The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-12
EXPLOSION AND FIRE.
Cigar Box Mandatory Fired by an Explosion
One Girl Missing and Number Injured.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 1L-An explosion occur
red in the cigar-box mandatory of Henry H.
Sheip IL Co.. Nos 17G4 and 1706 Randolph street,
this afternoon, which blew out the rear wall,
badly injuring number of young men, women
and girls, and imperiling the lives of over one
hundred more. The mandatory is three
story brick structure with depth OF $50 feet.
In The rear are located a number of sheds for
storing the lumber used in the manufacture of
= cigar EsGos. The first and second floors
used as planning mill and carpenter shop, and
Oh the third floor were employed about twenty
FIVE girls in pasting payer Innings in the boxes.
Just before the explosion the eineer started up
steam by throwing a large amount of saw-dust
on the fire under the boiler, from the saw
dust bin, which was located a short
distance off, and then started to
lhe Randolph-street entrance of the building.
He states that he had been there but few min
ntes when he startled by the report of loud
noise which was followed by the upper portion
Of the rear wall falling out and the screams of
the women in the upper story. Bricks were fly
ing in all directions, and in less than minute
Afterward the whole rear portion of the mill ap-
peared to be in flames. The greatest excitement
existed among the hands employed in the build
ing, especially the females. Some of them ran
tor the stairway leading to the street, while
others ran to the windows. and few started to
Glimb ont, but they were prevented from Jump
ing to the ground by their companions.
During all of this time the flames were spread
Ing from one floor to another, and crowds at
tracted by the smoke and the screams of the
women blocked the street. but the excitement
among them was so great that they appeared
powerless for time to assist them. Finally
several men ran into the building and succeeded
IN getting them all out. The excitement among
she people increased when the girls and the
young women appeared in the street some bleed
Ing and others badly burned. The fire burned
ytubnornly despite the efforts of the firemen to
check the flames, and in remarkably short pc
rod, owing to the inhammable character of the
contents the two upper stories of the factory
and the shedding in the rear were ablaze.
One girl Carrie Brunner. aged eighteen. is
missing. Following is list of the injured: Ella
Stocker. aged twenty-one, badly injured about
the face and hands; Carrie Muller, eighteen
years, burned about the body; Emma Mulder,
sixteen years, burned about the face; Mary f..
knecht, fifteen years, face and body burned;
Amanda Cook nineteen years, burned about
face, back and hands, John Pollock seventeen
years injured about head Dv railing brick;
Joseph Rehmer. seventeen years. hands badly
burned; John klengelhafer, twenty -one years.
head cut and hands injured; George Kimt ,ll,
nineteen years. head and face cut; Daniel Fries,
an old man, head and face burned and arm cut
The fire was got under control after having
destroyed almost the entire building The liv-
cry stables of J. NJ Truly and A. O. Cresswell
adjoining the rear of the cigar box factory were
blown out by the force of the explosion. In
Truly's place some fifty seighs and carriages
were crushed to atoms, and number of carri-
ages were also ruined in Cresswels building.
About two hours after the fire had been ex.
tinguished the body of Carrie Bruner aged
thirty, employe, found in the third story
of the factory, buried under steam pipes and
heavy tmbers. Her body and clothing were but
slightiy burned, and her death was, in all prob
ability, caused by the heavy timbers falling upon
her when the explosion occurred. Five persons
were more or less seriously injured but it is
thought that none of the injuries will
prove fatal, with the probable exception of
Annie Wofner, aged twenty-three years, who
received severe burns about the face and BODY
and also injuries from flying timbers The in
juries Of the others were burns and bruises re-
ceiyed in jumping or falling from the upper
stories. corrected list of the injured fol-
lows:
Amanda Cook Mary E. Knecht, Emma Lake
Emma Miller and her sister Carrie Ella Stocker
and her sister Ara. Anna Wolfner John Clingle-
nafer, Jacob Hoffman Georse Kemble William
Metzer, John Pollock and James Reymer
The girls were all taken to their homes and
the men and boys to hospitals. few of the
latter were able TO go to their homes after their
injuries had been dressed. The accented the
Org of the origin of the explosion is that after
the engineer had banked up the FIRE in the en-
CINE. back-draft had blown the flames ont.
that they had communicated with the sawdust
in the bin, and the flames. shooting upward
through a large dust-hue which was air tight
caused the explosion.
Tho loss is estimated at $l7 000 insured
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