Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-12-21
Tc~r1L,le Calamity.

l. h -
in the basement of the Barclay street lfoct or
the exteusiye c,ulec!ioncry establishment 0!
| GrccoieId E. SIMS, Tho explosion demolished
the entire front OF the building, as we'll az the
three adjoining, two on the lower side and one
on the upper. In the confectionery building, a
larpe number of boys and girls were employed,
day and night, during the present busy season,
and the explosion occurring about the time the
dav hands were leaving, and the night hands
commencing work, the proprietor Is unable to
| tell how MANY were in the doomed building
It is supposed about one hundred ana ten were
10 the building; fifty are SAID to nave escaped
by the back outlet on the College Face; small
number got out through the sky!lght 10 inc
roof and reached tho ground through the ad-
Joining buildings; several jumped from the sac
ond story window and were caught ny INC
crowd below. The number that persisted can
onIv be ascertained by searching the rufus. On
the first floor large Dunber OF girls were en-
gagged 10 selling, asserting and packing cantles::
None Of them arc known to have escaped, and
az the boiler was located Immediately beneath
them, !hcre is but little hope that ony had tho
opporunity TO rescue themselves.
| The estimate Of the number that have
pcrishcd ranges all the way from twcnty to
seventy. Tuosc who witnessed the scene de.
scribe the girls 90 the upper floors roaming TO
and fro 10 mortal terror, until hid from view by
the flames that assembled from CELLAR to roof
with lightning like rapility.
A more horriiylng scene was seldom VII
nesscd.
Ooc young girl, with long hair, held her
hands bcscechingIy cut OF the third story WIN
dow and screamed for help uotil, frightened,
she fell from the window and was buried 10 the
burbiDg cauldrOD below. 1t was now nearly
II tl,,n Ill hn al.
having been promptly souu led, but yet the lire
engines and hook and ladders had not arrived.
The girls were now rendered frantic. One girl
Jumped from the second story, while three
um ped into the burning building ADD were
soon out of their misery. While the girls were
screaming aud jumping from the widows, two
officers broke tic fall Of one, and thus saved
her life, although she met with serious lDjur.
ics. The fire pat,ol aud engines now began TO
arrive, and soon had streams OF water 90 the
building. About half past five the whole iron
front Of the building, curling up like so much
paper, fell right across the street with fearful
crash, striking houses on the opposite side. 1t
was soou rum0rcd that over one hund!cd aud
fifty persons, men girls ind boys, were en-
pIoyed 10 the building, and that ony about
= one half had escaped A feeling Of the greatest
horror overspread the great crowd which had
coneregated, being attracted by the light made
by the flames.
Several alarms were sounded for assistance,
as the fire had communicated TO surrounding
buildings, aud ct the same time amhuIanc2s
we're sent for Eoginc Company No. 20 was
the first to arrive; then followed No. T.. Boon
after the latter arrived a woman stood scresnl-
ing for help in the third story of the Birclly
street side 1.-THE building being l. shaped with
front also on College Place.
James McGowan, who was recently awarded
the Bennett medal for saving lives at fires, at
once rushed to the ruscue. lie was seen on
ton of the adjoining building, and although the
feat he was about to accomplish was at the
risk of his life. he succeed in fighting the
flames and smoke, and reached the woman and
passed her to those below. lie just had time
TO iump out of the third story when the west.
ern wall fell but Mc(fowan escaped with few
bruises.
At this iunc;urc another horrifyiog scene
epsued that metcd the hearts OF the by
ISLANDERS.
age, was seen holding 90 the burning shelving
cited crowd, he fell into the burning flames
The fire had now extended to adj )loiog build
ngs and the heat was so intense from the burn
ing uolasses and sweetmeats that it was with
great difficulty that fremen could work. At
the time OF the explosion man employed by
Adams Express Company was with the shipping
clerk and two aborerS loadiog one Of the large
express tracks. The men were blGwn into
eternity, horses killed aud wagon ADD freight
scattered toto fragments. Ga the opposite side
Of Barclay street Was store where large quan-
titles Of petroleum were stored. The fines
extended so quickly that it was all the firelneu
could do to prevent them from crossing the
street.
Mr.. French and family got out safe, whcn
the former remembered having left ten thous,
aud dollars 10 United States bonds in book
case on the second flor. Fore man Joe McGiIl,
of engine plumber thirtytwo, and r0undSman
Coffee, of First Precinct police, volunteered to
60 in for the bonds. Flames and smoke were
bursting out of the building. They climbed up.
package Of papers aud came out. The pack,
age was found not to be bonds. y second ime
they entered through fl imes and smCk,, and
brought out the bonds ia safety.
NEW YORK, Dec. PA morning paper
saws a detective boiler and drunken cnglocor
are understood to have been tn, cauie Of the
disaster at Greenfield candy factory last night.
A little alter o clock this morning one body
was found Ii was that Of well dressed man,
with delicate hands, probably person passing
by, who had been crushed by the falling wall
His head was under heavy block Of stone,
which had pressed il into sbapeless mass. Ii
is stated that there were about twenty customers
10 the store at the time, and the always crowd
cd business thoroughtarc on which the building
faced was crowded with persons. Twenty per
SOUS were reported to the police last night as
missing. The frm's style was Il. Greenfield &
Son. They were among the largest mauuf.c
turers Of confectionery in this city.
New YORK, Dec. 2l.-Two Lead t,od;cs
were found this morning 10 tie debris Of the
burned candy establishment in Blrcl2.y street.
New YORK, Dec. 2l.-Grcat e.nxicty and
alarm is fclt by the friends anf. relations Of
those people who are missing. and, WAC ere
supposed to be buried in the ruios OF the Bar
clay street fire. Over one hundred men are at
work removing the debris, aud strong guard of
police is stationed in the immediate vicinity Of
the ruins to keep hack the crowd of SPECTATORS
Tho nd in fropt IF l..