The New York herald., 1921-06-15
CHEMICALS EXPLODE
in PEARL ST, FIRE
One Man Blown Into the
Street With Clothes Aflame
at All-Stefan Plant.
GIRL AIDS IN RESCUE
Many Manufacturing Con-
Germs in NeighborhOOd
Threatened by Flames.
FIRE CAPTAIN INJURED
Cause of Sudden BlOwup in
Populated Centre a
Mystery.
FIRE CAPTAIN INJURED

Christopher Wiebe of 937 Monroe
street, North Bergen, n. j., was blown
fifteen feet through a doorway yester-
day when oils exploded on the third
floor of the five story brick building
in 297 Pearl street occupied by the
All-Stefan Company, dealers in es-
sential oils. The explosion started a
fire which for a time threatened to
destroy the whole building and in try
ing to fight it one fire captain was
hurt when he fell downstairs and
several other flremen were cut by fall
ing glass from the windows.
The police and fire departments have
not been able to determine the cause
of the explosion. Wiebe apparently
was just starting for home when the
explosion occurred and had opened the
door. He was blown into the hallway
and his clothing caught fire. The noise
of the blast was heard by Miss Martha
Brunson of 429 125th street, Richmond
of Division street, the only employees
of the firm besides Wiebe who had not
gone home. They were on the ground
floor but ran upstairs when they heard
the explosion.
When they got as far as the second
floor landing they stopped. because a
great deal of smoke was coming down
the stairs and the whole third floor
seemed to be in flames. They were
about to go down again when Miss
Brunson heard the means of Wiebe
who was lying in the hallway. She
ran up the stairs. through the smoke
and the little flashes Of flame that by
this time had begun to creep through
the walls of the third floor.
She was closely followed by Trelo-
witt. and they found Wiebe. with all
his clothing on fire. lying on the floor
TrellowitZ removed his coat and began
rolling the man In it. while Miss Brun-
son went into the mandatory, where
the explosion had occurred, and after
searching through the smoke found
some old cloth bags. These she and
Trellowitz wrapped about Piebe until
they had smothered the flames.
BY this time the whole of the third
floor was In flames and the two men and
the women in the hallway were In dam
ger. But Trellowitz and Miss Brunson
wrapped Wiebe carefully In their coats
and in the cloth bags and as gently as
possible carried him to the street and to
Volunteer Hospital, which Is only a
short distance away. There physicians
said that he had been seriously burned
about the face. chest and arms and that
his condition was critical.
Because of the suddenness with which
the fire started and the danger to neigh
boring lofts and tenements two alarms
were turned in. Firemen were stationed
on the front and rear fire escapes to
fight the flames and several OF them
were slightly cut by falling glass. Capt.
Sidney johnson of Fire Patrol Company
No. fell on the first floor stairway and
was sent to the hospital by DR.. Archer,
who said his collar bone was fractured.
Capt Johnson was also slightly burned
on the hands
Every floor in the building was dam
aged by the flames. which the police es-
innate caused a loss of about $25.000.
The fire It'd up traffic on the Second
avenue elevated railroad for almost an
hour.