Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1877-12-22

lcipslly yousg girls and boys from to x
years of age. Owing to the approach o.
the holidays double force was employed
ono working during the day and the othel
st night. Tho number In the building .,
mated at from 100 to 80. Tho flamsa
spread rspidly. It Is feared many not in.
juIed by the explosion were burned Ia
death. Owing 70 the heat no search can
bs made for those buried in the ruins until
tomorrow. The factory building was in
the form Of the letter L, having entranced
at No. 63 Barclay street and No. 3 College
place. In the angle were eituated the
Grocers' bank building and d. d. Tomp-
kins' brown paper warehouse, both five
etoriee. The latter also burned to the ground,
leaving the bank building on the corner
looming up all alone over the ruins. The
bank building was only injured on the
fourth and fifth floors, used as q dwelling BY
the janitor and several families, who lost al
their furniture and effects. The third floor,
occupied ~ law and other officers, was slight.
" injured by water, but the Offices of the
bank on the ground floor suffered no injury.
Mr.. Tompkins' loss is not yet assertained.
The loss Of Greenfield & Som is estimated at
500, 900; insurance, about $4,000.
Some Of the girls had their hair burned
totally off their heads. The drst reports
were exaggerated in regard to the numLer
of wounded. Only thirteen were brought
to Chambers street hospital, and none to
any other hospital. The greatest sacrifice
of life is among the young girls. many Of
whom, aged from to Is years, were en-
ployed selling and asserting and packing
candies on the first floor over the boiler,
which was situated In the basement Of the
rear end Of the Barclay street wing Of the
first reported. None of these are known
to have escaped.
The building occupied by Major &
Knapp, epgravers, on the opposite side of
College place. caught fire from sparks. bu:
the flames we're extinguished, with trifling
damages. The total loss will probably
reach $780, 1000.
The news of the explosion spread over
the city very rapidly and the widest rumors
and great excitement prevailed. Large
crowds hurried from all quarters to the
scene. The police kept the crowd blocks
away from the place. Many persons hav-
ing children or relatives working in
the factory. as the evening wore on
and they had not returned home. sought the
the scene Of the dise,ter and the hospitals
and the police stations in search Of the miss-
sing ones at the very lowest calculation
there must be forty or fifty bodies in the
runs. Firemen will keep streams of water on
the ruins all night and will have the street
cleared and be ready 10 commence digging
for bodies to. morrow. Mr.. r. k!einn Of 5S
Leonard street states that he was in the build
ing about ten minutes before the explosion
there were great many per4ons there at that
time. He passed in front of the building
two minutes after the explosion and saw
the most of the floors, as the front walls had
fallen. A great many boys and girls were
rushing about in an excited and confused
manner, but they became obscured to view
BY the smoke and flames in few seconds.
There seems to have been no possibility of
their getting out alive.
The fire was one of the quickest ever seen,
In less than three minutes the fame, had
ascsndsd completely to the reof.
Peter Stsdtmiller gives vivid decrip-
ten of the affair. He is employed With
Rogers & Co., and was within forty feet of
the doorway when the explosion occurred.
It seemed to throw up the whole sidewalk
and the front Of the building fell to the
street. There was two-horse truck of the
Delaware and Lackawanna exprc3s company
passing and the wall fell on the horses. and
the driver said he believed there were near.
" 200 persons employed in the building At
the time. There were not more than a
dozen girls employed on the ground floor,
most Of the boys and girls being engaged on
the second and third foors Stadtmiiler saws
he 10 positive that more than six girls and
dozen men carle out alive through the
Barclay street entrance.
The scenes At the Chambers street hospi.
tai were heart-rendering in the extreme
Ambulances were quickly At the fire and
were kept busy in taking wounded to the
hospital and station house.
Chambers street hospital is bes;eged With
men, women and CHILDREN all anxiously in
quiring. for some missing relative.
D. B Basbruck, chief of the bureau Of
elections was pi,,ing the building at tie
time of the explosion and was badly hurt BY
some Of the walls falling on him. He was
carried to the astor house.
Fifty Italians have been put to work on
the ruins in the streets, which are cool
enough to handle but no dead bodies have
yet been recovered.
The boiler has been in use FIVE years, and
it IL said Greenfield has been several time,
warned that it was unsafe.
The loss il now Estimated At 100000.
MExIcANs DID THE BUSINESS.
Warrington, Dec. 20.-Rspresentative
Mills received the following dispatch, dated