Year: 1877

others were seriously wounded while fighting
the fiery element


buildings belonging to the confectionery firm
were five-story paper warehouse, large to-
bacco store fruit store and saloon, These
adjoining together with their contents badly
!l Damaged The five. story building occupied by
the 4, Groeers Bank corner of College Place and
barclay street, had the upper floors destroyed
by IRE and the lower floors were greatly dam
aged by water.


100000. The insurance Is said to be large. but
the figures not yet aseertained. The fire Is the
me- most "a, appalling calamity that has happened in
TINS vicinity since the Brooklyn Theatre holo-
deaths.
still Fighting the Fire.


NEW YORK. Dec. 81. a. m.-At this hour
lire, smoke and water in their efforts to reach
the bodies supposed to be buried under the
ruins. and about twelve engines are still throw
ing water on the piles to cool Off the immense
mass and allow its removal.


T. The e., explosion shook the lower part of the
and put out all the lights In the Immediate
neighborhood. The iron front of the confec-
tionery on. Barclay street fell across the street,
smashing in doors and windows, killed q horse
and demolished a wagon. breaking the legs of
| the driver. but doing no other serious damage.
All sorts OF rumors % are still flying around as
to the number of killed and wounded. 1t is
SAID that number wounded, able to go home,
did SO, and their names were not taken also
Iuhb u uuInDef OF WOUNDED were taken into
houses down town without the knowledge of
wounded taken to the hotels and drug stores in
the neighborhood. in. addition to the wounded
taken to the hospital. The body of young
man, in his shirt sleeves, WAS carried off about
q. M, but no bodies have been discovered
since.


II win be hours before the men can reach the
bodies supposed to have been on the first floor
and In the basement OF the confectionery store.
Men on the opposite side of the street at the
time OF the explosion say there were but few
escaped from the burning building through
the main entrance on Barclay street. as the
front Of the building fell out at once, and the
flames burst forth Immediately, and there must
have been large number of bodies buried in
the ruins, unless escape was made through the
rear OF the building or over the roofs.


At least twelve or fifteen persons were seen to
escape over the roof. but few were seen to escape
0therwlse, although many. or nearly ALL may
have done so without its being known as but
lew persons were at the rear side to notice the
nee1ng inmates. who might have escaped by
the rear entrance on Greenwich street or Col
lege Place without being noticed,a
near the building at the time. but few could give
definite information concerning the calamity.
Various stories are told as to the cause of the
explosion. One was that the engineer was
negligent; another. that a capable engineer was
dismissed because he would not work at re-
duced wages, and an incompetent man hired at
smaller salary: and. still another. that the
tity of steam was used for holiday work. Moth
ing reliable Is known as yet.


AT THIS hour, 2:45 o. M, large force OF fire.
men and workmen are still engaged at the
ruins, and it is thought that nothing new will
be known until late in the morning.