Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-26
NINE PERSONS INJURED.
A disastrous Fire snd Explosion q. New
York.
New York Times.l


Farmers, with wagon-loads Of fruits
and vegetables, were carrying them into
stores and heapiug them on the pave
ments in the neighborhood Of Washing
ton and Barclay streets, toward 10
O'Clock Friday night, when policeman
saw smoke bursting from the upper
windows of Lilienthal's eight-story
tobacco factory at Washington and
Barclay streets, (brief mention Of
which was made in our telegraphic
columns yesterday morningl
The farmers made a wild scramble
for safety, leaving their produce scat
tered in the street, just in time to clear
the street for sixteen fre-engines that
came rattlirg along in response to three
alarms. Through delay on somebody's
part considerable time had been
wasted after the alarm was given before
the tiremen got to work.
The pavements on both sides Of the
street, tight through the block. are
sheltered by continuous wooden avn
ing that reaches from wall to curb.
When the tiremen reached the scene
number Of them mounted the awning
directly in front Of the burning build
ing, endeayoriDg to get ladders and
hose to the upper stories, when yio-
lent explosion tumblcd them all into
the street and blew whole bricks into
the windows Of stores across the way.
There were a number OF men injured
by the explosion and fall OF the awning.
Nine. most Of them iremcn, were taken
to the hospital. and it was thought that
there were several other persons hurt
who were cared for by friends. Two Of
the men are dangerously wounded and
will probably die. The noise and the
shouts of pain from the injured were
heard by people crossing on the Jersey
ferries. BY the time the iiremen AMI
policemen had got the wounded out OF
the way and we're again ready to fight
the fire flames were bursting from the
roof and all the windows, making the
sky lurid.
The rooms in the big building were
filled with combuStble material that
was blazing as brightly a. a hickory
log in CRATE before the firemen could
get their lines of hose on 1t. Lilien-
thals tobacco was stored in nearly all
the rooms facing on Washington street.
No. 2l9. Some Of the rooms facing
Nos. -, so, and - Barclay street
were occupied By tradeSmen and agents
who had not put out signs, and only an
imperfect account OF them could be
obtained. George W. Wheeling had
BARRIERS shop on the ground
floor of No. 80. An agent for
automatical musical instruments and
an architect had quarters some
where above him. The Davidson L
BlOndell Company, paints. occupied the
ground floor OF No. -. Charles Ham
mill, fruit-dealer, had a room above
them, and a stock and grain operator,
whose name could not be learned, had
an office on the third floor. John p.
Son, a paper merchant, had an Office in
the building and also slept there. An
Italian kept a fruit-store in No. -.
The building was owned by the Lilien-
thai estate. 1t caught fire while it was
building, some twenty years ago.
Accounts differ about the cause and
the precise location Of the explosion.
The majority Of people who said they
were there at the time fixed il on the
second floor of No. -. which would
indicate that it was some material be-
longing to the paint-shop. \ fireman
who was on the roof at the time look
ing down on tho men who were climb
ing up the ladders said that he saw the
bricks fly from the fourth story. and
consequently attributed the explosion
to tObacco-powder in the factory. He
was sure tho explosion occurred near
the roof, lie said. because he had Just
time to jump for safety when part Of
the cornice fell, although the fire hal
not reached it.
At midnight the fremen could not
tell whether all the people who were in
the building had escaped or not. Some
of the men had dangerOu. time get
ting out. even before the explosion oc-
Cured. John p. Son, who was asleep
until nearly stilled with smoke, was
glad enough to slide down an awning
pole and escape with his night-shirt and
his life. He was injured before he
reached the ground. Another man
jumped from the third story to the avn
ing and escaped without a bruise
At l:30 the fire was well under con-
uol. The walls were intact, but the
building was pretty well Quilted.
The superintendent Of the warehouse
declined to say anything about the
stock in the building, except that it was
not unusually heavy. Mr.. 5. p. Iilien-
thai died some time ago, and his widow.
who lives in lonkcrS, manages the
business. lie thought that the fire
started in the paint-store of Davidson
Il Blondell. Mr.. Son, who Keeps
the paper-stOrc and wa, injured, and
others who claimed to know the
value of the tobacco in the building.
said it was generally spoken Of as a
Northumberland fifty thOusand-dollar
stock. 1t might be less just now.
Mrs. Lilienthal occupied most Of the
building. Her loss was yariouSly eSt-
mated at from Sl2j, 900 to $4,000.
I he losses of the other occupants by
water and smoke will not exceed
s25, coo. The loss on the building is
10000. There is considerable in
suranCe.
Chief Charles o. Shay thought there
was no explosion, notwithstanding what
the occupants and fremen said. There
was no escape for the heat and smoke,
he said. and the building was
" charged that is to say, was grad
ually filled with smoke and heat until
the roof gave way and carried down
the coping in Barclay street and part Of
the front wall on to the liremen.