The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1901-02-06
FIRE AkD EXPLOSION.
Million Dollar B'sze In Heart
of New York.
Attemps TO Clear Away wreckage Of Ex-
pIosIon Caused Fire Which Devastated
Two Blocks Before II Was Checked.
Three nodies Have Been Found In the
Ruins and One Injured Man IIns Died.

NEW YORK, Feb. 1.-The 7-story
factory Of the William Wicke company,
manufacturers of cigar boxes, labels and
ribbcns, at I01 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 ilto 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 II, and the
concussion 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 bridge
with the Wicke factory.
Nearly 800 persons were at work in the
Wicke factory at the time Of the ex-
plosion Three hundred and fifty of
them We're women.
The employees in the two factories
rushed to the fire escapes which were
soon filed 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 Sl,500,000 started anew in the even
iag.
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
ponsible 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
jacent 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 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 firemen
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 unbearabe The horses strug.
gled to escape, but seemed paralyzed with
fright. The hair on their bodies was
seen to turn to n 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 to the horses, threw the coats over
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 a 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
III r
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
gutted and the interior burned.