The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-02-07
THE ELM STREET CATASTROPHE,

The Coroner's Investig atlsn--vcrdict Of
the: Jury, Censuring the Owner and
Architect or the Building.
The Coroners jury assembled at the Corouer's sace
yesterday forenoon, and after tho bodies had been
| viewed. the investigation proceeded
Caspar sorch, the first witness called, being duly
sworn, deposed Is folows-I lived 1t 142 Elm street, In
the h story room No. H. was at supper when the fire
oocurred 1t was about half past seven o'clock heard
alarm Of fire In the house; my wife sent the children
down stairs; she returned after q box OF jewelry,
and told me to go down atcr the children;
l cav flames coming out Of the basement; / re-
turned to my room and told my wife 70 hurry
up; she had the youngest child In her arms she said shs
wanted to gel little box went down TO the fourth floor
tho flames and smoke intense that could 20 NO
further down; then turned to get back 70 my ROOM
called TO my wife, but she did not me; she was
peared " be stupeAed found my and tried to
get IN but the door was fastened after running Sup few
came down again; then became stupeSed; pushed
something and gave way; found myself by the side
window; saw rope extending from the window 70
escape by this rope to the roof Of the house,
and thus saved myself; my family consisted Of
my wife, two children and one adopted child; nv vito
sent the two children down stairs they passed me while
was looking down stairs that s the last saw of them
believe the bodies now lying the Fourteenth precinct sta
broken the lock Of the door could have thrown her out
OF the window
Benjamin De Young being duly sworn testified that he
resided n l42 Elm street, and occupied No. Is,
the fourth floor He was not at home at the time the Are
broke out
solomon schiebear being duly sworn, testified as fol.
lowsl resided at l42 Elm ST. OCCUPIED the front room,
second floor, No. A. on Thursday evening" February 2,
was Al home about 20 minutes 70 O'Clock we heard an
unusual noise; my wife opened the door and flames
coming up the main stairway 70 such exe that cut
Oh communication to the street; there was rush into
lv1n nm lfa fhau nnana IN
windows; took my youngest child in my arms, and
while at the window some bohnd get out
In 80 doing was pushed out with my child in my arms,
and fell TO the cellar below my wife jumped before
me; when fell out OF the window there OF my
Own and some one elses child in the room; fireman
went into the room and rescued them; all my family
safe; 1t was not more than two three minutes after
first opening the door before had leave tho
Michael McCarrick, being duly sworn deposed fol-
owsI resided at l42 Elm street and occupied room No.
ION third foor was homo on the evening OF tho I'd
inst, about half past O'clock my wife and were
the only Part of my family at home was going out and
Just as opened the door smelt smoke told my wife
that would 60 down and see what wrong; i went
down to the second floor and called up to her that the
house was on fire, and told her down halooed
fire. my wife and went 10 the back stairway and thus
saved ourselves don't believe could have made
escape by going out Of the front entrance; escaped
from the yard by getting the fence; before my wife
got through the fence she passed two three children
| over 10 me.
| Ferdinand Tesanere, being duly sworn, testified as
folows-My business is baker; occupied tho basement
and first floor, the north sde of No l42 Elm street,
| and carried on my business there; the south
side OF the basement situated the wood
houses OF the occupants; my step-father went
down TO Of these places to get coal upon doing
30 he discovered fire in some Of them he got frightened
and hallooed "Fire;'' ran down and opened small
door leading to the cellar and there saw the fire. IL
not burning in my coal apartment but in the 70
it, then gave the alarm Of fire. have had any hay
or straw in my basement for fifteen days previous to the
fire; only had coke in my cellar; used to buy two
bundles of kncng wood every night to light the hre in
the oven was not insured and have lost everything be-
William North, being duly sworn, testified as follows
was one of the occupants of No 142 Elm street, resided
on the fifth floor in room No. Is; the I'd instant
home, and as going up stairs noticed unusual
quantity of smoke in the house, upon going up little
further met my wife coming down stairs she going
for milk; went into my room; looked at the clock and
found 1t was hafpast seven O'Clock; was just leaving
my room as heard cry Of fire. Mr.. Armstrong
to me and said that the house was on fire; made my
escape out Of the side window and the roof Of the
next house, my wife escaped in the same way, and
raj others only know by report that there was hay in
the bakers cellar we escaped out Of the side window
not being able to get out in the usual way. PA
rassea IN S eu Is o
room 10, fifth floor; the night IN question, about
halfpas seven O'Clock, was At home and heard an
usual noise in the house, went down 70 the third floor
felt hot air and dense smoke coming up the stairway
returned to my own apartment and found my wife and
child In Mr. Norths apartments looked out Of the front
window told North that there was NO use trying TO
60 down stairs then went TO the side window and
OF upon the roof Of the next house Mad TO Jump about
window; then received all my own family and those Of
Mr. North and some others, out of the side window Mr.
Nomao e. De vres being duly sworn, testified a. fol.
lows kept grocery on the first floor, south side, Of
was sitting in the back ROOM noticed smoke In the
room; my wife opened the door leading to the hall, and
IL 81 bns e IRE ou esee
under store or Kitchen the baker in the habit Of
buying two bundles OF wood every night 10 light his fire
In the oven don't think he has had any hay straw in
the cellar for the last two weeks not customary
for the occupants to throw ashes in their woodhouses
was not insured, and lost everything belonging 70 me-
Edmund WariDg.
ows:-I am the owner OF the late building 1t LAP Elm
street. the dimensions Of the building rs feet by 81
feet with IA foot yard; the building six stories
high; the hall was in the centre Of the building the
entrance was 81 feet in width widening out in the
way was in the centre Of the house. with a
hallway leading 10 the stairs connecting with
r ao Se a o I s
about y feet in width, but the hallway feet wide
at the time OF the fire there were twenty families the
house; was constructed for twenty but
vacant portion OF the upper part useds drying
room for drying clothes; Messrs. Moore Bryant built
the house three years ago last May built in the
same manner that such houses usually are it built
for me.
william A. Moore being duly sworn deposed as fol.
lows-I reside at tho corner Of East Broadway and
Catbarine street, partner and myself did the
work Of the house 142 Elm street; think it built
about three years ago last May we built for Mr. WarIng
IT was built six rooms deep, intended TO give paror,
bedroom and kitchen TO each family 1t six story
building and would contain twenty families; portion Of
the architect we carried out the mason work according
TO the plans of Mr. Warning the walls in the building
twelve inches in thickness both the and carpenter
work and materials used OF the first quality,
and equal to any used In the city the entrance
little narrower than some buildings Of the same
kind; the span Of the trimmed beam ue was eight
inches the breast was four inches don't know that we
have ever built house SO high where the adjoining
houses were low think it s a singular instance Of
building .nH ~.
The testimony here closed and the case was given to the
jury who alter nearly two hours deliberations brought
the following verdict $3.50
That the said Frederick BordDer, Hannah A. Storch,
Mary Storch, Flora Storch, Charles Storch and
other bodies TO the jury UNKNOWN 10 their deaths
10 consequence of burns received at the destruction
fire OF the tenement house at No 142 Elm street. the
second day of February 1860 We further find that the
building constructed without any regard the safety
Of ie occupants In Of fire. having utterly de
void Of means Of escape after the egess by
entrance had been cut off, rs 1t higher by stories
than the buildings which adjoned il, thus preventing
cape by Of the roof In consideration of these cir
cumstanccs in our opinion, Mr.. Edmund Warning, the
owner OF the premises in question, responsible to
great extent for this serious loss Of human life,
was his DUTY In the construction Of the building