The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-03
THE BROADWAY CALAMITY.
TIE CoRONRR'S INVESTIGATION CONTINUED.
The Evidence Of Chief Engineer Carson
and Others.
STRANGE DEVELOPMENTS.
RrrnRE CORONER HILTON.

BEFORE CORONER HILTON.
At nine O'Clock yesterday morning the evidence
continued The first witness called master mason,
to show the construction Of the building.
TESTIMONY OF MR. SANFORD.
Charles Sandford sworn said- reside at No. 10 East
Sixteenth street; am mason; have followed
that business for the last twenty years in this
city; have examined the ruins ut No 23l Broadway
the of the late fire. the underpinnng of the party
wall of the American Hotel seems to me to be done
/ do not think that digging under this wall
has injured the strength it. in the progress Of the
work the store floor might have sunk nttie anu
up with screws or otherwise IL the floor had sunk
it could not have been the fault of this wall as nell
ther IL or appears to have settled any,
when the store floor was lowered the ends Of the beams
made TO rest timbers, wooden frame work u
il my opinion the ends those beams should have been
supported by brick wall instead OF this frame work;
in the present case, however, TINS dld NOT materially I'M
pair the strength Of the building nor did the undepn-
beams let into the wall about four inches this is of
lawful depth have examined this wall in company with
he expressed opinion at that time that inside lining
the width Of brick had been run up the in
side of this wall; this found to be mistakes when
the party wall was originally built with the American
Hotel, recesses left for the chiinneys of this
building; these recesses were not used, anti
cipated and in order 10 make flush surface
they filed in with brick and mortar there one
these in the front and one in the of this
party WALL they each about six feet wide and four
inches deep this did not improve the strength of the
wall not more than fifty hundred Of these bricks
had fallen out and this had nothing to do with the fall
ing of the building; the wall the other side of the
building Is reasonably strong either Of these walls
Of sufficient strength the extension Vas built well
and according to law it but two stories high the
iron arch that supported the wall not
Of sufficient width thickness, and the ends
this arch is eight inches in width and about one or one
and quarter inches in thickness with tension rod of
about and half inches in thickness it should have
been at least twelve inches in width, two inches in
thickness with two inch tension rod, and the ends
should be inserted into the side walls distance Of at
least foot and rest in cut blue stone band of at
least four inches in thickness instead of this the arch in
question rests on bricks four inches side and
about six inches on the other; cannot say how far it
inserted into the side walls 1t is the smallest iron
arch ever saw put up to support such wall the rear
wall this arch four stories up only eight inches
thick, and been properly secured to the side walls
with strong iron arches could not perceive that it had
between the side walls without any apparent attach
ments ready to fall at any moment the support given it
by the tmbers, partitions, or floors, gave way con-
slider il of the most insecure brick walls
law the three upper stories not sufficiently tim
bered for building Of that height; many Of the tmbers
inserted into trimmers; the beams that support
the ends OF these beams should be stronger than the
others; this not the case in this building; many
thew should have been inserted into The wall
and strongly anchored there attribute the falling OF
the building to this and the insecure in which
the wall built; from the mannerAn which this
wall put up, it fully liable to fall as if it had
been twelve inch wall the front wall in the second
inches it was put in the same reckless manner that
the rear was the building not calculated to sup
port any heavy weight in the upper stories and
in case of fre don't consider any twelve inch wall
Of six stories high sufficiently strong sustain itself
after the tmbers and partitions are burned away;
this is lawful thickness for walls that height
consider iron arches perfectly safe when of proper
were opv inserted INTO the brcS filing between he re
originally left for fire places their ends did not
enter the original party WALL in some places the beams
fuc; Into
the law requires they should be inserted four inches
never girder tilt after it put up the manner
1Ation of the Ere laws, when they we're put up in
1870; the building of an eight inch wall this
ouires that ali walls over thirty ave feet bvh shall he
twelve inch walls only know by hearsay that there
other buildings in this city as unsafe this building
safe; don't think man like Mr. Jennings could know
that this dangerous building unless he knew all
the circumstances relative to it, building should be
built to sustain heavy weights unless was originally
built with walls and timbers such used in building
stores; builder of character would build building
without anchorng the walls; builders sometimes erect
buildings wrong from ignorance
TESTIMONY OF MR.. FLAKE.
Henry Eake, German, sworn, and examined through
interpreter, said-I reside in Forsyth street, am
cutter, in the employ Of Messrs w I. Jennings Co.;
have been thirteen months in their employ we had no
FIRE in the stove the night Of the fire. there
fire in the furnace at the head of the third floor went
TO work at O'Clock that morning. left that even
time; was working on the third floor there was no
one at work on the fourth floor; l had been up on
the fourth floor in the forenoon of that day; when
left did not notice any other persons in the
store except the head porter; the store was just
about closing; the porter's name is Roberts, white
have noticed crack in the wall; saw crack in the
basement WALL last summer; there was ne bad feeling
amongst any Of the workmen and Mr. Jennings to my
tened down that day; there is small skyiight over
the stairway, in the roof; but that was fastened,
and could not be opened; during that day did not
story; : person might have gone up stairs and
worked there alone three other men worked In the
back the floor the stairs opened into their
room; did not hear any Of them say that they saw
up coat that day Of which to trim
one like it; that was my business up stairs.
TESTIMONY OF MR.. CARSON CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT..
Mr. Carson the Chief Engineer Of the Fire Department,
Was next called to testify.
Alfred Carson sworn said- Chief Engineer of the
Fire Department. in the City Hall at the time the
re broke out should think the FIRE broke out about
o'clock heard the cry Of fire in the Park; looked
~ feet high coming from the roof Of the building In
question: ran Immediately to the buding Engine AZ,
there al vent a
ing the fire. and called in las to follow with their
hose; they did So got out the roof Of Meade's build
ing; solid OF fame then coming out Of the sky
hight Of Jsnnngs's building; ordered them to get the
vater quick possible, feared Meade's building
would be Are then went down stairs and took
survey OF the hotel: here ordered the pipes OF AZ
snd 90 then went into the street. and Mr. Baulch,
the assistant engineer ordered several streams into
the building on fire returned back TO the hotel, and
from the side windows the flames rushing out from
the two upper story windows Of the main buildings
that the first knew Of the extenson then ordered
3ss pipe to back out and play stream these
windows fire. this done then went to the street
in front Of the building the door, and shortly after
tnis crash came; think prior to this ordered pipe
from Meade's building; when the crash came look
Eng into the store and the stuff down;
satished it the WALL 1t broke clear through TO the
cellar several out Of the store and then Mr..
Mills cut he the 6rst spoke to- he came
EuS caught hold of and begged me to send some one
help the others OUT he all dirt, and bare
headed refused to send any in, saying thought
here would be another crash that would bury them all
zap would not send any in great many attempted
rush in haoosd 70 them 10 keep them back;
krould rush in, and called to them TO out but
hey excited to get the they did not pay
my attention. after the second crash came and
,ured the others under the ruins; l should think
a his second crash from three to Ave minutes
fter the first falling I then directed all opera
ions TO be In the In extricating the bodies fearing