The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-12-27
Terribly Fatal Explosion in a New
York Candy Factory.
NEARLY 200 EMPLOYEES IN THE
BUILDING.
Of Which ThTeG-FOuTtnS are Thought
to Have POrRhGd.
DESCRIPTION OF LOSSES, ETC


of Greenfield & Sons, No. So Barclay
street, which extends in the shape of an
"L" to College Place. The boiler, which
was under the sidewalk on Barclay 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 few minutes after
the explosion. The policeman who was
on duty near the building, says he saw
the front of the building, five stories high
fall into the street.
Fifty.six wounded and one dead were
reported at Chambers Street Hospital at
6:45 o'clock. A number were sent to
Bellevue and other hospitals. The esti-
mated wounded will reach 1876, But few
escaped uninjured.
Mr.. Greenfield, the owner ofthe faCto-
ry' could give no idea ofhow many were
in the building at the time of the explo-
sion but thought abot ITO. Ofthese about
fifty escaped by the College Place En-.
trance and a small number got out
through the skylights, walked over the
roofs and got down the skylights 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. Sew.
eral Jumped from the second story and
escaped with slight injuries, their fall be-
ing broken by policemen 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 employed
in the factory were principally young
girls and boys from eight to twenty years
of age. Owing to the approach of the
holidays, double force was employed,
one working during the day and the 9TH
or night. The force is changed at five
o'clock, and the fact of the explosion oc-
Cured at FIVE minutes past that hour rem
ders it still more difficult to know how
many or who are the victims. The num-
Der in the building at the time of the dis.
aster is variously estimated at from 100
to 300.
The flames spread so rapidly that it is
feared many not injured by the explosion
were burned to death. The Barclay street
angle of the building has fallen to the
ground, as has also Nos. IS and 81 Bar
clay street on the lower side and No. 81
on the upper side. 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,having entrances No. 63 Bar
clay street and No. 8 College Place. In
the angle were situated the Grocers' bank
building and D. D. Frankin's brown pa.
per warehouse, both five stories. The
latter was also burned to the ground ,leav.
ingthe bank building on the corner loom
up alone over the ruins. The bank build
ing was only injured on the fourth and
fifth floors used only as dwelling by the
ianitor and several families, who lost all
their furniture and affects. The third
floor, occupied as law and other offices
was slightly injured by water, but the
officers on of the bank on the ground floor
suffered no injury. Mr., Tompkins' loss
has not vet been ascertaiDed. The loss of
Greenfield & Sons is estimated at $780,
600, insurance about $40 COO. No. 65 Bar
clay street was frame building with
cigar store on the first floor, the upper
floors being occupied by Colonel French
for the last thirty years,
Mr.. French and family escaped, but the
former left $4,000 in United States bonds
in book case on the second floor. Fore
man Joe McGill, of Engine No 80, and
Rouudsman Coffee, of the Twenty-frst
precinct police, volunteered to 90 in for
the bonds. The flames and smoke were
bursting out of the building. They climb
ed up on the awning and entered = win
dow secured a package Of papers and
came out. The package was found not to
be the bonds. A second time they enter
ed through the flames and smoke, and
brought, out the bonds in safety.
A numberof persons who escaped from
the factory with slight injuries had their
wounds dressed in drug store, and went
home. Some of the girls had their hair
burned totally off their heads. First re.
ports were exaggerated in regard to the
number OF wounded. Only thirteen were
brought to Chambers Street Hospital and
none to any other hospital.
The greatest sacrifice OF life was among
youny girls many of whom from eight to
fifteen years were employed selling and
asserting and packing candies on the tirst
floor over the boiler, which was situated
in the basement of the rear end of the
Barclay street wing of the building, and
not under the side walk as at first repor-
ted. None of these we're known to have
escaped.
News of the explosion spread over the
CITY very rapidly, and the widest rumors
and the greatest excitement prevailed.
Large crowds hurried from all quarters
TO the scene. The police kept the crowd
blocks away from the place. Many per.
sons having children or relatives work
ing in the factory, as the evening wore
on and they did not return home, sought
the scene Of the disaster, and hospitals
and police stations in search Of missing
ones. At the lowest calculation there
must be forty or fifty bodies in the ruins.
The 6remen will keep streams OF water
on the ruins all night, and have the way
cleared and be ready to commence dig
Ring for bodies tomorrow. 1t is feared
the wall of the bank building is damaged,
and this will be examined before work
on the ruins 10 begun.
Mr.. R Klein of So Leonard street says
he was in the building about ten minutes
before the explosion, and there we're
great many persons there at the time.
He passed 10 front Of the building two
minutes after the explosion, and saw on
most Of the floors, as the front wall had
fhllen, great many boys and girls rush.
ing about in an excited and confused
manner, but they became obscured to
view by the smoke and flames in a very
few seconds. There seems to have been
no possibility Of their getting out alive.
The FIRE was one Of the thickest ever
seen. In less than three minutes the
flames had ascended to the roof.
Peter Stadtmiller gives vivid descrip
ton of the affair. He is employed with
Rodgers & Co., and was within forty feet
of the doorway when the explosion Oc'
cured. It seemed to throw up the en-,
tire sidewalk, and thefront of the build
ing fell into thestEeet There was two.