The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-07-18
FIVE ALARMS
BROUGHT OUT
MANY FIREMEnJ
Treasurer Of Warehouse
Concern Wouldn't Tell
What Was Stored in
the Building Until He
Had Consulted His Law
yer - Theory of Incen-
diaries.


plosions caused by a FIRE xrcckcd a
six-story warehouse in Greenwich vii
lage to-day, killed two people, SER
iously injured NOR than score
Of persons, shattered windows for
blocks and drove hundreds from their
homes in neighboring tenements.
At 10 o'clock. more than an hour
after the first blast occurred intsrmit
tent explosions continued, filing that
section of the city with fumes and
smoke. Five fire alarms had brought
to the scene the greatest array Of fire
apparatus turned out since the Eqiita-
bic building fire.
Smoky joe Martin, acting fire
chief, told Mayor Hylan that the ex-
p1osions were the worst he had expe-
rienced in his many years in the de-
partment.
The warehouse, where it was be-
slieved chemicals or powder eaused the
blasts, had great holes torn in the
walls, and tens of briks, stone and
packages Of goods were hurled onto
Dthe pavements. Neighbors. rushing
ont, some tugging household furniture
with them, were flung to the streets
BY the explosions. Many only slight
Dly injured were treated on the spot,
the more severely hurt being conveyed
10 hospitals.
A theory that the fire was started
by incendiaries was advanced to the
bombed squad by Anthony Paone, who
aives opposite the warehouse. He told
Lieutenant Gegan that shortly before
10 o'clock he had seen three men with
a pushcart stop in front of the build
ing and carry several boxes in. As
they emerged, he said, he beard an
explosion and saw flames. He turned
in the alarm.
Frederick Francis, treasurer of the |
warehouse company, declined TO tell
fre officials, before he had consulted |
his lawyer, what the contents of the
warehouse were, but fremen said it
magnesia and sulphur.
Lieutenant J. J. Shoppemeyer was
killed and nearly score of fremen
were injured, shortly after the first
fire apparatus had arrived.
{. Lieutenant Shoppemeyer dad led his
men inside the building. when an ex-
plosion tore loose part of the inter
ior and buried him. He was dragged |
from the building by his men but was
crushed to death in the street beneath |
a falling penthouse. Several Of the
men who had carried him out were in
jured.
One of the explosions tore away al
most an entire side Of the building and |
hurled several iremen to the opposite
sidewalk.
Hundred Of Bluecoats Guard Absn-
doned Houses.
Many of the seriously injured were
fremen and police. Hundreds of blue
coats, called to the scene, rescued
frightened tenement dwellers and 9TH
era were posted at all abandoned DWELL
ings to see that no one looted vacated
homes.
Two hours after the fire broke out.
the smoke become so thick that call
was sent to a Brooklyn firehotse to
bring searchlights to Greenwich VIII
lage.
There are no records in The hre de-
partment showing any permission for
the presence Of chemicals in the build
ing and If there were any stored there
they were stored there Illegally" said
brennan. The cause Of
the fire has not been determined"
At noon the casualty list stood a.
two dead. nearly thirty injured and
three missing The toll vas taken
chieiv from the ranks Of the FIRE and
police departments.
Among the hundreds driven from
their homes we're artists and poets in
habitinz the Bohemian section Of the
city. These folk. carrying their can
vases and their manuscripts-vhich
IN many eases comprised most of their
household possessions-rushed fro1
fheir sftics and crllars
Nearly fve hcurs after the blaze
STARTED the cause uas undetsrmined
md thc casualty list unchEcksd