The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-10-23

there was no fire whatever inside the effect Of the
first explosion that the buildings fell in and
draggs every thing down. the ruins no az sinst
So; the building No 80 vas thro wn do IN b. the ex
plosion; the Ore vas constantly approaching those
buildings / should think that No "A was entirely
consumed, and No 40 vas in danes, at the time Of
the explosion; the fire was coming towards us; GRE
baby the coping Of No AZ fire before the
explosions. ! mean the cornices.
oss.exanipsd by Mr. Cattiag-Ths time that
We received the notice of blowing up was about
two or three clock; we had been removing goods
from the lofts; worked very hard We had
moved about half OF the goods; about 200 cases;
we worked rapidly; We had from five 10 twenty men
assisting; it at first difficult TO get assistance;
when crossed TO MIR Lords the ire was not 10
Exchange place; ] recommended removal, because
the hye was making towards us rapidly; the hfe
burning in all directions: IL crept up against the
wind; it cIept very fast was astonished to its
progress; worked half an hour | would 90 and
look out very frequently; the fire was coming up
Garden street; the notice OF powder came from
below; first voice ciied out, aud then several
voices cried ont; | do not know who hrsU gave no.
tice stores were mentioned; when l went out
saw two men vi h something across their shoulders
covered with tarpaulin: | was told that it was
powder; this after tho explosion; | saw no
powder when came out; it was in consequences of
the notice that we left tho store nothing more
than that; expected they would have bio vn it up;
was pxions 10 have il done; there were no flames
coming out OF No so; | saw smoke; there might
have been flames; went through the building (52),
through each room; know that the bricks were
not hot; went into the rear building after the
plosion; it belonged to Mr.. L. Lord: l know
when the explosion took place; if the bricks from
No SO were hot enough to set shed
on FIRE, there must have been fire in No. 81.
Worthpgton Hutch kisson, examined by Mr. Van
Wagener-I resided in the city of New York, be-
tween Nassau and Fulton streets, in 1885: | WAS
fireman; was attached to engine No. ID: No. Is
was not at the fire; was present at tle fire; was
10 the rear building of Nos % and 81, occupied BY
Herbert & Casey; seeing that there was danger o.
the fire crossing William street, went to give my
assistance in removing goods; cannot answer to
the time after went until the fire broke out in
mass: ! worked there nearly an hour; We removed
good deal of goods from the to the front; Her
bert Casey occupied the ground floor. Witness
described the situation Of the building from map
We removed the goods through the two doors in .he
court way to the front; We were ordered out by
some person; believe it was magistrate of the
city; could not positively swear who il was The
examination this point objected to by de-
fendant's counsel Mr. Davies stated the grounds
Of the objection. The question was Overruled.
The question was put on paper, and handed to
the Court ! worked in the store halt an hour
it might have been hour; | cannot tell the time
of the first explosion; after We left the store we
went down to the fire at different places when re-
tursed No % was not blown up; l am positive as
to that; l did not see the explosion Of No. 50;
then went round 10 Exchange place, snd when
came back was tola that No. So was blown up;
when ! came back the FIRST time was astonished to
find that No. - was not blown up; think there
was no fire in No 81; presume that No 81 might
have been saved with great exertions; think that
if No 4S had not been blown up the goods could
have been removed from No SO. OFF the build
iDgs Nos As, go and 90 had burned as other build
ings could the goods have been removed! A Il
am positive that the goods could not have been re-
moved from No 80.
To Mr.. Cutting-Herbert and Casey occupied the
first and second floors in the court yard; they occu
pied no part on Garden street; know nothing of
Lord, & Co; | was in the store; Herbert g. Casey
were in the hardware business; We took out the
goods in packages; these are the goods said
might have been removed; noticed the fire par.
ticulary in some parts it ragged with the greatest
violence; stood, with police officer, the corner
of Exchange place; the fire was burning in the game
way in Hanover square; it burned in the early part
ct the evening like one streak OF flame, with great
fury; up to ten o'clock there from thirty to
forty houses burned down; cannot say whom twelve
O'Clock came; cannst say how many were burnt al
together; the FIRE burned to wind yard, and every
way; it did not burn against the wind fast as il
did before the wind; IL burned slowly against the
wind.
To Mr.. Jones-I cannot say how the wind bic IN
the early part OF the evening; the night very
cold; when ] got to the Exchange the bsildings
we're all in fla nes IN every direction; | cannot say
whether the wind was bigh or low, or in what di-
recton it blew: went TO Aiams's store fronting
Peck ship: have no recollection Of being in Broad
street: saw the Garden street church Oh fire; can
not tell what time 1t took fire; the only thing knew
of the approach Of morning, was when vas inform
ed that breakfast ready;I cannot tell what to1e
No. 4S was blown up: | could not tell when day
light came, the flames so bright; saw the Es
change on fire. vent down NaD street to the docks;
there we're buildings below Wall street on FIRE: was
in Wall street when the Exchange took FIRE; | was
several times that ME Int ipcommoded by the fire
This closed the proceedings of the seventh day.
The Court adjourned till ten o'clock Saturday
morning.
EIGHTH DAY-SATURDAf.
TIE Court assembled at the usual hour. The
first witnessed called the part of the plaintiff.
James A Hamilton, examined by Mr.. Van Wag
tDer-1n 1885 his residence was In Westchester
County near Lockport recoilects the great fire OF
1855: that time in the city of New York with
his family, in the City Hotel; went TO bed about
~ o'clock; my wife came to my bedside and awak
ened me, saying that there vas sreit fire in the
city, and that the Exchange was oa Are; got up
and went TO Wall street; saw there great fire;
went round Broad street and saw the devastation
committed by toe fire; twas excessively cold; the
VINO blowing from the northwest; the cold was so
excessive that the engines could not play; that was
generally the case; after going round went into
Wall street, opposite the Exchange; | entertained
ana expressed the opinion that the only way TO
keep back the FIRE from that part of the city that
was not burned WIS by powder; urged that opil-
Jon on the Mayor aud Others with wnom con-
,eIsed; got TO tie scene in Wall street probably
about II o'clock; made the tour Of the fire Q
matter of curiosity; the opinion Nas then en.sf.
taineu tha powder Wss 10 be used aud means taken
to procure it, the Mayor having cc.e % chs conclu-
sion TINT that mode OF arresing tbe ire ht TO be
adopted, directed General SwiiC and myself TO ~
round and ascertain the different points whare the
blowing up OF the buildings would be most efsctull
In aTTestiDg toe IRE; General Wits opinisn Il
that was considered Of value, and not miLe; wiz
ness went with nisl, and We on examination and
consulting together, decided various points: in
tie course o. the examination We ixsi on a build
ing in Exchange place, and on doing 80 we were
Influenced by two considerations; Que was thai
there war range Of buildings 60 oe preserved by
making this vacuum, and the other vas the rapid
progress @ the hre the points fixed upon as PRO-
rer 70 use powder; there WAS no appreciation o.
part that the FIRE would cross Broad street,
there vas serious apprehension il tae minds OF