Philadelphia, PA Cigar Box Manufactory Explosion and Fire, Nov 1886

PANIC AT A FIRE

A Number of Young Men and Women Badly Injured.

An explosion occurred in the cigar box manufactory[sic] of HENRY H. SHEEP & CO., 1,704 and 1,705 Randolph street, Philadelphia, the other afternoon, which blew out the rear wall, badly injuring ten or twelve young men, women, and girls, and imperilling[sic] the lives of over one hundred more. The manufactory[sic] is a three story brick structure, with a depth of 150 feet. The first and second floors were used as a planing mill and carpenter shop, and on the third floor were employed about twenty-five girls in pasting paper lining in the boxes.

Just before the explosion the engineer started up steam by throwing a large amount of sawdust on the fire, and then started to the Randolph street front of the building. He says that he had been there but a few minutes when he was startled by an explosion, which was followed by the upper portion of the rear wall falling out and the screams of the women in the upper story. Bricks were flying in all directions, and in less than a minute afterward the whole rear portion of the mill seemed to be in flames. The greatest excitement existed among the hands employed in the building. Some of them ran for the stairway leading to the street, others ran to the windows, and a few started to climb out, but they were prevented from jumping to the ground by their companions.

In the meantime the flames were spreading from one floor to another, and crowds, attracted by the smoke and the screams of the women, blocked the street, but the excitement among them was so great that they seemed powerless for a time to render any assistance. At length several men ran into the building and got them all out. Some of the girls and young men were bleeding and others were badly burned.

The Cranbury Press New Jersey 1886-11-19
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!