The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-10-19
THE NEW YORK FIRE CASES.
sls hIy Interesting and Graphic History OF
the Terrible Con flnsration OF IAf1.


JUDGE POTTS AND SPECIAL JURY, ARISING OUT
oF THE DESTRUCTION or BUILDINGS ny GUN
PowpER, suRIEG THE GREAT FIRE OF DECEMBER,
1885.
ssmuel s~srtwout examined by MIR. Davies Was Col
ksior OF the Port of New York in 1885, ia the city Of
New York on the morning OF the nth December, 1851
! vas IN my own house when the IRE vas son'unera
20 me- i went out 10 look at IL; | left my nohse
q ten o'clock. and reached the Exchange NJ hsu
past ten o'clock from twenty 60 twenty hye bnaings
appeared 10 be fire at that time; rem hnea NJ the
s-yipe for Al NJ half an honr worked till the engine
stopped we could get more wafer; the Exchange
took nre about tNeive Ho zen, ronrd 10 ,hs cor,s
where the fire commenced the ire was In Hanover
street spd the street nos casu EAcnasse place Wss
iuepse; became much excited, for apprehended
Are atty wonld be entirely ccnsuSed went 20 york At
the engine good citizen should; IL about eleven
O'Clock psy he twelve o'clock when the engine would
longer deliver water from the intensenc.s az the
cold this time there seemed to be general psnic
among the hremen not engine conid play when the
kxchsIge took Gre after the engines had ceased TO play
upon the FIRE asked Mr. Gulick what to become
IL s stood there id. and the city burned
0csn (The opinion Of another party objected by
plaintiffs counsel.( The destructive in its
progress believed that netting could stop it not =
ppson Of water could be thrown upon it, went from
that place to the Post Office 1t was kept in the southeast
corner OF the ExchaHge l General -ift there |
down 10 offer my assistance went from there
the Custom House between Pine and Cedar streets
Nassau street. went to that part OF the building where
Office was; sent for the key the clerk and
put the papers ready 10 leave If the fire reached the
aldermen in the building OF Pine and Streets
went in and repeated 10 the Mayor the state Of the Ere
department. from my observation, and from what
Mr. Gunck had informed me; stated to the Mayor that
had come from Exchange plnce; tbeee gentlemen
in consult atiCn with the Mayor; 1 expressed my
anxiety that something should be done the depart
could work, told the Mayor that the engine
could not deliver; that buildings consuming with
aud that nothing sut act Of God could it.
except something resorted 10 besides water said
that General Swift and myself had considered the sub
ect Of resortrg to other expedent besides water
for that water out Of the question: the Mayor asked
If could end General Swift and bring him 10 him.
found him and with him the Mayor; there was
. consultation between the Mayor and Aldermen aud
bystandcfs and 6e neral Swift and self King
there and think Aldermen Benson TAYLOR Morgan l.
Smith and James H. Hamilton; the conference was
the 70 be Icsorted to with propriety, and within
The power of the chief magistrate to stay the fire. 1t
almost Immediately determined to guppowder and
blow up buildings that would be properly decided on;
General svs opinion desired by the Mayor to the
quantity OF powder that would be sufficient and the mode
OF sspR it; those Afterwards applied know
nothing about the blowing up; not present. went To
change my clothes, for covered with ice; Ehen
the engines stopped the fire in the Exchange
and the terror its height; the old New York In
fuiance Office wooden building; Mr.. Guliok eug-
estsd that vet banksts theud be used to keep of the
Ire from it, the city banks others this VII
change place when the buildings were blown up; /
member the building No IS; cannot say If 1t on
FIRE before the powder was put the Dutch church
Ere before No. Is blown up all the other buildings
burnt up; from about half past eight to twelve
o'clock thirty forty buildings consumed and be
cEa o'clock In the morning SIX hundred burnt up
with their contents: II might have been fifteen twenty
minutes between the explosion of No As aud the ezpo-
To Nr Mhitehead-When No 4S was blown up there
abste meDt of the FIRE could there be- the
feeling the public mind OF prooundest horror
had aiken possession of the minds OF all the
ther intensely cold
Mr. wetmore-Examined by Mr.. Davies-Resdes in the
city Of New York; have resided forty years there;
q merchant my store Nc. 81 Water street between
Coffee House alp and Old slp it consumed the night
street. burnt all the others we're; 1t
The only building that not burnt in the space
might; Tsppens store in front of mine aud
burnt was in my residence, in broadway above
BrOome street; when became aware that 1t large
ire went down town as matter OF duty and Interest,"
first to ascertain the condition of
property went the way to get to store:
I entered Water street became immediately
satisfied that the FIRE had passed the spot where
place had stood the evening before; proceeded in my
walk, however ! could to the ruins prin.
cpsl anxiety to know If the citizens officers mad
eDceavored the books was Informed that the
books OF the houses there had been saved and lef at
Peck slip; arrived with difficulty at tbs place
where the market had stood and found that mad been
bnTnt up, with its contents; having leisure
looked about il could help others; this
between half past IL and - o'clock my place Of business
was in ater street; the fire commenced in Merchant
street my OPPRESSION Is that the in which ie ory
the northeast OF the the sindcsr-
ried fire in that direction and it burnt down to the
river after il reached the river i. retraced steps
and. to professional expression i worked to wind
ward and then il the fire reached the Exchange;
passed from the site of the market In Old slip Hanover
square this where the wealthest silk houses in the
city situated nearly all those extensive stores
far a practice ole Hanover square open
space with of seventy five eighty feet
and tsperiDg thirty forty; NJ this tins attention
attracted extraordinary sight pyramid
of goods piled ~ in the square, examined them and
found them TO De of the richest kind goods left there
for safety; when returned 10 the place in the
morning not vestige remained o. them they were all
burnt; vent from Hanover square into William street
20 the rear OF the Exchange; found the crowd there
very great; then went towards Garden street this
ed to to be the track OF the fire; 1t then about
half past o'clock; my object to follow the
of the fire. approached towards Broad street passing
through the crowd, hestated moment; ted that
they we're about TO ex oode budiug; remained to see
the effect Of the explosion; | the building No. g.
hswn up; did not the powder tsAen into the build
ing my recollection is, that the TO it
fire say whether No IS ire not; don't
recolect well relative TO 81 when IS blown up
Garden street church lire knew that the are
department useless and completely pAralJzed no
could be got the weather intensely cold the
engines done working; they could not be worked
our frem en- worked TO the last.
Cross examined by MIR. Van Wagner The fire pro.
gressed rapidly great attention tine fire in
Water street in relation the house So which
burnt my opinion is tast It's safety complete
dent; II had wooden corridor ia front which an
traction TO fire; the building was occupied by very
energetic mao named Bnsoa be shut himself up
III bis houte with assistants in The comm encement
OF the nre he got water and a hand engine
and wherever fire appeared he put II out II
fire several times; Mr. Benson anu his assistants were
nj time the roof and we're given w for lost but
icy were saved
samuel Jones Willis--fxamined by Mr. Dayies.-Wss
q cotton merchant Of New York in 1885 OF the firm OF
Hicks Lawrence Co.. store wa 20 Exchange place,
the south tide; belonged 20 the fire department
fireman seventeen years. was five years an engineers
hsve been Alderm Of the city, in the CITY he
night Of the Ere in 1885, al the re reached the hre
after il broke out II might have been from nine 10
half past nine o'clock the fire commenced in the store Of
Comstock Audrews the fire burned very rapidly the
Exchange occupied half OF the block sfer ARR At
the FIRE and waiting shoTt time was convinced thatt
would be serious conhrgraton; went the and
took the books and ysusbes 10 house IN Mati
street; returned 20 the ERE about ten o'clock IL
then an peavd eyate that store would be burnt
began the goods when the fire reached
a great quantity Of goods remained In the store
the goods that did remove we're Afterwards burnt
up In Garden street church; our store was burnt
in the ndghborhood OF twelve or half past twelve
O'Clock; very coon after the fire commenced knew
thai the eDgires would be rendered useless by the n
cold and from that fact bcgsn 20 remove "a ry
n the lime store was destroyed don't remember 70
bsye seen a stream of water, solitary engine
oring step The fire. IL crossed from RrOad street
to William street very soon after IL caught our store