The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-12-22
The New York Horror.

THE LATEST FROM THE DISASTER IN BARCLAY
STREET.-THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION
THE BOILER DID NOT EXPLODE, BUT A COP
PER TANK DID-TnE ENGINEER DECLARED
COMPETENT, ETC.
NEW YORK, December 21.-The morning
papers say a defective boiler and drunken
engineer are understood to have been the
cause of the disaster at Greenfeld's candy
factory. 4 little after 3 O'Clock this MORN
ing one body was found, that Of we'll
dressed man with delicate hands-probably
a person passing who was crushed by the
falling walls. His head was under heavy
block Of stone, which had pressed it into a
shapeless mass. It is stated that there were
about twenty customers in the store at the
time, and the thorougbfare on which the
building faced was crowded with persons.
Twenty were reported to the police last
night as missing. Only. two dead bodies
were found this morning.
DAMAGE 70 ADJACENT BUILDINGS.
1t is with the greatest difficulty that the
debris can be removed on account Of the
crowd surrounding the ruins, and horse
car lines in that vicinity are blocked.
Major d. Knapp's engraving, manufac-
turing, and lithographing company's build
ing, directly opposite Greenfield d Sons,
escaped with the loss of the windows and
doors, which were shattered by the eXplo-
sion. 80 p.
The upper part of the Grocers' Bank was
completely Quilted, and the marble-front
building adjoining Rogers, Peet Il Co. had
the appearance OF old ruins-thc marble
looking as il it had been melted.
Two-story marble-front building, occu-
pied by Rucket e. Hcndel and Josiah Quin-
cy, dealers in earthenware, also by Day,
Hooglan & SIiger, dealers in drugs, was in
iured by the explosion in having the front
windows of the first, third, and fourth
floors blown in. The force OF the explo-
sion was so great that the iron framework
protecting the windows on the fourth floor
was bent inward.
The crockery establishment of James
Hineman, No. &C Barclay street, was in-
iured in like manner, as well as some OF the
stock. .
The front OF the store of W. Ell. Montague
& Co., coffee dealers, No. Ga Barclay street,
was damaged in like. manner, and the pave
ment in front torn away so that the engine
room underneath was visible. | -
Tompkins 4 Co., No. 65 Barclay street,
paper-dealers, were entirely burned out.
Nos. Ct, 90, and II Barclay street were
badly damaged by fire and water, and sere-
raj houses in Greenwich street were also
damaged.
GREENFIELD'S LOSS
is estimated at about $4,000; partly in.
sured. The rear walls were taken down SO
that laborers could dig out the ruins with
safety and look for bodies.
ABOUT THE BOILERS AND THE ENGINEER.
According to the records Of the boiler-in'
spectors, the two boilers Of Greenfield & Sor
were examined November 7th. Both were
locomotive boilers, were tested to 10:
pounds pressure, and allowed 20 pounds
The engineer, Philip Herseberger. was last
examined on the 18th Of this month. He
was regarded as competent and his reDuta
ton good. A boiIer-inspector visited the
ruins to-day and found both boilers
intact. The sidewalk under which
the boilers were situated was not torn VI
or destroyed. One boiler was found ball
full Of water, and the other nearly full
The inspector said one of the copper tank:
filed with material for making candy mus
have exploded and broke all the lamps
the building being lighted with kerosene
and these added much to the rapiditv witt
which the flames spread.