The New York herald., 1850-05-02
The Cn,n.,rophe In water street.


John 8 Noble appeared before the Jury, aud asked
leave 10 correct his testimony of lss evening ~ he
thought il conveyed impression different from that
which he intended He was desirous of having tho
gable wall No IS taken or pushed down not because
he considered IL unsafe but in order to aay the ap
prcbtnsion Of danger lie would have been willing to
20 into No IS " alter street and aid to get out tho
coed, II necessary
Rrhsrd Thorn sworn--I reside in Brooklyn; l
sm Fr,sident Of the Equitable Insurance Company
the fIe occurred on Wednesday night : was thore
1hund"y mo-nng / was on top OF the bond
ed Wal, housr. that could look over the build
ing; rrquetted permission o remove our goods !
We had Sl2Cto insuance; we requested OF hr. dur
ley p'rui sion l" Ftmo'e the gods nc said there
was danger of the wall falling and therefore 1
thought II was not necessary 20 rrmove the goods
IL ny opinion 80 u ursday morning that the
ycccF were sAft WIS thue again in the afternoon
and vent through the building FRIDAY was there
three times Saturday MIR smith who IL captain ot
our fire patrol undo the Impression that could
ssvecousidrrabe property aud went to work IN No
S3 Mr. Duws of tn. firm Dow Il Carey with myself
and four FIVE of the Insurance companies told Mr..
Smith If he thought he could any part of the prp
perry he had better try 1t then went down to the
tunang with MIR smith and Told him not to end ,ngrr
the lives of persons-nOt to venture in the building
place bruce iron II Ia 80 in ord To secure the wall
Dir Smith sgreod with he th"aght IL well To do so
scme gentl'mtn present Il dont know who they werc)
oppos, IL; they sHd th,r sufficient support from
the cotton and Hour In The buiidng was there again
at - O'Clock 4 Al they we've thon taking out coiton
and -four nom No 80; was in there with Mr. Sm tn
and Mr Dows ON Monday; were there fifteen m-
putos; thought it perfectly safe. or should not nave
wall. aud the upper psrt Of The wall projected
somo tho n nthes; think il might have been d,n
g,rous 10 throw down the wall ou thursday and frt
day ard pcihaps saturday; th, re danger from
tho snuuut of cotton that was burning and the i'm
amount of liquors in the bonded warehouse, to
which, IL fire wa. communicated the ire might have
been increased to AN unlimited extent
Ersstus Graves sworn.-I reside IN Brooklyn; was
ut the scene of the nre on saturday and Monday; l
wa there about half an hour saturday and longer
on Monday; | had property there to the amount OF
500; wac insured in the Penn. ylyana Comp sny
anu in the Prot elton Company had cotton in store
st z; Water street; exam u, the condition Of the
wall. and thought u safe; thought the wall could
have been pulled down without tndsug ring the pro-
Pery In ober building; this was my impression each
time visit, d the building
CaLb 8. Woodruff Mayor of the city --Rosides at 25
Washington Place. irsd learned OF this Thurs
day ahtinocn when Mir carson cslled on m, aud
sised that the wall of the bonded house in
danger OF falling aud he wished there for the
pufpoee Gf oIdsrng the good. out or wall taken
d'wn won't to tb' plae, aud inquired for this
OF the stGc The o The property in the
Iwns inf,am mat thr siore ~as owned by MIR Whit,
MY. wa occupi,d ss boIdtd warehouse. and~ss un-
DIR the direction of Mr.. "SNs,il the Collector; that
tL, fTopriy wac owned by dn, rent persons. aud n-
sura N various insurance offices IN this city; then
iuquir'd tho- rsons had ben applied to. aud what
th had duuc; was told that Mr. Maxwell had bsn
there aEd thnt he thought the building was -at- aud
that h d elintd ord ring the goods 10 b. removed
so tud that the otic r. OF the insurance Offices
had Bal there with then surveyors to examine the
bulaig g. and that th also had come 10 the conclu-
son that the ruildiug was sai' ON my way down |
call ~ Wall .r',t a. several "i the insurance Offices,
O. the ofc q the c'mp.nes; 1t late. how
aud the ofncers had hf,: we learned however,
an Exam baiion OF thc pr mises aud that thy eon>-
dcrd the gOss snfc; nsi.d tn Comptrollcr and So
vrAl aid, TO 90 with ME. ia with when
toCk ssurvvy Of The building from the street; con.
sulls with tbs IN Ands~th Mr.. " hitay the owner of
th. s'1ryi we consult As 20 IN ,si .ni eondInn
ticulsriy, und,rstVod him 10 say that HE bullsr
Mr. Tucker, had ,xamiu,d III, wall aud the ba,id-
ing. g,n,raIy-hc had particularly examined ths
~sll-snd that he (Nr TuoS,p thought the
wsil would not fall I think Mr whl,nsy said
that MIR. Maxwell aud thc g'nh Of the In
surance cfhcvs had b,en th,re aud exsmlncd tha
vaI aud thought II secure; I und'rstood him ~ say
furh. that hc would have his budder there the
morning. aud do whatever wa necessary - make
every thing safe he d-inrlined to have the goOd.
rcmls,d any thing done wi Ia. building at that
tine; the Chtf Engineer Mr. carson. Win Mr Mills
were Of a different opinion, aud thought the goods
ought 20 he ,mOy'd stated 10 ths Chief Engineer
that did net fe.l just sd ord ring the vail b.
taken dswn. OF the good. moved Mt tn. -xp-n~s OF
the 81 aud VA opposition o. The desire 20 tn. persons
oope, ,rn.d aud ag.int the advice of pcr-ons with
ehom bad conssrrd' said to Mr. Carson. that as
thsrr -erc doubts on the subject human life should
have the bens t of that doubt him instructed
ao- any nre~sn or otnsr porsons to near the pro
J.o,is .ai.. ~. 90 "s'ioaw p,ty'as On the hrc
Bsccssssy fa thai purp -, IN, a iln -upposnx
that the whoe suhj'ti would b. carefully looked by
Chief Engineer called upon tridsy sb,ut noon
and iDi,rmsd that ne. hing had been d,u. with tn
building NJ ~as rxpgct,d aud that h. hid kept his
about half day long thsn he 9th
you'd sLa then liv,rd the prrnai-cs up q, the in
surSnoc watch, that b generally account Of thr
tr.nssciF far y. Wa cobcerned h,d no inter
vew ~rh Mr. Tucker lnAly until ait rth- wall had
fsilsG A. D. ous o. VT TAR n the Chief kuxiufer 10
siste that be acted with sr,st cautioa aud the ru
har thai be currct u hi- vi.s-. great credit
4 due te hn Tor BE- manner la which h- perfrmel his
dutsss, th ptry ctou tn adjoining lot and
no, the -irget " thu wall hsd prop ctsd ovcr tbs
rtr,St fht uld have taksn d1vn sthout reference
men, that Il ~as Mt safe n ao- sny person ~
10 near the vail con-idsrrd that vhen tue chief
gave up the chsg. the property 10 the ocer of the
hsurstre companies all pubic authority over u had
ee.esd
Johs y. La cour sworn 4 am an assistant engineer
ut tff Ar
Garon had Utes,cr 10 leave the he Isft IA IN
charge 81 Mr. Icke- nBd uy..f At about min, o,eI,rr
ny Attentwn wss cAIh ths pas "a the gable eud
cf he vsr' houss hanging ossr into No. As. L. wnh
cone o. the assistant examined the va and
unAslmculy pfcBcube ~ o. - uusaie Tor asy pr.
tn b- IN that buidns we'll ~ IN a. the psak
pr,jet, sbout ilohcs, ordered the men all
cut % the building; ster had dSne that several
rer~,as 10 aud r mpisin.d - shutting "a
thg vst'r; piled that thought 70 un-.i. ioI
90 bc 10 the tuiidng their hs-s endangered.
ne ftb. ine-s then vent up to tae p.ak of The
bonbd wartbru-e. Or the purptsr u thro~ing ths
f~ple tsrins that ~h'nt u came dovn it ,nisht fsi
m hs street one % tn. eng vent 10 ths peak
q The ref and 9TH h., h-nd pasi'sd ,ne poas od, |
eh'rtJ nher my attention called 10 Mr Tucker,
reni scios- the street 90 HIM Ar Tucker. Mr. |
Ns,1tet sud hr. Monroe vent ny into the bpni a |
waehowe 70 sxsmibe the veil. On their return Mr. |
Iocsr said the gable end vail -cuid fall sud that
t.t,y m'n coed Mt throw out; he th~u s-ted nae |
nj luld give him suthorty " thro~ 10 out. r.-
pisd that Thought hsd 10 suthori,, " thro- the
veil cut sud would net do - usuI the r-turp of Me-
Csrsn; ny opinion ~ss that ~ that rab. v.lI v,s |
shv~n do~p come 81 the goo- in the stor, uignt h.
thrown irto the IRE. and the vhol build
Ing sud thu- greatly increase the connaxratou per
hops sitting hre TO the ~hcle btlck Me C.r-sp an
proved "a the course pursued In orrius q. the meu
out g the building
st.phen wbhrey svorn-t the owner os Tn.
baasires ros 81. "a aud IS ws,.r street, 4 ars, VI
sfted The Ere 81 about oelcek Thurasy mornipx:
th~ buiIdngs yer. this tim. all nre; Nr Tucker
represented :. this thing aud vh~sver v.s nec.s-
cary I supposed ne would do. toos no part Ia the
ass st all tailed 9TH the Msyer friday. to-
v.rds evening; hsA sonv-rsssiOs yith him ., the
Are In rro~s street; do not kno~ vhss sid TO tns
Msyo~ intended 20 have every hing hat vss nsscs
<ary 10 could act ~ wort ecusit-red thss
ths vhoe place In the hs nds of the hrem-s sad
fhe ssthcrt~s fThe evidence Of the Mayor vss here
rad 20 Mr. whisosyJ whsn hsi th. conversssion
With the Mayor In strr~t msast 90 ssy that
roud have the end ~ the bonded warehouse boarded
90 80 ~ 10 prVsees ths goods walked By thers esv~y