The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-05
THE BROADWAY CALAMITY,
Rendition OF the Verdict by the Coroners

=
About IL O'Clock yesterday morning, the Coroners
jury empanneled TO investigate the Of the destruc
ton Of eleven human beings at the building 23l Broad
way occupied by W. T. jennings Co., which took fire
| on Tuesday evening" the 25th of April, met at the
Aston House. Nearly an hour consumed in waiting
for the arrival Of tho Coroner who ii seems had been
detained in attendance sick patient However, at
II O'Clock he made his appearance and having call
! ed the jury TO order, said -
Gentlemen, have you agreed upon verdictS If so,
please to give the result Of Eour elaboration"
Mr. Genn-tW We have"
Mr. Genn then read the following verdict and also the
remarks appended thereto -
VERDICT.
The undersigned empAnnelled for the pur-
pose nqurng into the OF those who lost
81 s OF ap fully Sn
dsred the Testimony ELECTED during the inquest render the
that the deceased lost their lives by distinct
ssdns and Second The falling u the beams and aoorins
in which the said wall built and in ~hioh tho
s Fire the %
beams and doorng those who endeayong
cor the By the former accident, These thinkers
Of the Fire laws in force when they inserted in the
whole building was in our opinion complete death
for the purpose ofsscr
sns s Ssss IN a.
We ind Their that TIE PARTED respSnbls for the peril
sas dssE Ri;n; spssasssIYSs and
Ss5sS p.
Bariey for whom alterations made We believe
S ls on tGs
&c. W. r.
blame relation to the Insecurity Of the building and
''' ', Jim n csH ais Foreman. Abort Coles
William N; Cooke Matshew, II. spittlc
John john 4 P nsi.' hiram Belts
A Burns o verdict on Isaac fact. s ~
far they bear specifically this calamity 1t may be
thought, perhaps that our duty has ended We think
otherwise The sacrifice Of human life in this city
quen in part upon the want of laws adequate to its pro-
per projections and in part resulting from the non
awful The evil appears to increase The apathy of
civil authorities, legislative, judicial and executive has
passed into poverb, and SO many garing instances
of il have under observation that feel
bound, conscientious men and good citizens, to
place record the general conclusions at which
We have arrived during the progress of the
testimony. In doing it is not wish to impugn the
motives unnecessarily the acts OF public
bodies or of individuals in authority but to show that
the practical working of municipal SYSTEM far
relates to the protection of life and property is
loose inefficient and altogether Inadequate to afford
that security the community which they have right
to expect, and which they pay millions per annum in
BILE witnesses subpanaed this subject there are
numbers of buildings in this city as insecure as was the
miserable shell 231 Broadway.
For several years past hundreds of these deahtraps
have been reported by the Fire wardens and their re-
ports have been annually transmitted through the regu
lar official channel, to the Common Council, without
having elected action the part of that body The
documents have been treated matters of form,
have been ordered file and there the affair has ended
The Fire War6ens may have performed their duty
well could be expected cons ierng the smaness of
their number and the time they have devoted to the in
spection of buildings but there is law rendering
obligatory the Common Council to act upon the re-
ports nothing has been done.
The facts have not been published in the public prints
and citizens have been permitted to pursue their
daily ayocaons among deceptive buildings, liable at any
moment to fall and almost certain to occasion the loss
OF life in OF fire. without caution Of warning.
Our deductions from these premises is that such
tension of the power of the Fire Wardens viii enable
them to compel the removal of dangerous buildings,
law which shall obge the sworn guardians of the city to
act promptly theirreporis absolutely necessary
guarding against the dangerous alterations Of
buildings, would recommend an amendment of the
FIRE laws restraining the owners and from making
alterations thereon except under the sanction of permits
from the proper authorities and rendering it the duty Of
the latter to that the conditions OF such permits
that Twelve Fire Wardens even IL they should devote
their whole attention to the task-which for FIVE hun
dred dollars Per their present salary is not to be
expectcd-coud not properly perform the duty assigned
TO them. Competent witnesses have testified that build
the security non-security of buildings and this ap
pears 10 be consistent with and common
From The statements made on this branch OF the sub
ject we say, nnhesitangly, that the number of fire
wardens should be at least doubled their whole time de-
voted to the service and their salary proportiona in
complain of any just expenditure for the better
protection Of their own lives 1t further appears
Thickness required by the present fire laws unsafe IL
to the height of six stories and that these laws
contain restriction whatever to the height of build
ings There law except that Of gravation to pre-
vent twelve inch wall from being built the NOON
An amendment Of the Ere laws to meet this difficulty is
required
been stated under OATH during the investigation that
small badges, bearing the numbers Of different fire
dpr,n andth That evbi t,d tofb a
lice by the the latter suffered pass into
burning buildings the strength Of such credentials
The facilities which these passports afford to thieves
pursuing their nefarious designs comparative safety are
obvious. The evil does not, however. exist in the
but in the absence Of any law restricting their use
under penalties, to any other than members of
the Fire Department. Any villain may not only
the badges but the garb 81 fireman, without being pun
shed therefor. The department justly jealous of its char
acer for honor and integrity DESTROYS Of having the
assumption Of its uniform by outsiders made misde-
meanor by statute and trust the expoency of such
law may be pressed upon the next Legislature. The
Fire Department does not to have received either
from the legislature of the State the city govern
mont the support and assistance to which its important
objects and great services entitle it. Like other large
bodies Il has occasionally been infested with unworthy
nsmter who have procured admission into its ranks
Tor ohjec'ienable purposes; but these, the Chief
their 'rse character becoming known. We re-
gret 10 say that In its efforts to purify ITSELF the
department has not always been seconded by the autho
rites On tie contrary individuals, repudated by the
department for good and sufficient cause, have been
tnsta ed by The common Council IL Is not in evidence
that this has been done by the present Common Council
but such acts charged upon predecessors One of
the most serious evils connected with the working OF the
lIe Department Is the alleged impossibity Of prevent
ing boys from running with the machines and entering
buildings on FIRE. The members of that body whom
examined under OATH united in reprehendng the prac
ce, and stated that against the rules of the do
parment but seemed unable 10 suggest any method by
which could be prevented The evil is unquestionably
great one and il opens such wide field of temptation
to tie vagrant youth of city TO demand the
serious consideration of The public and energetic action
on he of M In
consider II duty call the attention of the police to
the improperly Of permitting boys to enter burning
buildings Policemen know, or II they do not, should
be informed by their superors, that persons under
age cannot legally be members Of the Fire Depart
ncnt; their youthful appearance should be proof
positive that tey DO not belong to tho organization
Whatever badge they may have in their hands or on
their coats the badge Of boyhood impressed upon their
.all LIN L.