Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-12-26

{4haA AftofuUOn, In the immehse cAmd,
Inanufactory OF Greenfield n Son, No
l63 Barclay street. The boiler which
was under the sidewalk on the Bar.
clay street side, burst, tearing away
the entire front, and scattering the
wreck in all directions. A large
number of girls, of all ages, were
employed at the time in the building.
THE WALLS FELL
within q few minutes after the explo-
sion. The building, five stories high,
fell into the street. Fifty-six wound.
ed and one dead were reported in the
Chambers street hospital at 6:45
O'Clock. A number were also sent to
Bellvue and other hospitals. It is es-
timated that the wounded will reach
l25. About
FIFTY ESCAPED
by the College Place entrance and q
small number got out through the
sky-lights, walked over the roofs and
got down the sky-lights of other
buildings. The boOk-keeper, who
was on the Barclay street side Of the
building, was
BLOWN OUT THROUGH THE WINDOW
to the street and badly cut on the
head. Several jumped from the Sec
ond story and escaped with slight in
juries, the fall being broken by po-
licemen and citizens on the sidewalk
below. No fair estimate of the loss
of life can be given tonight, but it
must be large. The parties employ
ed in the factory were
PRINCIPALLY YOUNG GIRLS AND BOYS
from to 20 years. Owing to the ap-
proach of the holidays double force
was employed, one working the day
and the other at night. The number
in the building ct the time of the dis
aster is variously estimated at from
100 to 300.
THE FLAMES SPREAD
SO rapidly it ia feared many not in
jured by the explosion were burned
to death. Owing to the heat no
search can be made for those buried
in the ruins until tomorrow.
THE FACTORY BUILDING
was in the form of the letter L, hav-
ing entries at No. 63 Barclay street,
and No. 3 College Place. In the angle
were situated Grocer's Bank build
ing and d. d. Tompkin's brown pa
per warehouse, both fine stores. The
latter also burned to the ground,
leaving the bank building ON the
corner looming up alone over the
ruins. The bank building is only
damaged on the .4th and 9TH floors,
used as dwelling by the janitor and
several families, who lost all furni-
tnpieu as iak ana otter Il r 3 ofiices. was
slightly injured by water. but the Of
fees Of the bank ON the ground floor
suffered no injury.
Mr.. Tompkins' loss is not yet ascer-
tanned.
The loss of Greenfield & Sons is es-
timated at 500, 600; insurance about
10000.
Some of the girls had
THEIR HAIR BURNED TOTALLY OFF THEIR
FL HEADS.
The first reports were exaggerated
in regard to the number of wounded.
Only thirteen were brought to Cham
bers street hospital, aud none 10 any
other hospital.
THE GREATEST SACRIFICE OF LIFE WAS
AMONG THE YOUNG GIRLS,
many of whom from s to Is years,
were employed in selling, asserting
and picking candies. On the first
floor, over the boiler, which was sit.
uated in the basement of the rear Of
the Barclay street wing of the build
ing, and not under the sidewalk as
first reported, none are known to
have escaped.
The building occupied by Major &c
Knapp, engravers, on the opposite
side of College Place, caught on fire
from the sparks, but the flames were
extinguished with but trifling dam
age.
THE TOTAL LOSS
is probably $25O,OOO. The news of the
explosion spread over the city very
rapidly, and the widest rumors and
great excitement prevailed. Large
crowds hurried from all quarters to
the scene, but the police kept the
crowd several blocks away from the
place. Many persons having chill.
dren or relatives working in the fac
tory, as evening wore on, and they
had not returned home, sought the
scene of the disaster, and the hospitals
and police stations, in search of the
missing ones. At the very lowest cal
culations there must be
FORTY OR FIFTY BODIES IN THE RUINS.
The firemen will keep streams of
water on the ruins all night and will
have the street cleared will be ready
TO commence digging for bodies to-
morrow.
Mr.. r. Kleinn, Of So Leonard street,
states that he was in the building
about ten minutes before the expl0-
sion and there were q great many
persons there at the time; he passed
in front Of the building two minutes
after the explosion and saw on most
Of the floors, as the front wall had
fallen, great many boys and girls
rushing about in an excited and con-
fused manner, but they became OBJ
scured to the view by the smoke and
flames in few seconds. There seems
to have been NO possibility Of their
getting out alive.
THE FIRE
was one of the quickest ever seen. In
less than three minutes the flames had
assembled completely to the roof
Peter Staudmiller gives vivid de-
scription Of the affair. He is employ
cd with Rodgers & Co., and was
within forty feet Of the doorway
when the explosion occurred. II
seemed to
THROW UP THE WHOLE SIDEWALK,
and the front Of the building fell 4
the street. There was q tWo-hors,
truck of the Delaware & LAckawann,
Express Company passing and tn.
wall fell ON the horses, and the driver
said he believed there were nearly
200 persons occupied in the building
at the time. There were not more
than dozen girls employed ON the
ground floor, most of the boys and
girls being engaged on the second and
third floors.
Standmiller says he is positive that
mot more than six girls aud dozen
men came out alive through the Bar
clay street entrance. The elder Mr..
Greenfield, was about the first who
rushed out, and he was much scalded
He saw about q dozen making their
escape by the roof to adjoining roofs.
THE SCENES AT THE cHAMBFrs STREET
HOSPITAL
were heartrcnding in the EXTREME
| lAmbulances were quickly at the fire
i n kNppu In AL s,N~ 4 No