The New York herald., 1877-12-28
BARCLAY STREET FIRE.
The Official Investigation Begun by
the Fire Marshal.
STORIES OF THE SURVIVORS.
How the Business of the Factory
Was Conducted.

AN insestiBstion as 20 Tue cause OIL tuo buTcluy
street nrc was commenced yesterday morning by Fire
Marshal sheldon. Several witnesses examined,
the testimony OF each being given in full pelow.
CLERKS STORY
Edward Wolfram, OF No. lOS Norman avenue, Green
point, l.. l., bong sworn, testified iolows:l was
employed AS clerk at L. Greenfield Sons, No.
03 Barclay street ana No. / College place;
my desk was in tho Office the FIRST floor
Of tho College place building and nearest the
entrance from that TO the Barclay street build
ng the irst floor Of the latter feet lower
than the first floor OF the College place buildings there
was descent OF about half dozen steps from TO
tho other; at tho time OF the explosion
at my desk, facing Barclay street; heard
loud noisc and at tho same instant the place
was lighted up with fash OF flame; noise was
sharp metallic sound. hike the cashing or number OF
large brass cymbas, lasting only moment; this
nosc seemed to from tho first floor OF the Bar
clay street building, ana al tho instant tho
1re coming In along the ceiling OF the room whoro
was, from the Barclay street building and II igned
quantity OF motto paper that was pned up in my
near the ccilins there was no smoke bnt n bright
flame, that seemed TO be propelled rapidly along by
the rush OF air was making out bills and the bills
and loose papers wero blown OF my desk to tho floor
and my hat was blown ,T tho safe; OF tho sales
men tyosgcc) broke one OF the rear windows ana
themselves; Schumacher uhc Dookkeoper) and myself
started for the window nearest US, gnd
tnen he sad We mus. put up tho books;
we turned back and put away tho books; closed my
safe (rfic sma!! onc) picked up tho bills that had
blown on the floor, also my hat, and then got by
the College place entrance; during all this timo
burning motto paper was falling down around until
the floor was pretty well covcred the only work
on tho frst iloor OF College place packing candy
should think thero were about six girls boy at
work there at tho time OF the explosion; wnen went
out passing tho OF the Barclay street building
could nothing but mass oil danes IN there; there
were several policemen ana drcmen with cxtinsush-
ers IN the College place building before got out;
going to the corner Of College place and Park place
three grs who worked In tho Barclay street
store the lrst floor; their names are Mary Rode.
mer Anue Conley anu Ammo Cron!n; do not know
how they got out N1etM Nt
on TUE Top FLOOR
William L. Burnet OF No l50 Clinton street, Hobo
ken, related his experience Us toows.-i was en-
ployed by Messrs. Greenfield Son foreman Of the
top lcor OF No. 63 Barclay street., manufacturing
Japanese cocoanut strip; had no lrc up there used
three steam kettles; had no drying room there; tho
Kettles were al tho rear end Of the building about six
feet IRON the rear WALL wns on the top floor when
tue accident occurred; Alfred Commery, a boy tnir
teen years old, who worked Tor me, ais there:
had one other man in my employ, who his
way down stars ut the time; his namo is Martin
Connor; no was injured, and tho boy think was
burned to doalL Was standing about the ni,iac OF
tho building, and thc boy was ou the side Of tue
room, nearly opposite to me- my back toward The
front part OF tho building; feit rush OF behind
me, aud at tho same instant tho rool ie Oh me and
the floor seemed to drop. carrying with 1t;
was fast IN the RUNS or some time-poshaps ton
fifteen mlnutes-whon saw tight and, managing 10
work my way toward IT, found myself at tue side
of the buildins the wall was all gone, ana stepped
out UPON the OF No. % barclay stroet; must
have fallen quite distance or this roof was at least
| fifteen feet below the lovei OF tho floor which
was on Commery called % me several times saving
that he was caught by barrel Of sugar: couiu NOT
SEQ him. nor could get 70 him, rs was pinned down
by the roof close 10 the oor aud nearly slrangled
by smoke; saw Ada, the foreman OF tho floor
sitting Oh the rool OF No TO when got up; the
eineer was up IN my room that morning; had told
him that wanted the steam turned oil sOmo
repairs made, SO the pipes would not leak he came
UP tho macinist about u the WORK was done
ana the steam turned on again; always found the en-.
glpecr be careful about business cannot say
that ever saw hlm under the influence o liquor 1
had been employed there about two goods
tnat manufactured were made from glucose sugar
and cocoanut sometimes we used ssentlal oils Tor
navorng these goods, generally lemon. but We mad
been out Of lemon Tor while; received the oil from
Mr. Greenfield, about quarter OF pound ut time;
had patent grinder, roller anu cutting machine
the floor neither was neavy ami all were by steam.
''LlkE TIE nuRsliAG OF BoMB.n
John Schailmeyor, OF -" l52 Chnton street, Hobo
ken, candy MAKER Repeated the story told by others
and said:--l heard roar like the bursting of "a
bomb, then rush OF air followed that seemed TO
come ron below; felt quite pressure from the AR,
but " was only minute, and then'therc move
ncnt o the floor forward aud back anu "a shakIg,u
when Things began fal ran uows.stairs aad went
into tho College place store. when saw little nrc
burning just where tho College place and Bar liy
street buildings Jeined thought could put out,
but before got tnere was seized by number ol the
girls who wished me TO save them; they Knocked mo
Gown and trrmpcd over me ana ran TO the street;
got around into Barclay street, did any ono
come out OF the Barely Nrccs entrance while stood
there; the fire In the building at that tiinc did not
amount TO much, as could see the lamps burning In
different parts Of 1t; made peppermint drops and
burned almonds, using principally 'At sugar aud no
starch or slucoge; used some cooring matser-1urncd
sugar ana c0ohncai dl not use steam, but ha Two
hard coal furnaces on my loor ha NO drying room
THE JUNIOR PARTNER
Nelson Greenfield. oi No. $40 West Twonty-secon
street. the JUNIOR partner Of the ym testified ~ at-
tended 10 factory the street noor Of the barclay
street build NJ was used MS store: IL mad a cvunlar
on ono side, where candy was packed, and wN kept
some raw material there; tho nrst oii used Tor
tho manufacturing Of gum drops; we lad there three
or four copper Kettles, which were used Tor boiling
purposes; THESE were heated by steam; also hau IL
coong tank there and large kettles oi hot sugar
water; there was crys.ail,zins room sIso on on
that floor whore pans Of gum drops
placed in racks, and renamed long enough to
produce crysta.iizat on by The natural o cool
air upon The sugar. therc wus IN addition drying
room upon this floor; no beat was used there except
steam heat; the second lott WAS used Tor iiko pur.
poses; the drying that loor IA tho north
east OF the room, about by 80 feet IN size
and In other respects was tho sano as tho nrt the
thiru nour Was tile crcain room; thero one largo
dnd three or tour small copper boilers thcro; also
stove which was used once or twice month IN making
cordIals there was drying room starch room aud
crysallizng room on tngt ivor; in tho starch room
powdered starch Was placed III shallow trays, mouds
trays were placed IN the drying room and alter the
material was sufficiently dried tho starch sntcd
OF and again used; powdered starch used
Tor such purposes and crystal starch ior COOLING;
there were three large marbles there on which mo
sugar was Cooled the fourth loit was tho japanese
loor. whore made cocoanut STRIPS; IN TN. base
meIt the engine and boilers; we Kept all or our
packing boxes tncrc, quantity u raw material, con.
slstng OF sugar, vcrmiccll goods and gum, some
partly finished AMI wholly finished goods; thcro wns
dryIng room tho rear where We arod almonds and
other pan work.
RAW MATERIALS on HAND.
We had In stock about ton or twenty pounds OF
chloratc OF potash, which the third story OF tho
College place building, IN charge OF tho foreman, Mr.
Sodman; we were not making any chloraic oi potash
goods ana bad not for weeks; the raw material
the store floor OF No % Barclay OF
gum, grape sugar, glucose and quoricc; the nrst
lott there was grape sugar, glucose, mass iIquorice
starch, powdered and pearl. itcon or twenty pounds
OF oils OF varlUus kinds and extracts In bottlos.
THE OILS AND EXTRACTS.
On the second loft were tho same kinds OF raw ma
tcrals, IN about like quantities tho floor below;
tho actual quantity OF zach cannot give; on tho third
noor there VAS sugar, orange wafer Hover water, oils