The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-12-22
The Fatal cat.stropns i. Broad Street


The Fatal Catastrophe In Broad Street
Slaughter Of Our Cssazens.
The shocking catastrophe which occurred by
the falling Of the houses Nos. 81 and Sc Broad
street. on Tuesday evening, by which two men
were hurried into eternity, and several horribly
wounded, is another melancholy example Of
the careless manner in which buildings are
erected in this city. In this instance, one
glance at the ruins is enough to convince any
one that the building was wholly unfit for the
purposes to which it was applied. The side
walls are exceedingly thin, and the bricks and
mortar composing them actually crumbling
away. The timber work aud joists Of the floors
are dry, and apparently rotten. These houses,
like nearly all the others in Broad street, were
originally constructed for dry goods stores,
and were, in their best days, unequal to the
enormous weight of -four and groceries with
which they were filed ON the occasion of the
accident
But there is feature about this disaster which
calls for the strongest reprooation; nay, more,
for the severest punishment to the fullest extent
of the law, Of the firm occupying these build
ings; and that is the fact that the unsafe con-
dition Of the houses is said to have been known
to them for several days pseatsns. Yet, with
the exception Of bungling attempt to force the
arch wall of the cellar back into the position
from which the immense pressure had driven
it, nothing was done to prevent the frightful
disaster by which u respectable citizen, uncon-
scious Of danger, on his way home to his now
helpless family, was crushed into au undistiu-
guishable mass, policeman in the perform
anee Of his duty stricken to death, and num-
Der of gallant fremen cruelty mutiiated.
We trust that this affair will receive a rigor-
GUS investigation by the Coroner's jury, and
that the responsibility will be placed on the
right shoulders. There will be no safety for
any one walking the streets as long as build
iDgs are allowed to be erected in this reckless
fashion, or the occupants are permitted to
crowd their stores and lofts with goods beyond
their capacity to sustain the weight, regardless
of all consequences. We have heard that
nearly every house in Broad street is in SINH
lar condition to those which fell on Tuesday,
and that hardly one Of them is safe, as they are
at present occupied with heavy materials.
The gross negligence Of builders and
workmen employed on the new buildings
being erected in this city is continually pro-
ducing fatal results. A few days ago scat
folding in structure on Duane street gave
way, causing the death Of one man and seri-
ously wounding nine others. In this case it
aurooraI hot tho fcnf ay,o,,Ir otron.x
to sustain five or six men; but, through sheer
recklessness, ten men crowded on it, and they
consequently paid the penalty Of their care
lessness. But it was the duty of the foreman
to see that no more persons were employed on
that scaflolding than it could bear with perfect
safety. Another instance of criminal neglect
on the part Of landlord occurred, also, last
week. in tenement house in Baxter street
where man was killed by falling from stair,
way which was left wholly unprotected by
ballustrade. 1t appeared, on the inquest that
the premises had been in this dangerous condi-
ton for a long time, and that several persons
had previously fallen down, though, by some
singular good fortune, no one was killed except
this unfortunate man.
All these facts show the sIip-shod fashion in
which things are done in New York, and call
loudly for some reform. Human life is trifed
with in the most shameful way, and some steps
should be taken by the authorities to compel
parties building or renting houses to render
such accidents impossible.
In the case of the Broad street disaster an
example should be made which may have
salutary effect upon other parties in future.
If the facts alleged concerning the unsafe con-
dition Of the building should prove true upon
investigation, the occupants should be indicted
for manslaughter