New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-07-31
THE LATE CATASTROPHE At THE MAN
HAITIAN GAS WORKS.

IsQuisI Cros TIL OF TIKI SUFFERERS, sULLI-
SHEA.
Uorouer Donue yesterday proceeded to hold nquests
an the BODIES Of the unfortunate who to their
deaths by the faD of building in the course of erection
for the Manhattan Gas Company, which fell on Saturday
last nbout clock The Coroner with the Jury visited
the house Of each of the deceased in succession and also
the Bellevue Hospital in which institution Sullivan died.
They then proceeded the of the castrophe The
iuoue,t was not concluded and adjourned unl this
dey at l. o'clock
The names and occupations of the gentlemen sworn to
serve upon the jury, follows:
Johu Moore, No. $50 Eirst-av., master mason
III. r. West No. $50 Firsav. master mason.
j. Is, Sneideker No. 3s9 Seeond-av., master builder.
Edward Deamater No. li3 East Twenty-Ihri'st, sass
and blind maker.
H. f. Warts, No 81 Thirdav iron roof manufacturer
Thomas LCder No. 429 Second-av., pianoforte manu-
facturer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RETORT HOUSES AT THE ROOT OF
FOURrEEyTH-sr, ASH RIVER.
There three houses each PAS feet long and 90 feet
wide ard were placed side by side. The gable ends were
of brick 10 inches thick the outer sides were brick piers
~ feet b, 20 inches placed five feet apart The valley
cutters of cast ron supported on cast iron columns
aud wrought iron treNsels The roofs were OF wrought
iron and partially covered with slate all the roofs had
two rods two TO each roof extending eugthwlse under
principal queen posts anchored through the gable end
walls The valley CUTTERS and glrders were also anchored
into the gable end walls.
The fluctuations spruce piles driven down INTO
the solid earth On beops of the piles were timbers on
Of buck au an Dy hydraulic cement The work was built
by the day under the superintendent OF Benjamin NJ
Clark.
Iron work was done by j. b. Il W. W. Cornell Il Co.
The following testimony was then taken;
Joseph French No. 29S East Foureenth-st., sworn-I
the arrestspt Of Benjamin Clark of West Twenty
second-s near Tenih-av he Superintendent of the
whole OF the gas department al the Of Fourteenth
ST. and Avenue C. he had the management OF all the work
and Of the epployed there in his absence had the
entire suptrintenlenco, and usually employed the labor
ing men; have been employed in the Manhattan Gas
WORKS the last twelve years and am thoroughly con-
ve,sant with the of erecting Gas buildings: |
assisted Mr.. CLARK in building the Manhattan Gas Works
in Eighteenth and NineteenhstS about three years ago
and further, associated with MIR. Clark erecting
the gas buildings the OF Avenue and Fourteenth
st. When the deceased Patrick Shea, to his death;
in the month of March last Mr.. Clark and BY the dec-
ton Of the President Of the Manhattan Gas Company,
came L. inspect the ground upon which the gas buildings
were erected at the OF Avenue md Fourteenth
st the President went with as and my OPINION was asked
10 the manner OF sping gave IT. and they approved
of H. the works commenced and the best materials
used and the best workmen employed in the erection of
the building until i fell yesterday; John Fuller HARRISON
was the architect he made the drawings for the build
ing and from these drawings Mr. Ozark and myself CON
daCteJ the works; Mr.. Harrison constantly az the
works excepting and then day, on occasions OF
xckness during the last week he was al the building
daily giving the necessary directions about the iron
roofing, and Mr.. Clark had the direction OF the
stating over the iron roofing IN preparing for the erection
of the budi2g the loose cdin ground 10 the depth of
five feet removed for the purpose OF driving the piles
into the old solid ground the best quality of Jersey pine
was procured used for piles the foundation made
With GREAT care and every preeauon taken To have
sod and permanent there were twenty oar roa COZ us
resting on granite bases, supported by brlek-wok imme
diseiy resting on the piles examining the brck-work
n which the columns rested have not seen tha' inc
ground at any of the columns has gwen away SO tha
the fall could not have occurred from the sinking OF the
piles or to the csntDg OF the columns was not stationary
any part the building and when came 10 thr oulu
Dg Yesterday Saturday morning at o'clock. and during
nv stay hours went through the building three
OF four times, and did not notice anything detective or
out of place there Gas made in the building the
company merely erecting the works preparatory TO
TO the manufacturing Of gas know of no cause Tor the
fall Of the roof
+, To the Jury.-To-dsy examined the ground. and did
no, notice any change settling in the ground the
coumps any sinking of the piles driving the piles
cav that they properly driven there were three
roofs Ard they were Connected the tmbers laid the
nine pes on which rested the respective columns
each four feet long twenty-five inches wide eight inches
thick these timbers separate not connected these
tmbers moi connec.sd were over the piles in the cooiro