The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-21
A TERRIFIC BXPlOSy!!"yS',
Appalling Loss of Life in
w. Barclay Street.
GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.
FROM Forty to Eighty Lives Sup
posed to be Lost.
GRsENRlELDS CANDY FACTORY IN RUNS.
Statements of Those who Escaped
From the Building.
THH WOUNDED IN THE HOSPITAL.
Gallant Feats of Firemen and Others
in Saving Lives.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
Statements of Those who Escaped
From the Building.
Tux WOUNDED IN THE HOSPITAL.
Gallant Feats of Firemen and Others
in Saving Lives.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS
Fears that Many Girls
are Burned.

At Ten mlnutcS past y 'loch !'Sttluuy
areruoon boiler in the cellar Of Greenfield 4
Soas confectionery factory. So Barclay street
exploded with loud report. simultaneously
with the explosion the Barclay street wall fell
Into the street with crash. crushing as 1t fell
IN express wagon. and killing the horse that
drs~ IT,
10 few seconds after the explosion the build
ing caught fre. and was soon enveloped In
ismsa of a brilliant whitish red. The fire
ipread with astonishing rapidity. devouring all
% ia way. and in less than ten minutes had ex-
bodi 10 the adjoining buildings ON either
rte. ~ well IA into College place. From the
tAture oi the combustibles within the building
hs flames advanced with almost as much
Ipeoi though they had struck a
snk OF petroleum. By the time
ae eremen arrived the nre was illumi-
iaiing the lower part OF the city bril-
hantly ssndlng its CLEANS OF light across City
Hall Park. and making every part OF the new
po-.t Ofice and other buildings as distinct and
prominent rs at MONDAY. At first 80 brilliant
vere the flames. II was thought that drug or
aIuor house was burning. Crowds rushed
through all the streets leading from Broadway.
When the engines came galloping to the scene
h.y had literally to force their way through the
dense mas II was not until the reserves of the
Liberty street and Oak street police had been
salled out that the crowd gave way and made
room for the fremen.
Thanks to the Improvement in tho hydrnnt
jeryioe recently urged by Chief Engineer Bates
Ind carried out by the Department of Public
Works. the supply OF water was abundant so
hat in few minutes after the first alarm
ounded no less than ten powerful streams were
pouring upon the building. But even this vast
iolume OF water seemed to have little effect
ipon the flames. They burst through the win
lows IN broad sheets curled around the rafters,
md vsre sesn shooting through the roof. Bar
Nay street. soon became too hot for the nremen,
md (bllege place, Park place. and Greenwich
tr,~S were resor,ed 10 for stations for the en-
tln'A
The fire had been burning fully ten minutes
before 1t became known to the crowds that lives
lad probably been lost Then rumors began
b ~. as thick and as fast az the sparks from
W. hre above; first there were ten young girls
burned TO death. then forty. and thus those who
quilted the scene and went home at O'Clock
Brooklyn Theatre calamity. Nobody knew any
hing definitely. but there were few in the null
htudo who did not have thrilling stories to tell
The factory OF Greenfield Sons occupied the
building 63 Barclay street. which was 35 foe,
front and rs feet deep. and had an L running
from the rear Of the Barclay street building to
College place. The firm usually employ from
30 10 400 persons but on Saturday last they
discharged all Of their hands who were not en-
poY"d on what they term Christmas goods.
This loft 100 persons. mostly boys and young
girls The business OF the firm was entirely
wholesale, and large proportion Of the hands
wore employed in making up packages OF con-
fsSiionery. At the time OF the explosion. as
nearly as can be ascertained. there were fully
t~onty persons customers and visitors. in the
q htie-rp1m on the Barclay street side. II would
thus appear that when the explosion occurred
there were 10 persons in tho building.
Those who witnessed the explosion and saw
Il" breaking out OF the fire were So frightened
and infused that they paid little attention ex-
oepi u thoir own safety, and thus II was hard to
form even nm approx climate estimate Of the mum
pr tnat escaped.
II seems that when the boiler exploded. the
'lhy street wall fell outward at the base. and
n ID brought the upper stories crashing down
htA II. Then the beams Of the Barclay street
house gave way at the southern end. and bowed
Inward Ne they fell. Some Of the bricks Of the
wall were thrown considerable distances and
the poncussion of the explosion broke the win
dovs in most Of the houses in the neighbor
bod. In the College place house most Of the
damage was by fire. although the explosion
fra atured the rear wall OF the L.
There were three boilers in the factory-one
10 the l., one at the junction Of the l. and the
main building. and one under the pavement Of
his Barclay street front II was this boiler that
exploded. II was in the collar. one-half being
undor the pavement and the other under the
house. This boiler, it Ia said. had been In use
tOut fiye years. and several residents In the |
h'ghborhood said that Mr.. Greenfield had been
warned more than once that II was not in d |
bund condition.
James Gresham who sat In the door OF Green |
Shorrer's cigar store. at 81 Barclay street, |
when the explosion occurred told friend last |
night that he himself warned Mr., Greenfield not |
ong ago that tho boiler was unsafe, and a me-
ehAhlc who overheard the remark exclaimed:
Tea. and you're not the only one This will
zach people TO hire engineers that know their
ouslncss. told Greenfield that his boiler was
toVen. and knew that his engineer did not
snow or attend 10 his bus.less. Being ask ed
n "Ye no name the metanic refused. Mr..
=, ''San said that as soon asde recovered from
uo alarm and excitement ssed nv tha ernlo.
1'on ana the shower OF bric,a that fell around
sul' NO looked nj his watch. I had stonnsd at
~ ne saw one or two men scrambling over
xo. l'A7 oi the front wall. but die not soe any
'''n "r girls come out thu way.
T. ,'''' Hl'Mah0n the janiLDr Of the Grocers'
a. y, WnI'h Is on the corner OF Barclay street
=" Np"rge place WAS in the ACT of lonLin9 ,ha