New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-21
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CATASTROPHE
SIX CHILDREN KILLED.
IHEIhJuRED REcov ERINc.
THE CoRoSER's INVESTIGATION.

children instead OF greater number were killed by
the destruction of public school No. H. Tuesday az
INST. 1t was at first supposed that some bodies
were under the ruins but such hardly be the case
The following is a corrected list of the unfortunates:
GEORGE WICK, son of Philip Week, Oxford street,
near Park avenue. The child was five years and ten
months old.
HENRY PLAss ten years old of William Plass,
Portland avenue, between Park and Myrtle avenues.
HrxnY LIZ BLANC, years DID, son of Ambrose l..
Leblanc No 1876 Nassau street.
JoHS w. GREEN, years old, son of David Green,
Concord street near Hudson avenue.
II. C.. SMITH, years Old Parents reside at No. ''i
Bridge street.
STEPHEN BLOOMFIELD, years old. Parents re-
side at No. 1913 Nassau street.
All the injured are doing well, and some have en-
trely recovered.
The bodies of the victims by the fire have all been
viewed and certificates of burial given by the Cor
oners The investigation into the Ct the catas-
trophe was commenced before Coroner Smell and the
following Jury, yesterday afternoon, in the Health
Office in the City Hall: Nicholas Ammeiman Stephen
johnson, Zaccheus Naples, Willet Baden, James
Gillen, John B. Tton, Richard Rogers, John Murray
VIM. NJ. Kennedy, Abraham zimmerman, Alfred
Horton.
William NJ. Harris, swom-Am a member of the
Brooklyn Board Of Education and Chairman OF the
building Committee; have been in the Board nine
years. the building erected in the Fall OF 1913,
and occupied LIT September, 1854; the school build.
ing, such, was considered most admirably con-
structed the means of egress were three-one, main
entrance for visitors, at the corner OF Navy and COn-
cord streets one al the end of the building on Con-
cord street, and in Navy street; the floors were
divided into nine rooms, each room divided from the
other by folding doors. Explained, by means of
diagram the condition and plan Of the buildngl The
fire occurred in the end Of the building nearest Hud-
son avenue, and the wind blowing toward the Park
the accident occurred at the end of the building
toward Nassau street; the starways We're guarded
by walls instead Of baustrades the stairs occupied the
whole of the space, leaving no wellhoe; these were
the largest ana widest stairs in any public school in
the city; the plans of the building were made by
Messrs King 4 kellum; the furnaces the
ground floor; the hot-ar fues came up in the par
ttions outside Of the projections to the folding doors
Samuel Sale built the TIN work; he was required to
have the wood work lined with tin and perfectly pro-
tected against fire. the wood was lined with tin wher
ever it came in contact with the hot-air pipes last
year il found that the old furnaces giving
out and the Board directed that the place should be
repainted; sent for Mr.. Mahon, and directed him to
cut out the wood surrounding the registers and put in
soap-stone, filling up the inerstices with plaster of
Paris directed him 10 secure perfectly the whole Of
the fues against fire; when all was done, he said he
was satisfied all secure Mahon put in the fur
naces, and warranted them TO give in the coolest
weather 10 Fair; he was not to get his pay until
March next the stairways are four feet six lnciA WIDE
Department to the first floor aud the Older scholars TO
the upper story; the children of the Grammar De-
partment all dismissed by the Concordstree side
aud the accident occurred by the larger boys of the
Primary Department crowding upon the smaller boys
in the same department; / am Of opinion that the
registers should not be shut when the fire too
great-that the windows should be opened instead;
the registers being closed caused an intense heat in
the hues, and this caused the fire; il they were
shut il Gas not prudent act on the part OF those
closing them; the Principal of the school had the
entire charge of cleaning the rooms and making the
fire. the new furnaces worked the best in comparison
with the old furnaces; last Thursday the Principal
stated that there two rooms which were not suth-
GENTLY heated, and the others were comfortably
heated and warmed; am OF the opinion that
if all the doors had been kept closed, none
would have been hurt, as is made evident
by the fact that al the girls got out
unhurt, but the boys not being under such subjectop
broke beyond control and thus were injured; have
dismissed the school in three minutes the number of
scholars was about 800; the primary class Of BOYS
number about 20 the primary class of girls about the
same number; Miss VOORHEES, was the principal in the
primary department, assisted by eight young ladies;
the visitors entrance at the corner of Concord and
Navy streets, has starways some six feet wide this
Yves to guard against accidents, "a in a rush
~as made from both ends of the building they could
be accommodated; one heater was in the centre of
the wing on Concord street. and the other was near
the center on Navy street. and the other in the
fuel room in the corner apartment; the hues from
these heaters passed through the partition, except in
the room where the HIe occurred anu III Ihat room the
aue came up through the floor, and was guarded by
soapstone.
Gamalel King, sworn-Am an architectural planned
the building in question: fsve heard the testimony OF
Mr.. Harris in regard to the arrangement of the iues
and corobborate his statement; personally superin-
tended the putting in the hotair pipes into the build
ing; Mr. Sale was requested TO make everything
secure in every respect 80 far as know, all that was
necessary to be done was done; there might have
been breach of the contract and not have known
il should not thin. ii was probable the wood work
was almost two inches from the pipes, near as I
could judge judged them TO be safe; the registers
were all closed 80 10 heat the tin TO melting the
melting tin would run down on the wood and thus set
FIRE 10 il; from my personal supervision and know-
edge Of the work | am satisfied that the work was
dose in the best and most proper manner.
William VI. Harris, recailed-About week since
the principal stated TO me that the smoke became 81