The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-21
What Mr.. Gaipin saw and Did.

Mr.. +. ii. Galpin. of the New York Dacora-
tive Company. at 80 Murray street was the
third person 10 reach the scene. In oompany
with his brother. he had been in a store In Bar
clay street. opposite the AstOr House, Just as
ne WIS about to leave for home he hoard the
explosion. He describes the concusslon as tor
rifle. His first thought was that a flre-cracke ar
mandatory had blown up. A. he ran ont of
the store he saw great ball OF fire. shoe, m
into the air. This ball. he says. was twice n.
large as mans head. and wis Of dazzling
brightness. II seeme-i TO shoot out OF the Soc
ond story 2f the candy mnnuiactory. II ro@e
nhpilt TWO hundred feet and then fell, and wns
linshri into pi"'rs In tho middle ~ tho street.
MT daipin describes the sight as one OF thu
smoke followed the balls course; then "A small
pam, n on hrn burst on, of the we-t side OF the
hulld ne. The probnhI' lo-s Of human life waa
the first thought with Mr. Galpin. and ho hur-
risi toward the building,
only two persons on the sidewalk near tho
building. and they were running by-afraid OF
another expoeion. The whole front Of tho
building wus blown out and the bricks n nd tim,
prrs lay IN heap On tho sidewalk and the
street in front: A small column OF smoke waa
cutllhg OUT oi the east eide OF the factory and
on the wo-t side saw flames. The third aud
iourlh nools had fallen in on one side and were
suppnrtod 10y mo second floor. rould not -,e
my sLtr'ase through the smoke. Ny n,trn-
uoh "ns nrst drawn 70 mans head rie ng
above the pile 81 bricks on the sidewalk lie
shouted to me. For God sake help mo out Of
!nls., !rt | said. Keep still aud will save you
There ,was . barrel Of mortar on his BODY.
and while | was moving il another man
.9 ana ma policeman pTe came came up and aseirt;
iid not appear TO understand what had
happened. After we rolled OF the barrel we
mans legs. He then Jumped up without show
ing ing thc least sign Of injury. / suppose that he
~as passing the building when the wall fell |
IIi1 mhn ny time 10 stop ana ask his name. and no
walked away We got out two other men who
ay under the bricks; Ono Of them was slightly
bruised and was taken TO a neighboring drug
store The other seemed uninjured. All this
happened IN less time than have been talking
70 you. After tho three men under the brick
girl who, stood inside tho building on tho
east side. she acted M II parayzod
straight from her heard. and wHs covered with
some white substance like -four Sho stood in
what took to b. the lower hall She wrung her
hands. but made no move 70 get out. | rushed
TO her. and seizing her by the shoulder told her
TO come with me, She sort OF hung back and
ms rhnr 6Gds Sr s s"ss hhsp !hg girS behind
,mr bui,ding again. and nfter going about
twenty i"et through the smoke, came upon
group, dumbiounded and immovnhle from
terror. began TO push them toward the stre4t
10 n.lp me, anu we got them nll safely out. Tho
lasl two ont tainted. and we had 10 carry them
couhlei seventeen who jumped nrclinihrl omt
ol tho hululng' twenty minutes after reached
lhe scene tho entire front OF the factory wis one
hrond sheet of flame. / have soon stenmbonts
turned on the NJ ssissippi. and have been
through the war but never snw such oxciln
mcnt us there was there. The crowd WINS
horrOr-ntruck. The report was that two hun.
dred girls were burning 90 death In the
building. The nst persons that saw escape
were two boys who were dressed in white frocis
such as hakers wear. They were IN the third
lnwn SOM persons near mo halloed, Jump, |
lumpp ! said, Don't shout Jump: II YOU DO |
J. II hit you Then called to the boys to climb
down to the second story and they did go and
were then helped down on one Of the nro lad
iers. The crowd was So wild with excitement |
the boys taken out was scorched about the hoad
and arms, and was ass isted u drug store"
Mr.. Galpin added that he saw n good deal OF |
heartlessness Persons who had shOps i'm the |
vicinity were more intent ON saving their prop- |
arty than on saving liveA, MIR. Gapin was all |
begrimed with smoke and dirt One of the girls |
whom he rescued told him that the disaster wns |
caused by the bursting Of boiler that had been |
newly put in the basement