most instantly wrapped in flames, and it
il said that from 100 to l50 girls were
burned to death.
The explosion was Immediately follow.
lowed by fire, which occurred at FIVE
minutes past this afternoon in the i'm.
mense candy mandatory Of Greenfield
& Sons, No. 63 Barclay street, which ex.
tends in the shape ot an az" TO College
Place. The boiler, which was under the
sidewalk on the Barclay street aide, burst,
tearing away theentire front, and scatter.
ing the wreck in all directions. A large
number Of girls, OF all ages, were employ.
ed ut the time in the building. The walls
itll within few minutes alter the ex.
plosion. A policeman, who was on duty
near the building, says he saw the
front Of buildinR, five stories high, fall
into the street. Five or six wounded and
one dead were reported At the Chambers
Street Hospital, at Gas o'clock. A mum.
Der were alao sent to Bellevue and other
hospitals. II IS Estimated that the wound.
ed will reach l25. But few escaped in.
jury.
Mr.. Greenfield, owner Of the factory,
could give no idea Of how many were in
the building at the time Of the explosion,
hut thought about ITO. or these about
80 escaped by College Place entrance, and
n small number got out through the sky-
lights, walked over the roofs, and got
down through the skylights Of the other
buildings. The bookkeeper, who was on
the Barclay street aide, was blown out
through the window to the street and
badly cut on the head. Several jumped
from the second story and escaped with
slight injuries, their fall being broken by
the policemen and citizens on the side
walk below. No fair estimate Of the loss
of life can be given tonight, but must be
large. The parties employed in the fac
tory were principally young girls and
boys from eight to twenty years Of age.
Owing to the approach Of the holidays a
double force WAS employed, one working
during the day and the other at night.
The force ia changed at five
o'clock, and the fact oil the explosion
occurring at Eve minutes past that hour,
renders II more difficult TO know how
many or who are the victims. The mum.
ber in the building at the time Of the ex.
plosion vRriousl estimated from 100 10
800. The flames spread 80 rapidly that
1t Ia feared that many not injured by the
explosion burned TO death. The Barclay
street angle OF the building has fallen TO
background, as has also numbers G5 and
u Barclay street, on the lower Side, and
number 6l on the upper side. Owing to
the heat no search eau be made for those
buried 10 the ruins until Tomorrow.
The factory building was in the form Of
the letter l., having entrances at No. 63
Barclay street and No. 3 College Place.
II the angle was situated the Grocets'
bank building and d. D. Tompkins'
brown paper warehouse, both Eve stories.
The. latter also burned 10 tho ground,
fsying the bank building on the corner
Booming up alone over the ruins. The
bank building was only injured on the 4lh
and 9th floOTS, uSed s dwelling by
several families who lost all their
furniture and effects. The third door
which Was occupied as law and other
ef6ceS, was slightly injured by water, but
the Offices Of the bank on The ground
floor suffered no injury.
Mr.. Tompkins loss has not vet been
ascertAlned. The loEs Of Greenfield &
Sons is estimated At 100000; insurance
about $4,000.
No. 65 Barclay stree. was a frame
building, with cigar store on the frat
floor, the upper floors being occupied by
Col. French for the last thirty years. Mr..
French and family escaped, but tho
former left $4,000 in United States
bonds In book case on the second floor
Joseph McGill, foreman Of engine 32, and
RoundEman Coffee, Of tho 2lst precinct
police, volunteered 10 10 In Tor the bonds,
The flames and smoke were bursting out
oi the building. They Climed up on the
awning and entered the windoWs, secured
a package Of papers and came out, The
package was found not 10 be the bonds.
They entered again through the flames
and brought tho bonds in safety. AL
number Of persons who escaped from the
factory with slight injuries had their
wounds dressed 10 drug store, and
went home, Some Of the girls had their
hair burned totally of their heads. The
frat reports were exaggerated In regard
to the nu mber wounded. Only thirteen
were brought to tho Chambers Street
Hospital, and mono to any other. The
names Of the wounded in the hospital are
Ned Meib lS years old, Peter uermann
"a, Otto Meib II, George Honsel II,
Frauk SchWitIlen 10, Charles Hill.
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