Omaha daily bee., 1886-11-12
EXPLOSION MOST TERRIFIC.
A Philadelphia Factory Building Collapses
and Takes Fire.
MANY FEMALE EMPLOYEES HURT
Over One Hundred Lives Impcrilie
But Only one Woman Killed
Exciting scenes - List OF
the injured.


PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Nov. I.--An eX-
plosion occurred in the cigar box manufac-
tory of Henry II. Sheip IL Co., Nos. 1906 and
110s Randolph street, this afternoon, which
blew out the rear wall, badly iniurinE num-
Der of young men, women and children, and
inperiling the lives of over one hundred
more. Tie mandatory is a three-story
brick structure, with depth of $50 feet
Back of it are located number of sheds
for storing the lumber used in the manufac-
turc of cigar boxes The first and second
floors were used as a planning mill and
carpenter shop and on the third floor were
employed about twenty-five girls in pasting
paper Innings in the boxes just before the
explosion the engineer started up
steam by throwing large amount
of sawdust ON tho fire under the
boiler from sawdust bin, which
was located short distance off, and then
started to the Randolph street front of the
building. lie states that he had been there
but few minutes when lie was startled by
report or loud noise, which was followed by
the upper portion of the rear wall falling out
and screams of the women in the upper story.
Bricks were flying in all directions, and in
less than minute afterwards the whole rear
portion of the mill appeared to be in flames.
The greatest excitement existed among the
hands employed in the building, especially
the females. Some of them ran TOR the stair
way Leading to tho street. while
others ran to the windows, aud u few
started to climb out, but were prevented from
jumping to the ground by their companions.
During all this time the flames were spread
ing from one floor TO another and crowds,
attracted by the smoke and the screams of
the women, blocked the streets. But the eN-
element among them was so great that they
appeared pOwerless Tor time to ass st them.
Finally several men ran into the building
and succeeded in getting them all out. The
excitement among the people was increased
IN the street, some bleeding and Others
badly burned. The fire burned stubbornly
despite the, efforts of the fire
men to check the flames, and in re-
markably short period, owing to the
intlammable character of the contents, the
two upper stories of the factory and the she'd
ding in the rear were ablaze
One girl, Carrie Bruner, aged eighteen, is
missing.
TIE INJURED.
The followings list of the injured:
ELLA SToCKER, aged twenty-one, badly
burned about face and hands.
CARRIE MILLER, eighteen years, burned
,EMMA MuLDEE. sixteen years, burned
MARY f. KNEcur, fifteen years, face and
body burned.
AMANDA Cooke, nineteen, burned about
| lace, back and hands.
| JOHN POLLOCK, seventeen, injured about
| head by falling bricks.
JOSEPH REHMER, seventeen, hands badly
| burned.
JOHN KLENGELHAFER, twenty-one, head
| cut and hands niured
| GEORGE kIMBALL, nineteen, head and
| face cut.
| DANIEL FRIES. an old man, both face and
head burned and arm cut
The lire was gotten under control after
| destroying almost the entire building. The
| livery stables of j. NJ. Truley and A. c..
| Creswell, at the rear of the cigar box factory,
were blown in. About two hours after the
fire had been eXtinguished the body of Carrie
Bruner, aged thirty, an empoye, was found
in the third story of the factory btried
under steam pipes and heavy tmbers. Her
body and clothing were but slightly burned,
and her death was in all probability caused
by the heavy timber falling upon her when
| the explosion occurred. Fifteen persons
were more or less seriously injured, but it is
| thought that none of the injuries will prove
fatal, with the possible exception of Annie
| Wolfner. who received severe burns about
| her face and body, and also sustained in jur-
les from flying timber The injuries OF
the others were burns and bruises sus-
tanned in jumping or falling from the upper
| stories,