The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1901-02-06
FIRE Ak6 EXPLOSION.
Million Dollar B'sze In Heart
of New York.
Attemps 20 Clear Away wreckago Of Ex-
pIosion Caused Fire Which Devastated
Two Blocks Before 1t Was Checked.
Three Bodies Have Been Found tn tho
Ruins and One injured Mao IIns Died.

NEW YORK, Feb. 1.-The 7-story
factory Of the William Wicke company,
manufacturers of cigar boxes, labels and
ribbcns, at 401 to 40 East Thirty-frst
street, was shaken yesterday afternoon
by an explosion in the shaving tower"
which wrecked the tower and demolish-
ed the roof Of the engine house. The ex-
plosion is believed to have been caused
by gas which found its way into the
tower" and mingled with the fine dust
there and was ignited in some unknown
manner.
The force of the explosion was trem-
endous and completely wrecked the tow
er. The disintegrated brick work fell on
the engine house, crushing 1t, and the
conclusion Of the explosion cracked the
big smoke stack-100 feet high-that
lowered over the engine room. Every
window in the rear of the big factory
was shattered, as were the windows in
the front and rear Of the five story build
ing Nos. 404, 406, and 40S East Thirty
second street, connected by a bridge
with the Wicke factory.
Wicke factory at the time Of the ex-
plosion. Three hundred and fifty Of
them were women.
The employees in the two factories
rushed TO the fire escapes which were
soon filled with excited men and women,
many of them bleeding from their
wounds. Some Of them thinking that
the building was about to collapse, jump
ed to the sidewalk from the fire escape
balconies ON the second floor. None Of
them was seriously hurt.
Fire which did damage to the extent
Of $l,500,000 started anew in the even
lag.
How the fire started is not known,
further than that il was the result Of an
explosion in the boiler room which had
been wrecked by the explosion and con-
sequential fire in the afternoon. At the
time the fire started Superintendent
Dooner, of the Building department and
Contractor Cody were at work with
thirty men attempting to pull down the
shaving tower adjacent to the boiler
room, in which the explosion in the after
noon took place. The tearing down of
this tower is thought to have been res
ponsble for the start Of the second fire.
The ruins Of the tower fell into the
ruins Of the boiler room and on top of adj
iacent rooms in which were stored chem
icals for the purpose of seasoning words,
thus causing second explosion. Smold-
ering embers from the late fire added to
this and in a moment there was a huge
blaze.
Engine Company 81 which had at
tached lines Of hose to the hydrant at the
corner and almost underneath the walls
Of the burning factory, was seen to be
in a dangerous position. The fremen
were forced back by the heat and were
compelled to abandon the three big white
horses that stood there. The wall had
broken out just beside the engine and the
heat was unbearable. The horses strug-
gled to escape, but seemed paralyzed with
| fright. The hair on their bodies was
seen to turn to a brownish color. Some
firemen threw overcoats over their heads
and ran in and cat the traces. The horses
/ plunged madly into First avenue, but be.
came entangled about a lamppost and
were unable to get further. Three fire
men secured overcoats from the crowd,
ran 10 tHe noTses' threN tHe Coals ONer
the animals backs, cut the lines that
held them to the post and started them
away. They ran for some distance and
were then taken to livery stable. One
Of the horses was so badly burned that
he had to be shot. The other two may
recover.
The Wicke building was burned to the
ground. The walls had all fallen one
by one and there only remained stand
ing the big chimney in the south wall.
The building in the rear of that, extend
ing into Thirty-second street. was also
Quilted and the interior burned.