New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-29

I
veneh,. oT BY any means sac. All who testified
| upon this point. save one concurred IN this
| oiinion Tie most trivial occurrence might cause
| chic 70 lose his balance while reclining against
his fail and precipae him, II Il tie top distance
Of t'ty ieet to stone tagging below. which must
! inevitably produce death Such was the structure
o. the 'front.' starwavs IN this choOl and such were
tie exposures a. .he Children who used It, l. is no'
CROUCH to say that accidents OF this kind ever be-
| fore occurred or that similar structures exist IN
cher buildings and hat therefore there IS no cause
TO condemn them The undersigned are unI'ed In
opinion as 20 their insecurity, and DO, therefore,
0st unqualifedly condemn h,r.
We ssy.his, however, in no spirit OF ceasIre OF
The inftntI1ns OF those who designed them. r was
most uLquestioDably thought by them to be the most
available mode OF construction II IS In proc, that
the plans submitted TO the entire board OF
schol officers Of the Ward, and subsequently 10 the
Board OF Education who approved them and made
an appropriation Of SIS COO to erect the building
We would be understood then, not as conoemnlng
the good intentions or honest purposes Of those de-
signing this work but the design itself the structure
il left the hands OF the mastermechanics we do,
in the most unqualified terms pronounce 10 hare been
nRsied 10 the purposes designed, bad n, tter arrange
nent at all tinifS insecure and dangerous and ne'u
prep6rly and thoroughly sccUrCfbV the builder We re-
frot most deeply the necessity Of this latter remark
Charity corlpels US more TO the belief that Il was
oversight rather than desire to slight the work
for any difference of compensation that might be
csincd by doing. Charity causes us therefore TO
bore ard believe that this was an oversight Of the
tui'der.
Whatever may have been inc good intentions Of
the builder OF this stairway, II is most manifestly
clear that there was great negligence If not cu pa
bic il difference and carelessness to a proper per
fornaIce OF the work. And that all concerned, the
original contractors. master and those having in
charge the supervision Of the work alike respon
sibe for the mperfection IN the work Of these stair
ways.
That all who persisted at that disaster came to
their death from the giving way of this newell and
the consequent breaking OF the baluSters, do not
believe. That many would have suiiocated as
the case with several on the rear stairway, is un
foot TNgp
goes 10 establish this truth Ell is also true that
very many who would otherwise have escaped,
penshod from this cause But in imme late con-
TCctICn with this, and as forming prominent part
in the sad history of that followed the fact
that the outer doors leading to the street,
hung as 70 swing iqrcards," and unfortunately at
the time the doors opposite these, leading to the play
ground under the building, were both closed, and
but for the fortuna ate Circumstance that the nOTthery
bali Of the middle outer door was At the tune open,
GOD only knows what must have been the cOnSo-
qUCTccS. That mujiitudes more would most un-
Coubiodly have persisted, is clearly evident.
To this evil, perhaps. more than 10 the stairway,
IS attributable the great number of lives sacrificed
tbs mCce of hanging outer doors IN public build
irGS, c are advised, Is most commonly adopted But
whatever may be the practice, we cannotoo strong.
ly ropobaie It.
Had the reverse been the case the time Of ALARM
and at the breaking of the Inflated balusters of this
Ward School, instead OF being heaped up in pile Of
from SIX to eight feet deep, as were the chieren IN
the prison house thus prepared for them their weight
would have opened TO them place Of escape, and
few, we thnk, comparatively lew lnCeCd, would
have suffered death on that occasion.
The Jury In this connection regret that they were
prevented by The ruling OF the acting Coroner, from
Introducing certain evidence and nstituting in
quiIies as TO certain branches of the investigation
which they deemed OF importance TO the issue.
In conclusion we urge upon the public authof
lies, and all concerned, having charge OF Public
School buildings that where such IS not already the
case, that they have provided separate stairways
FOR each Of the Departments of orr Public Schools
and that in every case The doors opening from these
frtfF he en- nm nc Ia sui IN ~ rI
We would also recommend that hereafter no Pub
lie School building 10 be constructed should exceed
three stories in hight, and that they contain capa
cous enclosed fire proof stairways for each Depart
mCni OF the School.
We also recommend that hereafter our school
buildings lie constructed with view to a limited
humber Of chdrsn-not in the furthest TO exceed
one thousand scholars. This. we believe, would be
productive of the moral and physical improvement
Of scholars i'll much greater ratio than The increase
Of expense from multiplying buildings and lncrcas
lrg expense for building sites
We would further and lastly recommend the pas
sage Of law APPOINTING a Board of Commits sioners
whom all plans for public buildings must be submit
ted for approval and under whose supervision such
buildings must be constructed
The Coroner addressed the Jury, and said that IN
the closing of that long and melancholy inquiry ne
must thank tie Jury, and the public ought 10 thank
them, for the able ana explicit manner III whlch tney
had performed their duty. II was task which at
no tine was very pleasant one, but on that occa-
sion Il was task which was amen;ed 10y all eth
2ens as being Of the most melancholy that ever
visited the community. They had been very pune
tua in their attendance upon The inquest, and ne
Wasof opinion that he never knew a Jury which had
better performed It's duties. He thought that II was
necessary and only proper for the jury to thank the
poce for their exCrlons upon the melancholy occa-
son. for both Captains and Lieutenans, as well as
the members CT the force generally, had rendered
every assistance, and he thought they deserved
thanks. The people OF the Ward, especially IN me
immediate neehbOrhood of the school, had rendered
every assistance IN their power, for when the ponce
turred their station into hospital the people sup
piled water for the use OF The injured ana ne
thought they also deserved 10 be thanked. There
had been no lack of sympathy on the OCCASION and
the calamity had taught them one lesson, max IL
poverty and distress were &c ldentaly ofousnt INTO
The City, and help was required, would De aHoroed
by The people whose feelings OF humanity were
ALWAYS open 10 alleviate the cry OF distress
The Foreman said that the whole OF the jury, he
was sure, were Of the same opinion as Judge bieah
ley with regard TO the attention OF the Romeo lhey
had rendered the most promp. assistance, not only
at the time OF the calamity but during the nvesga
ton, and had they not been hurried IN getthg up
their verdict ard report which caused them 70 over
look the Police, they would nave emDouleu tucu
thanks in it, II was their wish that me gehleehoi
the press should convey to the puoic the achho"i-
edpInent of the prompness ard efficiency OF the eN-
eionS Of tie Police and the puohc.
The Coroner SAID 1t vas as yet doubtful Nhe'her
lie would not have to make separate qulsitlon loI
each child ard should he have to do So ne would
then have to call the Jury together again merely 70
sign their names 10 the papers. lie thlheu .ie ne
feelings had occurred during the inquiry, winch ne
regretted still he was impeed throughout by sense
of duty lie again thanked the Jury, and the pro-
coedlDgs of this long and Jealous inquiry Neie "'"S
brought 10 an end. -.
The Court throughout the day vas crowded Oy an
interested audience and before the proceedings com
menced Mr.. Justice Bleakley held consultation
with The District Attorney, IN private. concerning
tie important questions which occupied the n'nos
OF the jury
Incidents-Meeting of the Trustees, &c.
We made inquiries yesterday concerning the state
of The poor children who injured by the ealaIn-
itv, and fnd that they are all beyond danger The
little box Edwards, under the care of Or. Franklin
is pronounced to be 20 far recovered as to make ms
cuIe certain.
The funds for the relief the sufferers are still slow