The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-08-01

70 Late Lamcntable Catastrophe a3 ths
Manhattan Gss WORKS an tno Course q
ERECTION AT the Foot M Fourteenth street
CEeT UPON THE BODIES or THE sUFFKRggs
0ILH0oLEY, SULLIVAN AND SHEA.
joroner O'Donnell Monday proceeded to hold In
bsts on the bodies OF the unfortunate men who
pc To their deaths by the fall of q buildina
the course of erection for the Manhattan Gas
mpany, which fell on Saturday last, about two
lock. Tho Corouer. with the jury, visited the
Use Of each OF the deceased In succession and also
Bellevue Hospital, In which institution Sullivan
d. They then proceeded to the scene of the
astrophe. The inquest was not concluded, and
adjourned until this day at half past one o'clock.
The nance and occupations Of the gentlemen
orn TO serve upon the jury. we're as follows -
R Y, Moore, 459 FIRST avenue, master mason.
!. B. snedeker. $50 Second avenue, master
Edward Delamater, l43 East twenty third street,
sh and blind maker.
H. E. Warts, SAT laird avenue iron roof manu-.
cturer.
Thomas Lcder, 42s Second avenue, pisnoforte
ahufacturer.
scRIPTIos OF TIE RErosr HOUSES AT TIE FOOT
- or FoUnTERsTH sTkEET, EAST RIVER.
mere we're three houses, each 2i5 feet long and
bic ends were Of brick Is inches thick; tue outer
ies we're brick piers. II feet by 20 inches. placed
feet apart The valley quite were Of cast iron,
pported on cast iron columns and wrought iron
esselH. The roofs were OF VIZ ug1t iron, and par
uy covered with slate; all the rOofs had two rods
wo TO each roof) exten Ting ieagtnwise under the
incipai queen pots, anchored through the gable
walls. The valley cutters and girders wore also
anofed INTO the gable end walls
Inc foundations were on spruce piles driven down
TO the solid Garth. On the tips " the piles we're
mbeIs. on which the foundations were laid. The
undatl0ns were OF brick, Laid In by ydraulc ce-
emit. The work was built byte day. under the
perintendence Of Benjamin VI. Clark. 4.
Iron work was done by J. B. & w. W. Cornell q
The following testimoney was then taken -
Joseph French, 29S East Fourteenth street sworn
| am the assistant OF Benjamin Clark, OF West
6enty.second street, near tenth avenue; he vas
perintendept Of the whole ut the gas department
the corner Of Fourteenth street and Avenue C;
had the management of all the work and of the
en- employed there; In his absence / had the en-
Re superintendent, and / usually employed the
boring men; / have been employed In the Manhat-
p gas works for the last twelve years, aud am
Pcfoughly conversant with the manner Of erecting
as buildings; assisted VI. Clark In building the
snhattan gas works in Eighteensh street, near the
nth avenue, about nine ears ago, assistant su
erntendent, and also in the Tenth avenue, between
Eighteenth and Nineteenth streets, about three
srs ago; and further was associated with Me-
lark in erecting the gas buildings at the
Frner OF Avenue G and Fourteenth street.
hen the deceased, Patrick Shea came to his death;
The month Of March last Nc. Clark and I, by the
Erection Of the President OF tho Manhattan Gas
company, came to inspect the ound upon viii Ii
Pc gas buildings were erected. at the corner OF
venue and Fourteenth street; the President went
it'll rs. and my opinion was asked as to the man
Ter Of spilinF; gave it, and they approved of It;
Pc works were commenced, and the best mate ials
Ped, al the best workmen employed in the ERGO
lon of the building until 1t fell yesto; day; John
|uller Harrison was the architect; he made the
rawlings for the BUILDING, and from these drawings
Gr Clark and myself conoucted tho works; MI.
Harrison was cor Instantly at the works, excepting
low and then day, on occasions of sickness;
|uring last week no was az tee building daily,
living the necessary directions about the iron roof
hp, and Mr.. Clark had the direction Of the
la'ing over the iron roofing in preparing for the
rectcn of the building, the lo'ss filled 10 ground,
0 the depth Of five feet, vas removed for the pur-
ose of driving the piles into the old solid ground
be best quality Of Jersey pine was procured and
nd every precaution taken to have it solid and
ornament; there were t.enty four iron columns
esting on granite bases, sup.orsed by brick work
Immediately resting on the piles; on examining
be brick work on which the columns rested,
ave not seen that the ground, at any OF the
olumns, hes given way, 81 that the fall could not
ave occurred from the sinking of the piles or to
10 canting CT the columns; was not stationary at
ny one part Of the building; and when / came to
Ie building yesterday (5aturoay,) morning, at
clock, ano during my stay for TWO hours, I went
trough the building three or four times, and did
OF notice on, thing defective out of places there
a. NO gas made in ths building; the company were
erely erecting the works preparatory to the manu-
cturing If gas; know of no cause for the fall of
10 roof.
To the Jury.--To day I examined the ground, and
Id not notice any change or settling in th ground
ear the columns, or any sinking Of the piles; on
irving the piles, saw that they were properly
riveD; there were three roofs, and they we're con-
ted; the timbers laid on the pine piles, on which
ssted the resi- cctive coiumps they were each four
et long twenty-five inches vide eight inches thick;
hese timbers we're separa ;e, not connected; these
entire Of The buildings hut the tmbers over the piles
nder the outer piers were connected.
Charles Boone, President Of the Manhattan Gas
light Company, AZ West Thirty third street, sworn
Previous to the erection Of the works at the
prner Of avenue and Fourteenth street, ex-
mined the ground, and had the earth bored in
umber Of places to the depth of twentysix feet so
to ascertain what steps were necessary to secure
permanent and solid foundation for the buildings
roposed to be erected; decided that II was neces,
nv to place the foundation piles, and prepared
" plans accordingly; the buildings were designed
me- and desire to assume all the responsibility Ia
lis caae; the plans drawn by John Fuller Harr
according to my direction the spe fcations were
rawn by me, and given to the respective con-
ent under whose personal direction the work was
xecuted; Mr. Harrison, the architect, assisted Mr..
lark; Mr. Clak was an old experienced builder,
0 whose skull the company had unboundei con-
ience; he finished works Of great extent for this
ompany, and for the New York Gas Light Com
any, for the last fifteen years, and he was npoyed
nder John B. Jervis, as his superintendent, in the
of the Croton aqueduct; during the
roeress Of the said building was daily on the
round and hourly In consultation with the
and with the architecs, and
by all the means in my power,
= personal observations and repeated instruc.
ons 10 the officers EN- loyed to spare no expense
,bi,h it might be Decesssry to incur to erect the
FORKS in the strongest and most substantial manner,
was in the bulding yesterday for nearly two hours
nd left there about hour before 1t FELL although
examined, as thought, every portion OF the work
rhich vas visible, / saw nothing that was not. In
Nv Judgment, as perfect as could b. desired to en-.
ure general SO urity. am unable to express any
pinjon as to the cause of the sad accident. Tho
oundatlons for the building, should think, cost
YER $4,000, and the whole work, including the
mound, was estimated to cost, when flushed
Il 900 900. Mr.. Clark al ways expressed his admira
ion of the skilful manner In which the ironwork
gas performed do not think that any storm could
ave affected the soidty Of the structure. was in