The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-28
Is II To Remain Mystery :

The Fire Marshals investigation Of the
fncts surrounding the Barclay street dis
astcr was begun yesterday. and its result
will undoubtedly be awaited with much
interest. VIII the inquiry end in revealing
the actual cause of this dreadful calamity {?
This is al inquiry which it is fair to assume
will DO answered in the negative Why :?
Because there is no starting point from
which to arrive at satisfactory
result, and because there arc half
dozen theories OF equal plausibilty
and each equally contradictory. The
boilers did not explode that much is GER
tain. As much of the horizontal flue as has
been uncovered shows that to be intact II
the flue did explode, why were the floors
carried down instead of upward. and why
We're those persons who were in the GREEN
FIELDS store first appriscd Of the commo-
ton by roar overhead, followed by falling
debris II the disaster was caused by any
explosive element in the basement, why
were sugar paddles, Weighing twenty
pounds or more, none OF which were
used below the first loft, hurled in a hori-
zontal limo across 10 the rear walls Of the
buildings on the opposite side OF Barclay
street If the explosion was caused by the
boiler, or iluc leading thcrefrom. why wac
not the sidewalk torn up and why was it that
bricks were hurled outward with such force
that man going up stairs, fifty or moro
feet easterly of a direct range was struck
by one of them with such violence that one
Of his legs was broken.
The testimony of those who were in the
building is conflicting to an astonishing de-
gree. one witness describes his first knowl-
edge of the affair to be u noise overhead
resembling crash as though made by
hundred cymbals and an Instant later
rain Of fire descended and shot across the
ceiling ~ the store. Another saw cloud If
fire intcrceptlng his exit by way Of Barclay
street, and turning made his escape by the
rear. where there was apparently clear
way, and he was terribly burned. Still
another man. who dashed 10 the street by
the front way, ESCAPED without burns. one
witness saw sheet of iiaine dart up from
the basement near the College place end Of
the building at the instant Of the explosion; ;
while others ~ confidently assert that the
explosion and the fire were simultaneous,
and were first observed on the floors above
the store.
sene used on the premises was stored in a
small flreproof tank of the College place
building The chloride Of potash employed
in the coloring Of candy was small in stock,
and was taken out by one of the firm in
small quantities as il was required 10y the
workmen. Could the fire have been caused
by the saccharine gases generated in the
manufacture of candy, and II So what
caused them 10 ignite Why was the front
OF the building almost instantly thrown into
the street ? and why was the effect such
that the various floors fronting on Barclay
street at once presented Jagged fractures,
each extending further outward than the
other, like the steps Of ladder reversed
That would seem 10 indicate the effect Of a
rising force.
Two important facts present themselves
which seem thus far TO have escaped obser-
walton. The adjoining building, occupied by
Mr.. RICH, contained nine hundred bales Of
wool, and the wall standing next to the
Grocers' Bank shows that the beams rested
on surprisingly slight support. Can it be
that this immense weight, subjected to a
sudden jar from some unexplained cause,
had any effect on the old walls Of the GREEN
FIELD building Was the latter well
erected building When we consider that
scarcely a brick Of it can be found to which
Il particle Of mortar still adheres, it would
seem that it was not only poorly built, but
was also old and rotten.
At present it would appear that the cause
Of the Barclay street explosion is to remain
among the unexplained mysteries of the city,
although we are assured that the Fire Mar
shals investigation is to be thorough.