The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-04-29
TIE BROADWAY CALAMITY.
;INVESTIGATlON BEFORE CORONER HILTON.
Important Evidence Of the Carpenter Rela'
tive to the Walls Of the Building.
THE FUNERAL CEREMONIES,


and jury me at the Hospital and by the suggestion Of
Mr. Gepn the place of holding the investigation
moved to the Astor House. No. A. Prior to taking
the testimony the Coroner announced jury that
the unknown body supposed TO have been Wilson, had
recognised to be that of Henry Chrstman aged 10
years. native Of this city, who that night was run
ming with Engine The br ther of deceased residing
at l26 Wett street, identified the deceased by the
clothing and mark upon his arm. This last body
makes ten dead which is all that have yet under
the cognzance of the Coroner.
EVIDENCE OF MIR. MILLS.
After organizing at the Astor House. the first witness
called was
Zophar Mile, who being sworn II reside POT Ma
olson street; am an exempt fireman, and of
she Trustees Of the Fire Department. formerly Pre-
sident of the department. the fire in question
2Sl Brcadway was at my house when heard the FIRE
bell strike; dressed in my Gre clothes and the
fire. immediately went into the building to the second
story; this about O'Clock; when arrived in front
Of the building noticed the upper stories fire; the
flames coming out of the upper windows the front
building six stories high and probably forty feet
deep, with extension in the of two stories,
covering the balance of the lot, about sixty feet
iwent into the building stairs fire. the flames
were coming down from the third story; Twentyone
pipe was thore, and arranging the hose to to work in
thrown on the fire, which led from the second to the
third story their stream stopped the fire from coming
building on this extension tn re was large skylsht
through that skylght could the reflection of the
ino ladder was then Sronght M into ' ths sesond
door, and one end thrust through the sky
light to enable the 6remen to get on tha roof
raj others; then saw the urgent necessity of having
water there TO prevent the fire extending to the other
building; called to Assistant Engineer Howard in order
that he might send up pipe of water for had that been
done, and stream Of water played the main buiog
an on the rear roof where they would have been safe
notwithstanding the falling of the wall, Engineer Howard
instantly the ladder the roof to take view
of it, and Immediately ordered the hose to
up; then went down the ladder, to assist in getting
the rear wall of the front building fell carried
down with 1t about half the roof of the rear exten
cellar was ON the 0i ladder at the he time and Of
course descended with it, scrambled out well
knocked OF by timber, and received bruse on
my shoulder and other parts OF my body the instant
CLEAN of light cravled out through the ruins to-
wards Broadway; my way out passed AMI felt
two who appeared to be fastened down by the mber
they groanng and calling for help; the first man
after got out Mr. Matsel the Chief OF Police;
he stood TIE front door; told him under
The ruins; Icael also to the aremen that there we're
others in there buried in the ruins; the front wall
Broadway was then standing, as if nothing the mat
ter; the bams of the first floor seemed to be perfect
and also those on the second floor; then Went to No.
AZ engine use in Murray street. and procured another
Ere cap, and while was away, my return told
that portions of the front building FELL then went
through the American Hotel to the Of the buildng
for the purpose of assisting in rcscung the
then under the ruins had to climb wall to
get to the rear.
Witness here remarked-I should like now to give my
opinion to the of this falling.
Soroner-Well, proceed.
witress-The rear wall of the upper four stories of
which @ the
building the ends being inserted in the walls OF the ad
joining buildings; the building in question had walls
Of its own the object of having these grders ei
IDENTITY to form large salesroo, and tho wall of
the front building had been away contin
nous room or open space between the 6rs and second
stories Of the extension The iron girder appears
to have been very Improperly secured in fact % one
projected from the bricks it can be seen now This
fac in my opinion caused the girder to cant over,
which threw the wall out OF plumb and caused to fall
This wall appears to to have been like trap
door, not being supported by any side wall, apparently
having connection and ready to fall at any moment
by the fitting of the girder either side the other
This my judgment in the matter As the fire had not
been burning twenty minutes, the beams not
burnt through had the FIRE progressed far enough
to any danger On the south side of the building,
to the American HOTEL there appears to have been
ledge bricks inches being the width
brick this is all that supported the beams on that sde
the main wall of the hotel the north side Of the BALD
ing few Of the beams let into the wall Of the
next building but large portion Of them appeared to be
let into trimmer beams having direct connection with
the main wall Of the adjoining building; when this
wall fell suppose some part Of it fell outside and other
portions inside resting there few moments on the bcis
carrying them down with it, which the occasion
of the second disaster; the front building consider
the most insecure i witnessed in fact all Of
those iron grdors very dangerous, especially when
v.hey support WALL and the vibration will always tend
loosen them; in fact this front building is the most
mserably constructed one saw patched up evi.
IDENTIFY from dwelling house, having proper wall
erected to support itself and my only wonder is that it
did not fall by its weight, without any fire.
To Mr. Genin foreman OF tie jury-If this balling
had been built since passed the be
liable to ne Of $500, and after being notified, $50 for
every twenty four hours until it had been removed;
thousands Of buildings burned, and l
fall before; had not the least idea of its falling
nor had any else; the beams were burnt but very
little expect wall to fall until the roof gives
way Of the beams but in this the wall fell
and the roof still on the falling the building vas
its construction.
EVIDENCE OF MR.. MILLER.
was carpenter and lived at No sos Broome street he
altered the building, which originally dwelling
nsred the time whom he worked it. which was 'i in
1s4l '42 1t had been altered previously could not
lowering the beams of the first story, to make easy
TO the store from the street, the law in relation
tn erection Of buildings s that eight inch walls be
erected TO the height Of thirty yc feet the building had
the appearance Of having complied with the fire laws, by
having additional four inch wall built up side by side
With the old one this done 30 make the wall twelve
inches thick, to comply with the Ere laws; the
building has been altered he should judge, at two differ
ent tmes--that is once before he altered Il himself
to -four story building and the second time
sores the Gre laws require that eight inch wall shall
in the must have taken place in isi2 because he
had no recollection of its having been altered since by
building wall twelve inches in thickness 1t may
be reared up high the party might
at; witness had examined the building and found
in some places the rear wall had the Of
having teen sustsned by party wall four inches thick
and in some places no party wall traceabe witness
did not examine It as thoroughly he might have done
examined it on Thursday afternoon the wall il not
proper TO be used in the construction building of
That kind the tmbes had nothing to rest upon except
this party WALL the fire law in relation to matters OF
this description s that wall already built shall
creased in strength by adding 10 its thickness; the build
ing In his opinion not proper for the purposes
II was used or great fault that IL had been al
tered many times without taking into consideration the
purposes for which 1t originally erected NAMELY,
dwelling house, witness agreed with what Mr. Mills the
first witness said in the building Of back
except where he states the iron grder was perfect
ly safe; In this wall the grder not laid in proper
In the building question this girder not put
up In proper manner and the wall built it not
put property too slight II had the appearance Of
being good wall, but too slightnot OF sufficient
thickness II should not have been less than twelve
inches thick they did comply with the law in this
particular, it being only eight inches thick.
Coroner--Q Whose duty was II 10 sec that tho walls
should be Of sufficient thickness?
A. fhe dufv Arow aofx hat