The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-12-27
AN AWFUL CATASTROPHE.
Fearful Scene in the Streets Of New York.
New YoRK Deccmber oO

NEW 1oRK, OeccmDer ~.
An explosion occurred at ten minutes
past 8 o'clock this afternoon in the i'm.
mense candy mandatory of Greenfield
IL Strauss, at 63 Barclay street, Which ex.
tends in the shape of an L to College
Place. The boiler was under the side.
walk on the Barkley street side and burst
tearing away the entire front and scntter-
ing the wreck in all directions. Over l5O
girls were employed at the time ir the
building. The wall fell in few minutes
after the explosion. A policeman, on
duty near the building, says: 81 saw the
front of the building, five stories high,
fall into the street. The street was filled
with screaming people. There were about
two hundred at work. / rushed 20 the
police station and gave the fire alarm.
Several girls jumped from the top of the
building into the fire, and several boys
were blown through the roof" Fifty-six
wounded and one dead were reported al
the Chambers Street Hospital at 6.45 d.
m. A number were also sent to the Bel
leven and other hospitals. It Is esti-
mated chat the wounded reach one hun
dred and twenty-five. OF the two hun
dred and seventy-five employed in the
factory but few escaped uninjured. The
number of dead is uncertain until the
wreck is cleared away. The fire was
under control at $50 p. m., and by GAS
p. m. only dense smoke surrounded the
ruins.
MIR. Greenfield, owner of the factory,
could give no idea how many were in the
building. He thought abont 10, and
that of these about 90 escaped by the
College Place entrance, and small num-
Der got through the skylights and walked
over the roofs and got down the skylights
ofother buildings. The bookkeeper, who
was on the Barclay street side of the
building, was blown out through the win
dow 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 policemen and
citizens on the sidewalk below.
No fair estimate of the loss of life can
be given tonight. The parties employed
IN the factory were principally young
girls and boys from eight to twenty years
Of age. Owing to the approach Of the
holidays q double force was employed.
one working the dny and the other at
night. The force was changed at S
O'Clock, and the fact of the explosion oc-
curing at ten minutes past that hour
renders it still moro difficult to know how
many OF who are the victims.
Greenfield's loss is 100000. No. SIS
Barclay street was frame building with
q cigar store on the first floor, the upper
floors being occupied by Col. Franc6 for
the last thirty years. Mr.. Franch and
family got out safe, when F'ranch remem-
bered having left $4,000 in United
~ - bends al a buukclise on the second
floor. Foreman Joe McGill, of engine
32 and Roundsman Coffee of the first
precinct police, volunteered to 90 In for
the bonds. The flames and smoke were
bursting ont of the building. They
climbed mp ON the awning and entered;
the window and rescued q package of
papers and came out. The package was
found not to contain the bonds. IA Sec
ond time they entered through the flames
and smoke aud brought out the bonds in
safety. Some sirls had the hair entirely
burned off their heads. The greatest sac-
rifce of life was among the Young girls
employed in selling and asSortiBT and
packing candies on the FIRST aoor oye- the
boiler. None of thoss are known TO have
escaped. The total loss will probably be-
quarter Of q million, and thsrs must be- b
MY bodies In the ruins.