The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1878-01-04


explosion occurred at 8 o'clock this y.
m, and was followed by "A burst Of lame
from the wholesale candy establishment
Of Greenfield y Sons, 63 Barclay Street.
The Times in its account says All the
downtown streets were crowded at the
time. Al this season, when many Of
the shops and factories stop work nj 3
o'clock, the operatives were starting
home before il was fairly dark, and the
great red blaze was bursting up Just
while the streets were almost impassa-
BILE.
TIE EXPLOSION
occurred under the sidewalk, and inn
mediately the entire brown stone front
of the five-story building crumbled to
pieces, letting down the several floors,
SO that the beams OF each formed a v.
A moment afterward a binding sheet Of
flame burst up through the entire edi-
flee and across the street. and then gave
way TO dense smoke, quickly followed
by another outburst Of flame, which con-
tinued with unremitting fury.
The firm Of Greenfield 4 Sons was
the largest confectionery manufacturing
concern in the United States. and had a
capacity Of turning out $500 pounds Of
candy per day. II occupied two build
ings, No. 63 Barclay Street, where the
explosion occurred, and No. College
Place, in the form Of an l., by sky
light supported by iron pillars extend
ing up to the second story. In the base
ment were many furnaces for the manu-
facture Of candy, all Of which have been
in full operation, in preparation for the
holidays, during the past IA days. There
were three large boilers under the side
walk in front Of No. 63 Barclay Street.
The upper floors were used for packing
and storing purposes, and the FIRST floor
was used as salesroOm.
ACCOUNTS DIFFER
Is TO the number Of persons in the build
ing AT the time Of the explosion. The
firm usually employed $50 hands, but it
is claimed that on Saturday last about
half that number were temporarily taken
of, and only about 80, who were skilled
in the manufacture Of holiday special
ties, retained. These were busiIy at
work attending to their respective duties.
Nearly all were in the building where
the explosion occurred. the College
Place building being comparatively de-
serted. The proprietor and his two
sons were in the office, on the ground
floor, and number Of customers We're
in the showroom making purchases.
The disaster came upon these people
WITHOUT THE SLIGHTEST WARNING,
and they were suflocated with smoke,
scaldcd with huge volumes Of escaping
steam and surrounded BY fire before
they could gather their wits about them
sufficiently TO appreciate their danger.
The Cashier Of the concern had sufficient
presence of mind to slam the door of the
safe, containing all the books and pa
pers and valuables Of the firm, shut and
lock IL, so that these will probably be
saved. Many persons rushed to the fire.
escape in rear Of the building and made
their way out through No. College
Place. A few ran 10 the front and
scrambled or were helped over the pile
Of rubbish remaining from the fallen
walls. Others on the upper floors were
cut of by descending beams, and were
compelled 70 crawl along a. best they
might to either side, some succeeding in
working their way 10 where they could
signalize their presence 70 the excited
crowd that had gathered from every di-
rcction. Two or three on the lower
floors jumped into the street. Others,
on the upper floors, were rescued by
means Of ladders through the heroic ex-
ertions Of brave men. All these latter
were more or less burned or injured
They were taken 10 adjoining drug
stores and subsequently removed in am
balances 10 New York, Bellevue OF
Chambers Street Hospitals. II is be-
lieved number were unable TO get out
and
Persisted IN THE FLAMES,
but il was impossible tonight to ascer
tain how many Of the victims there
were. All sorts Of exaggerated rumors
were flying tonight, and the estimates
varied from five to 80. Mr.. Greenfield
escaped with slight injuries. The fire
quickly extended TO the College Place
building, and also to No. 81 on the east
and Nos. IS, 81 and69 on the west, and
before Il was under control these had
been completely demolished. The Gro
GERS Bank on the corner Of Barclay
Street and College Place withstood tn,
flames until late hour, and then onl,
the two upper floors succumbed, al
Though the remainder Of the building
was badly damaged by water. There i
hardly an editice on the entire block
bounded by g llege Place, Barclay
Street, Greenwich Street and Park
Place that il not more or less injured
At 3 .45 O'Clock the iron front Of No.
fell with loud crash. The tiremen hat
just been ordered to enter the building
and were preparing to do SO. A minute
later and large number Of them would
have been killed.
IT is A MIRACLE
that great many passers-by were no