New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-22
FLAMES AMONG FIREWORKS.
srvrRAL LIVES LOST IN A BOSTON FACTORY
THREE DEAD BODIES REcovERED-THE faHh
SPREADS RAPIDLY AND CUTS OFF
EMPLOYEES.

poston June 2l.-A disastrous fire, accompanied
nv serious loss Of life, occurred carry th's even
ino IN the fireworks establishment OF liever bro-
,be-s at Summer and llawley sts Ahree oeau
hod;es have been taken from the ruins ana three
rsrsons received injuries which will probably re-
~. to.olv II is feared that there may be
more victims The building, which Is tour,
story brick structure, is occupied on inc grounu
So bv G F. Browning, millinery. and on the
three upper floors by IIeyer Brothers, dealers IN
fancy goods and fireworks ohoruy ai'er D
o.c,ock while q salesman was waiting on Gus
.o,nar mon the second floor, he saw flash
ou,ono some fireworks behind one OF the counters
rnaccomnanied however, by any explosion. Ho
,an for water. at the same time giving the alarm
Tho flames spread with almost incredible rapidity'
o,t+nu off The escape OF several OF the men in the
rnner stories, and in five minutes the dense smoke
and almost inceSsant discharge OF fireworks OF dt-
80, tinds made perfect pandemonium for those
confined within the building. hdward fieyer, one
=, ,he Arm ran to the stairs shouting Fire." then
,urned back to lcck the safe, but found the way
ohoLed with smoke lie CROPPED his way TO tho
~dndov and managed to climb to an adjoining
h,,,dinu unhurt. Charles Albert Gage, age twenty,
~ho was employed in the third story hung from
. xdndow until he was obliged to let go his hold.
n. fall to the ground and broke his back. fic
,,as taken TO the Massachusetts, General Hospital,
and will probably die.
Charles F. Callahan, of No. 426 Chclsea.st,
East Boston, and Thomas Paine, packers, who
were working on the fourth floor, jumped from
window, in their fright. Paine was killed, while
Calhhan's injuries are probably fatal. William
Baramenstuhl, who WAS on the second floor did
good service in checking the flames, but in going
for more water lost his way and rolled down
the stairs, and picked up badly injured
He Is also burned internally and it is feared that
he cannot live. A body which was taken from
the building TO the North Grove Street Morgue,
was recognized by Mr.. 1leyer rs that
Of Samuel Cord, the chief packer, who
was one of the oldest employees Of the firm. An
other body that OF d boy WAS also taken TO the
norgue, where il has not yet been identified. IL
is charred and burned badly that Identification
will be difficult This completes the casualties 30
far as known at present
The firm employed about twenty or twenty-five
men and boys at the, present time, and were busy
with their holiday trade. They carried stock OF
81 900 worth Of fireworks and $4,000 70 S6O,.
900 worth Of fancy goods: A barge portion OF
the stock is ruined although the loss is not total
The firm is well insured
During the fire the discharge OF fireworks
sounded as if a had-fought battle was in progress
and for nearly two hours was heard the rattle
of small muskery, intcrspersed At frequent inter
vals with the heavier reports Of the larger pieces
while sparks and an occasional rocket would
shot from the windows. These explosions created
great CONSERVATION among the spectators. The
fire was entirely confined TO the one building, and
IL was singular fact that scarcely any
flames came from the windows until after the
fremen had the fire under control The interior
of the building completely riddled, but the
walls were left standing. The employees were
largely foreigners, and known TO the firm by
their first names, and this fact may add 10 tho
difficulty Of ascertaining whether not there arc
any other bodies in the building. There was no
gunpowder stored on the premises. and no smok-
ing wss allowed, and the cause Of the fire is q
HuxstefY.