The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-11-12
TERRIFIC EXPLOSION.
A Cigar Box Factory Blown
Up and Burned.
ONE FOB THE BELL COMPANY
For the Red Mems Maintenance-The
Dairymen- Submerged Dis
eussing the Message.
a Terrific Explosion.

PHILADELPHIA, NOFem Der l0.-An ex-
plosion occurred in the cigar box man
ufactory of Henry II. Sheep & Com
pany, numbers l ,7O6 and l ,7OS Randolph
Street, this afternoon, which blew out
the rear wall, badly injuring q number
Of young men women and girls, and
imperlling the lives of over 100 more.
The mandatory is three-story brick
structure with depth OF $50 feet. In
the back are located q number of sheds
for the storing of thelumber used in the
manufacture of cigar boxes. The first
and second floors are used as a planning
mill and carpenter sho, and on the
third floor we're employer about twenty
Eve girls in pasting the 'ssper Innings in
the boxes. Just before the explosion
the engineer started up the steam by
throwing 8 large amount OF sawdust on
the fire. under the boiler from the saw
dust bin, which was located s short
distance OF, and then started to Ran
dOlph Street. the front of the building
He states that he had been there but a
few minutes when he was startled by the
rspOrt of q loud noise, which was followed
Nv the upper portion of the rear wall
falling out and the screams of women
IL the upper story. Bricks were flying
In al direction, and less than q minute
afterwards the whole rear portion of
the mill appeared 70 be in flames. The
greatest excitement existed among the
hands employed in the building,
especially the females. Some of them
ran for the stairway leading to the
street, while Others ran TO the windows,
and a few started to climb out, but they
were prevented from jumping to the
ground by their companions. During
all this time the flames were spreading
from one floor to another, and
crowds, attracted by the smoke and
the screams of women, blocked the
street. but the excitement among them
was so great that they appeared pow
srless, for long time, TO assist them.
Finally several men ran into the build
ing and succeeded in getting them out.
The excitement among the people was
increased when the girls and young
women appeared in the street, some
bleeding and others badly burned. The
FIRE burned stubbornly, despite the
efforts cf the hremen to check The
flames, and in q remarkably short
period owing to the infammable char
acter of the contents, two upper stories
OF the factory and shedding in the rear
we're abb ze. One girl, Carrie Brown,
sgeG IS, is missing. The following are
more or less injured:
Ela Sterl;er, aged 81, badly burned
about face and hands. .-..
Carrie Mealler, Is years, burned about
the body.
Emma Nudes, 10 years, burned
shout the face.
Mary Eknecht, is years, face and
body burned.
Amanda Cook, 10 years, burned about
the face, back and hands.
John Pollock. II years, injured about
the head by falling bricks.
Joseph Rehmer, II years, hands badly
burned.
John Klengelhafer. q years, head
cut and hands injured
George himbsll, - years, head and
face cut.
Daniel Fries, an old man, both head
and face burned, arm cut.
The fire was gotten under control
after having destroyed almost the en-
tire building. The livery stables OF j.
Il. TRULY and a. G. Creswell, at the
rear Of the cigar box factory, were
blown IN. Some fifty sleighs were
crushed 70 atoms. About two hours
after the fire had been extngulshed,
the BODY of Carrie Bruner. aged 30, an
:
Of the factory, buried under the steam
pipes and heavy timbers. Her
body and clothing were but slightly
burned. and her death was in all prob
ability caused by the heavy tmbers
falling upon her when the explosion
occurred. Fifteen persons were more
or less seriously injured, but it is
thought none of the injuries will prove
fatal. with the possible exception OF
Annie Wolfner, who received severe
burns about the face and body, and
sIsts ned injuries from flying tmbe-,
The injuries of others were burns AND
bruises sustained in jumping or falling
from the upper stories. The girls were
al taken to their homes, and the men
and boys to the hospitals. A few OF
the latter were able TO 60 to their homes
after their injuries had been dressed
The theory of the origin OF the expo,
sion IS that after the engineer hao
banked up the fire in the engine, th'
back draft had blown the flames ou., s.
that thew mad communicated with tn
saEdust in the bin, and the nam
shooting upward through the large dus
fue, which was air-ught, had cause'
the explosion.