The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-06-27
FIVE EMPLOYEES KILLED.
A FIERCE AND FATAL FIRE AT
HEYER BROs.' STORE.
Fearful Explosions IF tho Pyrotech-
MICS Fan the Flames-Two Men
Blown Through a Window-One
Body NJ 'ssiug - Pathetic ana
Heartrending Scenes

Last Saturday afternoon the employees OF
Heyer Bros, dealers in pyrotechnics, toys
druggists supplies and fancy goods % Sum
mer and IS and 81 Hawlcy streets, Boston,
we're startled by an outbreak of fire from
under a counter in the centre OF the Office
and salesroom on the second floor OF tho
building They made every effort to quench
the flames but their labor was useless, and
\ they were forced to retire. This floor was
stored almost entirely with fireworks OF va
rious kinds, and the fire being well fed by
these oombustibles, spread with amazing
rapidity. There wore several cas,i Of Gre
clan fire where the fire originated, and near
by were boxes of torpedocs, cases Of Roman
candles, larg, packages of fire-crackors,
rockets, parachutes, and much other inhars'
mable and combustible materials. They
| were easy prey TO tho hungry flames and
within very few minutes from the incep-
!, lion Of the flre this entire floor was . roar
Ing furnace. The fro apparatus responded
quickly and, in a trice were at work, but not
before the third floor the three upper floors
are occupied by Heyer Bros) was doomed.
Just az the flremen got to work there was
fash on the second fl or, followed by an
explosion. The same thing repeated two
floors abovc, and then two men came crash
! ing through the windows on the Hawley
street side. One, as he struck, gave groan,
and lifting DIP his hands staggered on his
| knees, but only for moment Then he
| sank back-dead.
At the front Of the building man hung
\ moment at the window sill OF the upper
story Through fright or weakness, his
grasp slipped and he fell straight down,
striking and passing through an awning on
his way to the sidewalk. He was picked
| lib alive and taken in an ambulance to the
city hospital Another enpl,ye out OF
l window in the uppermost story and edged
along the front of the building on the coping
about six inches wide, until he got to win
dow in the next building. 1t was thrilling
sight
BY this time the smoke was rolling up in
huge clouds; packages Of fireworks would
explode every moment with o loud report,
the dense smoke and explosions making the
work dangerous for the firemen On Haw-
| lev street the water tower received four
streams and emptied volumes of water upon
the flames, perfectly deluging the building.
It was operated for at least two hours, with
numerous other streams before there was
any ap' aren't check to the fire. The dense,
binding smoke retarded work but tho fire
men seemed unaware of any difficulty and
fought the devouring elements pluckily and
steadily.
When the fire broke out there were 20
men and five boys employees of Heyer Bros /,
in the building, who had to flee for their
lives. They were not all successful, how
ever, four Of them having lost their
lives. Thomas Callahan tried to escape from
the burning building by sliding down the
elevator rope to the ground floor,
and when within twenty feet Of the
bottom his arms were burned by jets
of flame. Notwithstanding the frightful
pain, he chung to the rope and started to
slide again, when the rope broke and he was
precipitated to the floor, receiving frac-
ture Of the skull and erinjuries. He died
in the police ambulance on his way to the
city hospital Thomas Paine one Of the
employees, is still missing, and his body Is
suppose to be In the ruins.
Among the injured are William Breneu-
stuhl OF Waverley, clerk, who was fright
fully burned. He is at the city hospital in
critical condition.
C. G. Gage q years old, whose home is in
Arlington, Is at the Massachusetts, general
hospital suffering from several frightful
burns. He will probably die.
E. ]. Heyer states that his stock was In
sured for 40 600. His stock is total loss
He was carrying big stock, especially Of
fireworks, in anticipation of the fourth Of
July, the whole being valued at from
$4,000 to $4,000. The value Of the fire
works was 10000. Mr. Heyer only keeps
fireworks in stock for one month.