The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-01-09
TERRIBLE BOILER EXPLOSION.

TERRIBLE BOILER EXPLOSION.
Destruction offs Candy Factory in New York
Thrilling Scenes and Incidents.
The New York Tribune gives the
following account of the terrible ex-
plosion in Greenfeld's candy factory:
People in Barclay street were greatly
startled q few minutes after five P. n.
at seeing a cloud of dust and smoke
shoot suddenly across the street, accom-
panied by q sharp report like the ex.
plosion of a large piece of artillery and
followed by the crash of a falling wall.
Immediately afterward the ruins burst
into a bright fame, and in q wonderfully
short time the whole building, which
had been thus shattered, was burning
tiercely. Barclay street was at once a
scene of the widest terror and confu:
sion. Men, cut and bleeding, rushed
hither and thitherin an almost demented
state, while others were dragged In a
senseless condition from beneath the
ruins of bricks and mortar.
Upon examination, it was found that q
DO iler in the cellar of the candy factory
of E. Greenfield & Son, at No. GO Bar
clay street., and at No. l College place,
had exploded, completely SCATTERING
that building, and the walls of the two
adjoining structures. Three fire alarms
were sent out in rapid succession, and
the adjoining streets were soon blocked
by engines and trucks. Before they
we're we'll at work, however, the whole
of Gr%eentield's building, including the
L which extended into College place, MS
we'll as No. 81, used by Daniel D. Tomp-
kins as a paper warehouse, and by A.
Rich, a wool merchant. and Nos. 65 and
CT, occupied by Greene Sheerer, tobac-
conists, we're burning rapidly. A fierce
wind was blowing from the west. and it
seemed probable, at the time, that the
fire would get beyond the control OF the
firemen.
At this time q sharp cry OF distress
was heard from O second-story window
in No. 81. A ladder was at onc raised,
and two policemen entered the room,
already almost insufferably hot. Here
they found a lad of about twelve years
of age, buried beneath q fallen wall, and
being slowly roasted while thus i'm.
prisoned. 4 few vigorous strokes lib.
Grated him from the pile of bricks and
mortar, and he vas tenderly carried
down the ladder and placed in an ambu-
lance. Although his face was badly
burned, and his limbs seemed paralyzed
with the terrible scorching they had re-
ceived, he was conscious whanhe reached
the street, but seemed dazed and half
sane with pain and fright.
Meanwhile the ambulances were busl!y
engaged in carrying away the wounded,
who had been rescued from beneath the
fallen wall in Barclay street. Men,
cut and bleeding, with torn clothes and
broken limbs, were taken to places OF
safety. An old gentleman, OF over sixty,
named James T. Wright, a glass mer-
chant, doing business at 225 Greenwich
steeet, who was passing up Barclay
street, on the opposite side Of the street,
had his leg broken below the knee, and
was taken home in a carriage. All those
who we're thus wounded were either in
adjoining buildings O. IN the street.
The fire was at its height at six o'clock,
when the Grocers' Bank building was
in n very precarious position. But the
skill and energy of the New York dre-
men began to assert themselves, and
despite the fierce wind, the well.directed
streams began to have an effect. Sud-
denly The order was sounded to clear
Barclay street, in front of No. 81, and
not any too soon, as it proved, for
suddenly the iron front of the paper
warehouse toppled forward and fell with
a tremendous crash, shaking the very
ground across the street. 1t was a tall
building Zone of the oldest iron build
ings in New York;, and it tore q hole
through the iron doors and shutters OF
the building opposite, occupied by the
firms of Meyer & Brothers, James e..
Weaver, and Thompson & Lyon. For a
few minutes it was feared that this ac-
ciaent would prove fatal to the building,
but the danger of fire quickly passed
away. This fall gave the fremen a
control over the flames, of which they
took Immediate advantage, besides re-
moving all serious danger from the
threatened bank building. By half
past six o'clock, an hour and q half after
the explosion, the fire was completely
under control. Most of the occupants
OF stores upon the burned block stood
on guard in their respective places OF
business, ready to clear out their stocks,
if any new danger should arise.
Charles A. J. Doyle stated to a re-
porter: CT was on the corner OF Barclay
street and Broadway at the time Of the
explosion. I heard a loud noise, and
saw a large volume of smoke suddenly
burst forth. I hurried down Barclay
street, and at the time I arrived at the
scene of the disaster very little fire was
to be seen, but the front OF the building
was down in the street, and the floors
were crushed together. There were
about fifty or sixty persons then in the
vicinity besides the police. Great excite
ment prevailed among them. Ladders
were brought to aid in bringing down
the people who appeared to be in the
flames. I went up and brought down
two boys. They were somewhat burned
and scratched, but not seriously injured
In the same way a number OF people who
had been injured by the explosion were
brought out of the ruins. They, together
with the dead, were conveyed to Rucker
L. Halls wholesale drug store in Green
wich street, A large squad Of police was
on the ground, who, with the aid OF
private citizens, did all they could to
assist the firemen in saving the boys and
girls from the burning ruins; but it was
impossible to stay the spread Of the fire.
Fashion Notes.
Point-lnce mittens are worn by brides.
Cloaks are made almost entirely Of
figured cloths.
A new Paris bonnet IL called the
80 EinD-M0rs