The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-12-21
SAD CALAMITY.
Explosion in a New York Candy
Mandatory.
The Building Blown to Pieces and
then Burned.
Some Fifty Girls and Boys Perish
i'm the Flames.

NEW YORK, Dec. 2O.-An explosion occurred
at five minutes past this afternoon, in the i'm
mense candy mandatory of Greenfield &
Sons, SO Barclay street, which extends in the
shape of an l. to the College Place. The boil.
er, which was under the sidewalk on Barclay
street, burst, tearing away the entire front and
scattering the wreck in all directions Over $50
girls of all ages were employed at the time in
the building, The walls fell within few min
utes after the explosion A policeman on duty
near the building saws he saw the front of the
building, five stories high, fall into the street
The street was filled with screaming people.
There were about 200 at work. He rushed to
the police station and rung in an alarm from
the box at Church and Barclay streets Seve-
raj girls jumped from the top of the building
into the fire. Several boys were blown through
the roof. Fifty-sx wounded and one dead were
reported at Chambers Street Hospital at AS
A number were sent to the Bellevue and other
hospitals. 1t is estimated the wounded will
reach 125. Of the 275 employed IN the factory
but few escaped uninjured. The number Of
dead is uncertain until the wreck is cleared
away. Fire was under control at 30, and by
6.45 dense smoke surrounded the ruins. Mr.
Greenfield, owner of the factory, could give no
idea of how many were 10 the building at the
time OF the explosion, but thought about ITO.
OF those about fifty escaped by the College
Place entrance, and small number got out
through the skylights and walked over the
roofs and got down the skylights of other build
ings. The book-keeper, who was on the Bar
clay street side of the building, was blown out
through the window to the street and bad
ly cut on the head. Several Jumped from the
second story and escaped with slight injuries,
their fall being broken by policemen and citi-
zens on the sidewalk. No fair estimate of the
loss OF life can be given tonight, but it must be
very large. The parties employed in the facto-
ry were principally young girls and boys from s
to 20 years of age. Owing to the approach of
the holidays double force was employed one
half during the day and the other at night
The force is changed at o'clock, and the fact
OF the explosion occurring at five minutes past
that hour renders it still more difficult to know
how many or who are the victims.
line Barclay street angle of the building has
fallen to the ground, as has also Nos. 65 and 67
Barclay street on the lower side, and No. 81 on
the upper side. No search can be made for
those buried in the ruins till tomorrow. The
factory building was in the form Of letter L.
having entrances at No. 60 Barclay street and
No. 3 College Place. In the angle were sltuat-
ed the Grocers' Bank building and d. d.
Thompson's brown paper warehouse, both five
stories high. The latter has also fallen to the
ground, leaving the bank building looming up
alone over the ruins. The bank building is only
Injured on the fourth and fifth floors, used as
dwelling by several janitors, who lost all their
furniture and effects; The third floor, occupied
by law and other Offices was slightly injured
by water, but the Offices of the bank on the
ground floor suffered no injury
Mr.. Tompkins' loss could not be ascertained
tonight. Loss of Greenfield s. Sons is estimat-
ed at 100000 The Insurance is said to be
about $4,000. No. IS Barclay street was a
frame building with a cigar store on the first
floor, the upper floors being occupied by COL
French for the last thirty years. Mr. French
and his family got out safe, but the former
lamented that he had left $4,000 in U. S.
bonds in book case on the second focr Fore
man Joe McGill of engine No. 80 and Rounds
man Coffee of the first precinct police, volun-
teered to go in for the bonds. The flames and
smoke were bursting out of the building.
They climbed upon the awning and entered
the window. secured package of papers and
came out. The package was found not to be
the bonds. a second time. they entered
through the flames and smoke and brought out
the bonds in safety.
A number of persons who escaped from the
factory with slight injuries had their wounds
dressed in the drug stores and went home.
Some of the girls had the hair burned totally
OFF their heads. The first reports were exag-
gerated in regard to the number of wounded.
Only ID were brought to the Charles street hos
The greatest sacrifice of Life will be among
young girls, many of whom from s to Is years
were employed in asserting and packing cam
dies on the first floor over the boiler, which
was situated in the basement of the rear end of
the building, and not under the sidewalk as at
have escaped. The building occupied by May
or q Knapp, engineers, on the the opposite side
of College Place, caught fire from sparks, but
the flames were extnguished with trfling dam
age; Among other buildings injured ars those
of 70. W. Little, fancy goods, 241 and 243 Green
witch street, and Chas. Westervile, hats and
furs, 337 Greenwich street. The loss is about
$4,000 on each. The total loss is probably $780,
600.
News of the explosion spread over the CITY
Very raDidlV and the widest pYcitompnt
vailed. Some of the evening papers got out
extras with very exaggerated reports of the
extent of the calamity, which increased the ex-
element and large crowds hurried from all
quarters to the scene.
The police kept the crowd blocks away from
the place. Many persons having children or
relatives working in the factory as the even
ing wore on and they had not returned home,
sought the scene of disaster and the hospitals
and police stations in search of the missing
onss. Their anxiety aud grief were very
touching. AT the very lowest calculation
there must be 40 or 50 bodies in the ruins
which are still a reeking mass. The fremen
will keep streams of water on the ruins all
night and have the street cleared and be ready
to commence digging out the debris tomorrow.
1t is feared the wall of tho bank building ;s
damaged and this will be examined before
work on the ruins is begun, as the building
might fall on the workmen.
MIR. II. Klemm of No. SO Leonard street
states that he was in the building about 10 min
utes before the explosion and to the best of his
Delief there was great many persons there at
the time. He passed in front of the building
two minutes after the explosion and saw most
OF the floor, as the front wall had fallen. He
is positive be saw many girls and boys rushing
about on the floor in an excited and confused
manner, but they became obscured to view by
the smoke and flames in a very few seconds
There seemedto be no possibility of their get
ting out alive. The fire was one of the quick
est he had ever seen and in less that three min
utes the flames assembled completely to the
roof.
Peter Stadt Miller gives a vivid description of
the affair. He is employed with Rogers & Co.
and was within forty feet of the doorway when
the explosion occurred. He believed there were
nearly 200 persons employed in the building at
the time. There were not more than dozen
girls employed on the ground floor. Miller saws
he Is positive that not more than six girls and
dozen men came out alive through the Barclay
street entrance. AS near as could be ascertain
ed there must have been about I20 persons en-
ployed in the factory at the time of the disas.
ter.
The Sun says: 'The boiler which exploded
had been in use about five years and several
residents in the neighborhood said that Mr..
Greenfield had been warned more than once
that 1t was not in sound condition"
James Gresham, who sat in the door of
Green q Shevue's cigar store at 81 Barclay
street when the explosion occurred, told a
friend he (himself) warned Mr.. Greenfield not
long ago that the boiler was unsafe and me-
chanic who overheard the remark exclaimed,
yes, and you are not the only one. This will
teach people to hire engineers that know their
business. l told Greenfield his boiler was rot
ten and knew his engineer did not know or
attend to his business"
Several persons who witnessed the exodus of
the employees from the College Place door saw
40 or fifty boys aad girls got out. while others
maintain that fully so escaped. This, however,
g ontd fbo
means of communication between the two
buildings was ample, but diligent inquiry
proved it was not except the lower floor. There
seems no doubt that the list of dead will foot
up 20 # not great many more. 1t is impossi-
Bile to form correct idea Of the losses and in
surance. Several fremen were injured by
failing tails, and some narrow escapes took
place. Fifty Italians are at work in the ruins
IN the street, but no dead bodies are yet recov-
cred. 1t is thought some must be beneath as
the street was filled with passengers when the
explosion occurred.
Philip Herzberg, the engineer, is said to