New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-27
THE SCHOOL CALAMITY.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE CORONsR'S INQUEST.
EVIDENCE OF THE SCHOOL TRUSTEES
AND PRINCIPAL TEACHER



Commissioner, Mr.. McLane, was to be admitted II
not, he wished to dismiss it from his memory.
The Coroner would leave that question TIL he
summed up the evidence given on the inques,, NJ
though the District Attorney and the Recorder had
informed him that it should not have been taken.
Those officers agreed with him in every decision he
had made.
letter was here handed TO the Coroner, wishing
him to call as witness one of the teachers, who
could depose TO the conduct Of fireman, but as it
did not speak of any particular fireman who could
be Identified, he thought 1t unnecessary to bring the
subet in evidence. The cry OF fire arose, as had
been proved, by the demand being made for water
when Miss HARRISON was attacked. lie proposed TO
examine the Trustees, although he had stated he
would not take the evidence Of any one interested IN te
s Ssg s IN S r naI saw as all the pac
authorities he had consulted had SAID that no connect
have been examined and Mr. McLane ought nos 10 have
been There some IA ui somewhere, and either
he tescber The builder the architect or the ccptrace
was wong and none those who sulcrRtended the
ton anything to competent witnesses.
lie would call Mr. La.son. one of the Trustees
M Mech, journey man. sad-They should cali
70 supply such parts OF Mr. McLlne's testimony as
would bo required 10 aid them In their verdict If his ev-
deuce was aOg 30 be taken as part OF the lnl nv.
The Coroner would leave the evidence TIL he summed
up. lie had been blamed under any circumstances for
NJ Ool'eg. Juryman- When the Coroner gives his
opinion on the evidence can Judge # It and take
M Joan ". Lafson, sworn--I reside a, No u Ham.
mod 81 and am ole # lhs Trustees Of the Ninth Ward
Schools was Trustee prior 10 The commencement Of That
school house the Oldest Trustee 10 office HAY been
on he Board of Trustees a. the Commencement
M OaA1cg Juror-Wi The Coroner ask The qnest0Is
loud bat may hear whether tie answers are relevant
Corouer-I have not the voice Of speaking trumpet.
WjnesSI never The plans OF the buLhng, but was
invited TO nspect them; of town. and could no'
meet officers To look At thom watched the progress
of the bu idne from the st and thought the wO well AID
substantially dorc and the n aterals good think in De-
the school handed the Trustees
the first meeting Of the Trustees at eT the binding
delivered to them objected to the stars as bong insult
the egres of the children the
do not reach to within story Of the top Of tie
buIldir vhcIethe exhibition that IN 81
accident while that room should be dled with childsea
going through eNercseS there would he but flight
If Stars 20 leave the room objected to the front star
,ilps an ha r,cuud hat II vas too o, and b,vs sorld
&c, on the top and slide down the railing, which would
cause them to fall on offered two resolution, IA thu
Board # TruSieesOnc 10 put iron railing network
above the Vcod rail 10 prevent the boys from falling
irg which erect double staircase leading the top
hat resolution was LAID over by the courfesv of The
Trustees for weeks 10 enable to visit other
schools yIsl ed MIR Deans school, aud he showed
ms tower ond over ms school and the result Of my IA
spec'ioD that was more satisfied with the necessity
having the TOW staircase think. among the mBnros
Of the Trustees you Will find plan Of NY project think
that the motion a. LAID on The liable be the vote OF essrs
TownseId Neson and Mcdonald, who though. could
tot get he money from the Board Of Education change
the ventilation of the schoo poed aud referred
TO Dir Nelson, TO o performed. but has not been done
# The railing belle we'd II was sec IRE myself Thought
1t too low aid td children not mp the front
STAINS on any con- doIaon on account II the ran ng when
received the building one of the Trustees, 1t was ny
Opnlu that there sufficient mmOdatiou for
eeress of the children IN case If an alarm nor even for or
dnar occas.ers when the Trustees vsi ors
M the stars at the time the chilsren were leaving
school with difficulty they could pass aud .hey ofcn
had 90 for the chldsen 10 down have often
cauored Mr. NcNay, the Principal of the Male Depart;
meLt and the Pnncital of the Female Departmeat 10
looe teachers IN The stars TO prevent the drcn fam
getting The iai and Sitting iwn when they werelesv
rg school have never denanncd money either drectly
incorrectly. To- htcT lie school other than OerTg tile
resolution spoke OF we have two representatives. IN the
reFrosel iaiiyes, but Mr.. McIane aud Mr. CUTS
IN that Office Dir. Hurry, the architect phew of
MIR Edmund Hurry the Comm suEor The reason my
something Las been said about The front door ooly being
half open only halfva used for if the south half
to he he kent oIHn would fiji up the entrance Of the starr
way lheie All been stairs night and the enhance
a, II bottom fthe stars many more persons would have
been saved ANA think It would have been Impossible
crowd the stairs; for the strength OF the building, and
IT'S adaY school teaching think il The
New York with ihe eNcep ION al the sairways the want
robes, aul more ventilation the ioar
rooms the Primary De aitnent
b. nc Forca0aI made objection to The want of means
ofrsress and esres c ally Trustee, TO Mr. McLaae
and the Commissioners.
Ninth Ward school; had no hlns 70 do directly q ndi-
rectly with TIE building Of the School, With the matters
concerning IL, unl WAS delivered mt my hand as rrus-
tee becare Trustee Of ComNon oos OF ms Ward,
about the Isl OF December last year ab0G.he time Of nay
Appointment Trustee visited Var school house which
was the srs time was ever INSIDE ~ the bldng Il was
not then quite finished The hsnStes were beng pt np
Metallic building one OF the Commits; lonsTs Nj McLale
We so;ppon tic hrd noor We were II the front ?a OF
Ike 5'eing ana ,hs Il lie c5u>suson % these
Sahs wax 'alkta shout or us then told hun thought
they were wrone. ard IN looking ard seeng the deph
the we'll sad. tina II boys sliding down. los their
6sarre they would te .led by the lll lie er hai any
doubt about he strength Il he failing for the APP
pear nm DO not rocalec' disac " he reply lie made
hnt INNS u was fhat NE BOYS seldom used TIM depat
men, and that msht be o5gii'ed D., pt:ins rail
ing on the Top OF 4. as 30 prevent u en- from sliding
down len went with hin to tn rear pa, OF the bnud
and having been connection with The Puoc School
Society fonnd the cor rucon Il NE stairs different
from hat had been IN The habit seens that asked II
he oniy IN the rear; he sad l. Oh
served that thought would never answer, "a there
stonu se ,p"lat sdiedse 20 sich defaItn rh' ana
referred 10 the School house, No II. IAr.ceath-
marked 10 me, that that was an o.d-iashontd, aud
al obsolete plan aud this one was an upro eeit on al
NAV June iast. We had proposition before
sid nclcse ot We lad bought IN he rear The
apql cation lcferTsd to the Committee school house
Nj MpIIhy came and | asked hrl T. look uo s.sfys
ted hln thai bad children GUIng The lasts SIX months
fran The Male al PruaTy Department On the Stars
and that vas taru Of for TIT Young ones he asked
ne how wast 10 be rcmeded and said by building
and having sepafa,e salrs 10 each Departments.
psd, III dear ieow yon have tie bess building and
oomuodson q any schoolhonS IN aud yet you
not satisfied nth IL you dul need it, AMI nonsense
totaik about laso spoke TO hln abo the front stairs
ARD We went u lock az them, and he SAID sat lie though,
they were good enough ltIed TO get hs onnion and
Vas "a iasoI tn lac trustees intended ID Apply 20 lac
Board ard get The work doae during ihe vacation did
nave El6t Win ou teak ~ OppJ
and ave rot been abe money lucOse
dot Of grouLd " the rear, and cuped must
say o AZ such resolution that spoken offered AZ
the int meeting OF the Trustees hut al the Trustees
II Cq.nson ihSi the tower should be built.
The C0roatr said ha. lie could lo~ ary previous
/, " rness 10 be cOniratc'ed.
= hfReS-I do not wish
Coroaer-I cannot allow any volunteer evidence
b. fertmoa or JsDS any accident OF the kind occur
before.
N7faeSS-N).
NJ Crane. sJuryman-Why was not that ventilation A.
'eI gs, 70 " s,cA was ordered BY the Trustees
ne Coroner could allow that question 20 be an
sNeisa The testimony they required as 20
~uesntf ore ar was wanted the School but the
aNNctLt Ne question IN relation need be put Tha,
vas tot DEBATING society where they about 10 in
lune 'Llo 'he cause fTom which taken SICK
and be hoped there would be 20 more debating now
the Irq rest nearly closed
M O0s'cs JUN said that he thought the question
not improper one became .he subec: OF AR or
ventilation probably the source Of the irst alarm
which caused the accdeLt aud had intimate conn ccn
with the subject Of inquiry.