The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-10-20
THE NEW YORK FIRE CASES.

THE NEW YORk FlRE CASES.
>~>~>~>~~~>~~~~~~~>~
snanIy rT.srs;s,nS and Grsrnic I:sory Of
IMPORTANT ACTION ON TRIAL AT NEWARK, BEFORE
JUDGE POTTS AND A SPECIAL JURY, ARISING OUT
OF THE DESTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS BY GUN
PowDER, DURING THE GREAT FIRE OF DECEMBER,
1885
CONTINUED.
EVENING SESSION.
The Court sat at half past 2 o'clock.
Mr., Joseph VIM. Meeks to Mr.. Van wagnsr-I was not
examined before jury ON assessment for damages on
Mr. Mesks examined by Mr. Dayes-I reside In Duane
street; am brother to John Meeks; was partner
with him in business as cabinet makers In 1885, we &C.
cuped Nos AS and as Broad street. occupied the
Of No AZ; the building No 43 ran back TO large build
ing va the centre Of block on Exchange place; the
building No. 81 did not back to our building, but it
did communicating with it, portion of build
ing abuttsd No. So; building not high as
the warehouse; the warehouse connected with No.
81 No Al cotton warehouse occupied by stebbins
Il Browne; No SO Broad street large cotton
house; these large wide houses they did no. abut
No. So; one building in the of No Al, aud
TO our north wall; the premises the night
Of the great fire in 1885, We had furniture in store
fpished and unfinished; there lumber in the yard
there shayipgs in the shop likewise n quantity
OF varnish; stock in trade at that time,
nom $50 oeo to $50 ooo got to the fire about
ten o'clock; l remained until eleven o'clock the
next morning; l must have been there when tbs
fire crossed William street; I was in the Exchange
when 1t was fire. William street fire; then
returned to premises to prepare in the fire
should reach us; suppose that it was about kaf an
hour after returned that heard the explosion ran
to the top Of the shed enclosed building that
the with carman named Cox; took up this
for the purpose OF assisting me in tearing up wooden
roof that aojoired No 81 then smoke coming out
Of the Of the warehouse believed to be
seeing the smoke; looked over our north WALL saw fire
coming out Of the windows; have doubt but 1t
FIRE; the roof of the shed when the explosion
Of No 81 took place; it threw brick the shed where
was it from five fifteen minutes after saw the
FmOke until heard the explosion; ran down stairs
after the explosion but returned Immediately to the roof
We bea ian throw off the bricks and then discovered
hat the roof fire; the bricks so heated
could not handle them; our hands were burnt by them
got pieces of board and pushed the bricks off
with the boards; assistance from below, and
fortunate enough to put out the fire; in the
time the lumber in the yard took fire. the fire aid
proceed farther after the explosion there small
two story building that did not take fire. two thirds of
the part Of No 81 blown down by the xploon
$4,000
Gross examined by Mr. Van Wagener-I cannot say
how near to 90 was the rear of the warehouse shoui
think about twenty feet it was connected by small
passage thinks thirds of the building blown
down by the explosion 1852 the building
fire before the explosion; think it took fire from meet
ing house in William street thirds the wall per-
haps fell roof and the remainder fell into
yard and destroyed our lumber; the warehouse
IRE before the wall fll cannot state distinctly how
quickly the building in the burned the wall
south about forty feet the half of the two thirds fell
Of the of IL and third of the of 49,
1.-The witness here described from the map the situation
Of she buildings Al, A. 40, and AZ Exchange place
The rear building entirely consumed at that
ere; entirely destroyed put out the fire
in yard the explosion of As took place between
and O'Clock it little before daylight that the
To Mr. whitehoad-The explosion had the effect of
bringing down all the wall; the vail fell outward
Caleb Halsted, examined by Mr.. Davies-I reside in
the city Of New York merchant of the city tyen
tyfye years; my store 20 Exchange place door
from the northeast corner of am street the same
block the Exchange: it in the OF Mr. Kings
had not then crossed from Hanover street, it ap
preaching very rapidly shotly after it did Han
over street and the Exchange took fire Immediately;
commenced removing, about teno'clock the church
that the west side of William street in Garden
street. the church situated in Garden street; the
stores in William street abutted the church yard
there was considerable open space here church was
built Of and thought that it Would be safe
place for goods there space OF sev4 five eighty
feet round it; removed almost orH Satire stock
the church supposing would protect we had large
number Of men and removed in about wo hours; we
then found that the FIRE crossing William street;
then removing the goods OF the church to
ooery on the of New street and Exchange
Dlsse this about half hour after put them in
the church. after the church took fire the root fell
I'M yery Ia, ge mount of propery was DESTROYED in the
church the that crossed William street communica-
ted TO the church all the vacant the fire pro-
sresed very rapidly in Exchange place, between
Wlbsm and Broad street when 1t said that No AS
be blownup would that the fire then very
as did not the powder into 4s; went into
explosion; / cannot say where was when heard the
explosion Of No 52 cannot state accurately what time
elapsed between the two explosions; it not great
while would about half an hour; think the fire
was arrested at No So
ed for $40 COO and claimed $4,000 the property lost
small articles had removed all the larger goods
cannot state the nour OF the explosion OF
not think that there was an hour between the two expo
Bions think there great effort made to stop the
FIRE at William street but after crossed it proceeded
rapidly the wind high in the early part of the
night; do not think there high wind dra wing
morning; cannot state the rate Of progress Of the
IRE
To Mr. Dayes-I never witnessed a Gre cross Broad
street. the fire Of 1916 did Broad street. 1t
mrnced on the west side and crossed over
To Mr. Van Wagner--Q AT that time was there not
large quantity saltpetre and other inammabe
ten lying about the street which spread the fire rapidly
A-Ihtre was
To Mr. cutting-I at the Ere of ls45; that fire
eros,.d Broadway at the Bowling Green 1t Is double the
wo Of Broad street; 1t was one sheet OF flame all the
70 Juror-The building which the fire caught on thu
other Broadway, owned by the editor OF the
Jos nal IF Commerce; used hotel the house
on the north side of the b wing Green
To Mr. Dayies--Brosd street IL wider than it
In 1885, il has been widenea siuce then
O Anderson examined by Mr. pavies--I recollect the
fire Of ls45; saw the fire broadway l. was in large
liquor above the BowliDg Green; the fire
both sides crossed to the other side of Broadway at
III. point the fire crossed over Broadway is $50 feet wide
from building to building the ire crossed that point
after beine kept from crossing In narrower place
Cross examined by Mr.. Van Wagner-I am aware that
the crossed building the of Morris
street: all hat huditg was burned down; there
large liquor store Gre and it pointed ont to
the store the fire crossed from the house the
Of Morris street had wooden conice; there
other house that side fire; believes burning liquor
throwt its fame great distance
two year ofage reside ia the city Of New York have
always residtd there il has always been my home;
ras.d company Of fremen in 81; reciai aed ia the
Department active fireman thirty three years;
yesr foreman Of q company two aud half
years chief engineer and acting chief engineer for
seven years was water purreyof Of the city of New
York and engaged In that department until within
tao years Since make practice TO to all large
FREE 10 render aid and 10 advise my fellow citizens
~as A. the great fire Of 1855; / procured map 20 be
of ths districts first proposed the districts
and then the map made out il considered the
best map that time l IN the City Hall the
evening 81 the 6th December 1888 when heard the bell
ribg this between eight and nine o'clock: the Gre
commenced IN Constock & Andrews; ] ran through
Fes1 street; did not attach myself to company,
that the store when / reached it names; it
crossing to the house opposite in Merchant
the flames reached the windows opposite rushed into
the house 30 aid in removing goods thing we 20 *
bre In few minutes the fTe burned rapid
y the Pc pie inside got alarmed lest they could get
ost, said Il impossible to get ont in font aud we
then succeeded in getting out on the rear; then
along to the Exchange, on the side