The New York herald., 1850-05-01


The Coroner yesterday commenced holding In quests
the bodies OF the unfortunate men who lo-t their
Lives hy the falling of the ws at % Water street next
door to the Bonded Warehouse. The jury was called
at four O'clock M Great pains taken to select
careful responsible and reliable jurors in order that
full Justice might be done In the strict in
relative to the matter
Mott Of tho members Of the jury merchants Their
names are-John Thomas William McCieilaud, James
Lewis, Joseph @. B. Blackwell. Edward Schenck,
George White Gordon Beadley, Thomas Atkin, Orlando
Tucker, Joseph Jsmison, Avery Edwards and George
Mcdonald
The jury, having been sworn, proceeded to No. 10
Front street. where they viewed the dead bodies of
William Pratt, native Of Ireland, aged - years and
John Hayes, also q native Of ireland, aged 2s These
two Of the bodies that taken the ruins
dead. After seeing the remains the coroner and jury
proceeded to the First ward station house where the
eoroners court organized and the taking Of testi
mony proceeded with.
Hugh Maxwell, Collector Of the port Of New York,
was the first witness sworn; he testified follows:
On Thursday morning was informed that are had
taken place in Water street and that the private
bond,d warehouse had been injured by Are; and my
attention being thus directed went to the premises
accompanied by few officers of the customs for the
purpose OF making an examination; the government
bad nothing to do With the store far controlling
the owner; having visited the premises, directed
and report to me whether there any dan
ger In allowing the goods, in which the go
v'rnment had an interest, to remain In that
store; be made the examination, and reported in
writing that the property perfectly safe 30 far as
the strength of the building concerned; in order
that the owners OF the property might exercise their
judgment the subject, / directed notice to be
given 10 each OF the persons having interest in the
goods that should not direct ths property to be
moved far ss tho government was Interested; but
that If they CHOSE to remove their goods they could
do so at any time BY applying at the custom house
n won he civ for At
Mr 0dell, one of the deputy collectors
instructed to grant transfer orders from that store
the property had nothing whatever to do with the
store In any particular but that else than to
parties interested in the property to remove It, fthsy
thought proper to do so; this store IL hired by Mr.
Gouriey he takes goods on storage from the mer-
chants and holds tho goods, in charge Of an officer
uhtil the duties paid the government had nothing
"a do with the store in other respect they did not
hre H. and had nothing to do with the storage OF labor
these are under the care of the storer and the mer
chrnt.
Moses Y. odeIl sworn-I reside In Brooklyn; am
of the deputy collectors of custous have charge
of the warehouse business generally connected with
the custom house, Friday. the 10th inst applica-
tion made to me by persons having goods ware
housed in 50 Water street TO have them transferred to
other bonded stores; received directions from Mr..
Maxwell to allow goods to be transferred by parties
who desired it, firms requested that their goods
might be Transferred; these goods amounted to 1856
packages; up TO the present time that Is all the
goods transferred the governing reason for having
the goods transferred that insurance offices desired
their goods removed TO more secure places many per-
alarmed about the condition of their goods
there general alarm as to the danger Of the
workmen engaged at work under the WALL have been
ien years a fir, men in New York. and l should have
had hesitation in going anywhere about that wall;
the wall fell yesterday (Nonday) several firms applied
for permits to transfer goods before the wall feil
! master mason and builder did not Greet the
building that rccnily burned down In Water street
that tho stores belonged TO Mr whitnsy. for whom
buid. went down at about half past ten O'Clock A. NJ
~h,D got in front u The bonded warehouse
Of the officers with whom was acquainted aud OF
the story keepers they wanted me to into the upper
part Of the building and examine the walls did so,
and found the south wall of the BONDED warehouse
from the eerrt floor about eighteen feet Of standing
the balance Of IT. about ten feet had fallen over into No
20 tins eighteen feet inclined about two feet out
OF Perpendicular; i said to one OF the engineers,
THAT weil ought to h. thrown down" The asssis
tAnt engineer said the chief engineer had gone
away. lie said the Chief had told him that
there vns danger that IL this wall thrown down,
the whole gable end might fall with 1t. top 10
bottom told him did not think so and said that Il
had authority l would throw It myself he said
he had mo authority to do after OF the store
kep,rs went TO the captain Of police who came, when
asked him II he could give authority to throw th, wal
down, he ssid be bad such authority but that II
could throw IL down he would clear the building and
tho street; told him would not take the responsi-
bIity aner that told the OF different
Insurance Offices who were ON the ground that nthey
would give an unanimous consent. l would throw IL
down was only afraid that II might injure tho goods
" thrvw VI down; two or three cou-ented the Others
dcmurrcd and ssidthey would not give their consent;
deemed their for furingto be that tho good,
tLs cellar might b. injured then sad would have the
nd oftbo boUded warehouse closed up and soleavoit
this TO protect 1t from storm Sc then told the
of5c,rs that, "a isT tho bonded warehouse
csIn,d. they safe there again Saturday
ahrtnocn was asked II II was safe to put men in to
work getting cotton out said I would not go In
there, and that would not set man To work where
would uot 20 mytclf my opinion was, from tho drst
that the wall that IN clned ought to be thrown
down that The peak that inclined In II fell
would not injure the bonded warehouse I always
thought " was dangerous to 60 Into No 70 when
came down On Monday, found the wall had fallen
IL ther. had BEEN men there. injury would have
resulted from the falling Of the wall the wall
cracked just down by the foot of the garrct beams
told the officers Of the insurance where the vail ~ould
fall 4 could have thrown over the wall with a crow
her was asked for my opinion and said IL would be
unssie 20 place workmen under the walls j do not
know What interests we're repressnt'd BY those Officers
who gave thir consent TO have TN wall thrown down
u wa sad that eight or ten men we're undrr the wall
rlen u fell.
John y Noble swcrn-f resdc at No So Lawrence
street Iroctlyn am the agent ofthe Insurance Com
Ieny q the state Of ftnnsyvana aud ~ the Trenton
Insurance Company q Nov Jer~y; thee companIe.
had very considerable utercst both in - aud Is VS.
ter street down thcrr the morning sfer the
Ere and was ansicus 10 ct the propry that might b.
rcd fvm the ruins OF 80 particularly wa. told
thal H. wall of Nc rs projected and was nsaf. ex
anlEtd q and thcrght II unsafc. after hade made
such examination % far a. tho interest that repre-
rnod Wss concerned Wished 10 have the ~di pushed
cvcr one 81 The eompapiss that l represent has
si25so insurance in prupcrty In NO. IS aud sbDut
- o. 10 tho othcr stors. No 80
Jchn naTkn"s- sworn-I reside at 90 vestry street;
en- an infy-ctor oi customs wa called, on Thurs
dsy morning 20 take charge of No n water r>t the
hondtd varchcu-; when Mr. Tucker came there
Thursday TO txsmine the building I went with him
into the rarrct of 5 water strret, Mr. Tucker said
thai " che gable end of IS Wser street which projected
ever on " a3 were thrown down everything woaid bs
psrctly safe, remained thcrc during tho day and IL
sGs undsrstood that Mr. Tucker sbOuid come down
Friday mornine ~ throw the gsbc end down to
-; NJ Tucker came On FRIDAY morning flr that
Turpose, after he came, he said he did not know
o. be had ny authority TO throw the wall down then
Ssld would send for Captain wiley Of thu Fu-t dis
tio police but ~ Captain wiley had no al hpriy to
give, Mr. Tucker did not throw dowp; Mr. Tucker
thee said he would board up the Rabie aud leave II
u vas th" gentleman lat on the stand and the
pfes LtssiVe ~ Centre Co. readily gave their
<nt 70 hAso tho wall thrown dOsp, l thought the
bun ins Wa safe cloS tie gerrct floor thought the
gRbie end would fall
Jo~eph II. Taylor % 40 Iov s,on strset sworn On
Ti-ursday tttrncci last was IN the Mayors ofice,
shen hr Carson. the Chief Engineer came IN and IN
formed the Mayor That the gable efd wall q the bonded
wdohouse was IN dangerous condition, aud he
thcufbt would b. Necessary ~ have pushed dDvn.
he resucetej tho Neyor 70 and look at o. the