Washington sentinel., 1854-04-30

where the hre was extending, i saw q large sky
light window about the middle oft, and through
that slsy-ight | could see the reflection Of the
flames coming out Of the front window. A
ladder was then brought and thrust through the
sky-hght from the second story TO enable the
hremen to get on the roof / went on to the
roof with six or eight others, when ! saw the
necessity OF having water to prevent the flames
from communicating TO the other building;
told Assistant Engineer Howard of this, that he
might give orders to put several streams OF
water up. The object was to play upon the rear
part OF the front building Ii those streams had
have been checked and the men would have
been safe. Engineer Howard came up TO get a
view HIMSELF and he ordered the streams up
there. then attempted to go down the ladder
to assist them to get their line up when about
half way between the roof and the foot oil the
ladder, the rear wall Of the front building fell
over on the back extension, and broke down
about one half of the roof, to the first floor or
to the cellar, carrying everything with il. ]
was on the ladder at the time, aud was carried
with 1t. In the descent, my fire cap was knock.
| ed of and lost among the ruins. / was some
what bruised and scratched in the fall as
| scrambled out towards the front door in
broadway. felt two men in my way, crawl.
| ing out, and heard others groaning and calling
for help. They appeared to be fast in the tim.
bers. The first man / saw in the street was
the chief Of police, Mr.. Matsell, who was stand.
ing at the front door. called to the firemen
that there we're others there buried in the ruins
The front wall of the building was standing as
| ifthere was nothing the matter, and the beams
| of the first floor looked perfectly sound. While
| was gone to 42s engine-house, Murray street.
| to borrow 6re.cap, heard that portion oi
| the front building had fallen, injuring more
persons. When came back, went around To
| the rear extension to see the extent Of the
| damage, and assist to relieve others. The cause
| OF this disaster was from the rear wall above
| the second story being supported by an iron
girder that went from side to side, without any
| other support; rear of this front building be
meath this girder had been taken out, and the
use Of this girder was to have a large extended
sale-room on the first and second stories. The
iron girder that supported the rear wall ap
peared to be very improperly placed, one enc
| OF it particularly insecure. 1t was placed or
brick, and one-third of it seemed to be rest
ing on nothing, as may be observed ever
now. 1t was likely the moving of the grid
er, there being no side walls, that caused tn,
rear walls to fall. If the girder had beer
Il
ed. Those iron girders, placed on brick walls
1 consider highly dangerous under any cir
cumstances. The fire had not been burning
more than thirty minutes, and neither tht
roof nor the beams seemed sufficiently burned
to cause the walls to fall. The south wall O
the building seemed to be not more than foul
inches thick, and was built up against thu
| American Hotel, and the beams had no othe
support; but few of the beams seemed to b,
let into the north wall, although large por
| ton were let into tremmer beams, and hat
direct connexion with the wall; when this rea
wall fell, portion fell out, and portion fel
in on the beams, and, these having no support
this was probably the cause Of the second dis
aster. All iron girders, in my opinion, are inse
cure the rolling of cask over them is sufli
cient to cause the girder by the vibration t.
| go off the plumb. This front building was tn
most insecure building that was ever put up
The wall appeared to be II inches thick ex
| ceptin on the upper stories where it was {
inches thick. My only wonder is that tn,
building did not fall before the fire occurred.
\ "Cross-examined-The occasion of this dis
/ aster was that the rear wall had no side walls
to support it on either side. If the building
had been constructed within the last FIVE years
and if the fre-wardens had notified the tuilde
and owners, the latter would be subject to
penalty Of 5000 each and $50 day after
wards until the insecurities should be removed
We never expect wall to fall until the fir
has burned four hours. The fire would probs
| bly, have been extinguished, if the building ha
not been insecure"