The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-10


held last Saturday, at the Bellevue Hospital, upon
the body Of Cornelius Crimming whose melancholy
death in that institution, from injuries received by
the careless discharge Of blast in Thiyrst street.
we noticed in our paper Of the same morning
The record Of city casualties convnces us that the
system of blasting rocks upon this sland-particu
larry in or near tenanted locaes-is lax, dangerous
and reckless. We trust that the perusal Of the es
mony in this will arouse the city government to
rigorous enforcement Of the ordinances-if there
lie any-which regulate the manner of signalling
danger previous to the discharge Of blasts, as there
is no doubt but they are entirely disregarded by
almost all the contractors engaged in this dangerous
occupation. In the case of Crimming, Coroner Hill
ton empanneled a highly respectable jury, and re-
corded the following testimony
Dennis Crimming, being duly sworn, deposed-
That he is brother of the deceased the deceased re-
sided in the town Of Lagrange, Duchess county; he
was sixtyliye years old and born in the county Of
Cork, in Ireland Witness identified the body:
Hannah O'Connor sworn-I am servant OF the de-
ceased, Cornelius Crimmng; he resided in Fiftyninth
street, near Second avenues last Thursday, between
II and o'clock, l took his dinner to him at the
ner of Thrty-rst street and First avenue, where he
was employed in digging cellar; he went into
tool shop near, and put his dinner down upon an
empty powder cask; sat down beside him; in ten
twelve minutes after, stone fell upon the roof Of
the shop, breaking through it, Immediately over
where the deceased sat; it struck the deceased upon
the right arm and right leg; the stone would weigh
about fifty sixty pounds; in my opinion, the stone
now shown to me is the same one; when the stone
struck the deceased, he fell on his side exclan
ing, "Oh, oh, God help my children" The people
took him to the hospital.
George Kidney, being duly sworn, deposed:-I re-
side at No. 488 Sixth avenue Witness here detailed
that he was eating his dinner with deceased at the
time of the accidents he described the positions &C.
cupied by EACH and corroborated the last witness
as to the accident and injury to deceased, as like
wise his removal to the hospital. Deceased and
were working there for the last two months; they
were blasting there all the time; the roof of the shop
in which we were was made Of good new boards;
heard man cry "fre" several times on that day;
they cried Sire" Immediately before the accident;
have seen the men engaged in this work blast at the
to the blast being discharged; have seen men blast
before, and always saw the blast covered up with
sticks and large stones laid across upon the top OF
them.
Thomas Crmming being duly sworn deposed:-I
am first cousin to the deceased, Cornelius Crimming
,'"side in Fiftieth street, near Second avenue;
am for making sewers and blasting rocks;
Mr. John Bus is IN my belief the agent for com
pn he First avenue: nave zen him about the work
as passed; previous to firing ss s 81 tmber
my opinioa Be covered with planks VI .,n o
and heavy stones on top; an experienced :nS ct
teNiI what direction stone Will fly u BLAST. :" =
men at least two hundred feet in all directions tocy
out "re" to people and passengers If the blast were
not covered should not like to be within four hun
drsd feet Of in my opinion st there is law that
gers not to pass near blast have not used that
flag myself but gave orders this morning to my man
to get some; did 80 in consequence OF this catas-
trophe, and from having seen them used in other
places; last saw red flags used about five weeks
ago..
street; my business is blasting rock; ! have been
generally employed at it for the last twelve years;
in my opinion the law is to give five minutes warn
ing before you set fire to the fuse in blasting; be-
ieye the law says that the warning should consist of
there is law requiring that red flag should be
hoisted upon pole and that the men should carry
red flags to warn the people; the law says that
blast must be covered when near an inhabited place;
at which you could not blast near TO houses; some
times an uncovered blast is dangerous at eight hun.
bred feet; / mean an uncovered sand blast, and
being in front of it, in hole blast, when uncovered,
would rather stand hundred feet in the rear OF
it than be three hundred feet away and in front OF
in an ordinary sized hole would put in about three
half pints, by measure, OF powder; the rock now
shown to me is, i'll my opinion, dangerous kind Of
rock in blasting such rock the hole should be pro
| pery covered il it be near to houses; have seen
piece of rock at where now work little larger than
the piece now before me thrown about two hundred
feet this piece came from blast which was pretty
| well covered above.
Jacob VanderpOol, Jr.. sworn:-The house IN
which the accident occurred Is about two hundred
feet distant from where the blast was discharged;
| have examined the place where the blast was dis
| charged, which it is alleged killed the deceased,
since; the houses occupied by Arson G. Phelps and
Mr.. Stokey, Thirtyfrst street, In First avenue,
are little nearer to the place than the tool shop u.s.
they are about the distance of as the shanty;
have been present once or twice when the men were
blasting upon the westerly side of First avenue;
there was no covering used at the tunes SPEAK Oh;
Tuesday afternoon, towards night had crossed the
avenue, and was passing through Thrty-frst street
when / heard report Of blast, and shower OF
small stones falling down about me; there was
no warning, and was alarmed very much; TINS re-
port came in my opinion, from the same place
spoken of; saw the smoke, and thus recognized Tile
place where it was set of; it was in First avenue
about seventy-ve feet north OF Thirtyhrst street;
was about one hundred and twenty feet from where
the blast was; heard no warning given; saw
no flags: l have known the deceased; he was
in the employ Of Vanderpool Smith & Co; :.
Bernard Kerrigan, sworn:-l was employed u
blasting at the place mentioned upon the day OF the
accident; prepared the blast which threw up tht
rock said to have killed the deceased; discharged
five blasts between twelve and one O'Clock, on ina
day had about half pound OF powder IN the las
one discharged, which is the one supposed TO nave
done the injury it was a churned drill blast, with
hole Of an inch and a half in diameter; conside
the rock pretty dangerous to blast was not aware
OF it's character at the time as thoSgnt !. was s n
same rs some which had previously biasted nav
been nearly four years employed at blasting rock
this blast was not covered have been in the habl
IF covering them when dreaded danger blasts ar
mt generally covered in an open quarry; gave tn
peopie alarm Of danger SO that man four hundre'
feet off could hear me am employed by Mr. ~. jon
Burns who pays my wages he live; in HI mh fpf
third street his brother Thomas Burns Is Inc ioit
man over me he had been at the work upon tn
day Of the accident, but he had gone to dinner imm
dately before it occurred; went to his boara,n
house after him when it happened we have coveIe
Covered them with large stones immediately ait,
tSe Hast went off, heard the breaking Of the boart
Of the roof Of the house in which deceased edo was
oeias ILL., pnrns sworn:-I act as agent for the Far
c,s, Ioan and Trust Company; the blasting was upt
i their property; employ the workmen Tor the COZ
ny me n the '9eI
N W. Ill.,. Caoroe p Fitch ia acting Secretary; strict
speaking, do not know the law relative to blastn