The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-10-04
the BURNING OF THE cATALlNE.

Gho AmVeeStAutAOm Oe1OrG Oustleo 0uaSA0
enbush Observation-Disclosures or Peter
nIcNamara, Henry o. Freeman and
Chauncey b. sleeper-Interesting De-
vclopcmcnts Regarding the Destruction
or the Steamer, the Insurance, SC.
The examination in the case Of James Larkn, who
was arrested suspicion of having set fire to the steam
boat Catalina, Fortress Monroe tho Sd Of July last
was continued before Justice Quackenbush at the Jee
son Market Police Court yesterday The evidence was
quito voluminous, but interesting, and wiz be wei
worth perusng The following is report Of the proceed
Peter Mcnamara, OF 1856 South Third street, Williams.
burg being the part Of the prosecution deposed
Catane ut the time Of her destruction had one ASSIST,
ant-George Simmons he in the city, but whore
do not know wis chief engineer during the whole Of the
time the boat under charter by the government the
Are occurred on the evening the I'd July about
room at the time we left the ordnance wharf, don't
know where my assistant was fsuppose he had gone to
bed had fireman duty-Wlliam lOunsbury;
Captain Phillips was in command Of the boat cannot
tell the course Of the boat, for ! was In the
! remained in tho engine room until the
Are occurred; tho engine room was forward Of
room two feet above the main deck, and was two
steps down. and connected with the reroom by ladder
the engine room was ho0red with wood while standing
In the engine room could sec into the hrcroom about
70 the bottom boiler, and half tho width Of the room
g. State all you know, from the time you left the ord
nance wharf until the time Of tho res A. We backed
from the ordnance wharf come two hundred or three
hundred yards, and then stopped then went ahead
wind around while was waiting for the bell to ring
again to 60 aheai all Of sudden fame issuing
TO see what il was, and found tho flames
issuing from the furnace doors, which were
and raised the safety valve to blow Oh steam and opened
che dapcr then went to the hose and by the timc
was gu rc around The engine room and boiler 50 much
80 that found II was no use to try to put II OUT
could not stand anywhere the nreroom, intense
from the fire DOM and went forward he had just over
hauled the fires and left the doors open closed the
damper while lying in the stream, and waiting for
tho bell to ring TO move the boat; l had closed
tho damper mo four or Ave minutes before dis
covered the lire; the dnmpcr is in the smoke
pipe, some three four feet above the hurricane
deck there is only one dampcr; standing in the
moment discovered the lre the fame filled the half Of
the mouth OF The furnace and eight ten feet
O. Pie use describe the action aud the movements Of
that flame A. merely took glance at IL; it FIRST start
cd from the furnace straight and then upwards
sm' Or Ten ee' hish when saw ~ looked a. u Tor less
from the furnace while was looking at it, the engine
not IN motion at tho time as soon as saw tho flames
stepped ont Of the engine room into the gangway on the
Are arsroo% a., ana ne Of tho boiler 10
bunkers adjoining the boilers and under the back OF the
engine room; before went to stretch tho h, SC the fire
had not extended above the main deck; after had
stretched the hose the hold appeared 10 DO all fire. and
the fire then burning up 70 tho saloon deck
asked me II had the hose on, don't know who; the
steam chimney tho top Of the boiler and the bot
tom OF the steam chimney some nine feet above tho
line Of the directly over the boil
the first woodwork in front the bottom and back
Of tho engno ROOM and above that the saloon deck
wo used to keep res lighted in the furnaces constantly
but did not keep the all the time / sure
whether at Newport News Fortress Monroe that
Isaw Iarkn last did not see him during the time of
tho fire. did not hear any above the saloon
deck when left the ordnance wharf; there no
other way Of getting into the nreroom except by the
steps from the engine room there had been another
way through the hold but the door had been nailed up;
there only wood lining to the ireroom had never
seen flames me from furnace before like that; IL the
fire had commenced at the chimney could have
told IT. tho smoke pipe was ON the top Of the steam
Chmnay.
Cross examinrd-TAe fires had been burning about two
weeks without being put out; had been running from
the 25h of April until the ID OF July AMI the fires had
been out only three times; the fuel had been
using for the last two weeks Iackawana coal;
fresh coal had been put on -, the fire about ten
encng to burn the flame that issued from the furnace
door was blue gaseous flame; wc were carrying about
seventeen or eighteen pounds Of steam at the tne
shut the dampcr and had the doors closed to keep the
steam from issuing; did that in preference TO blowing
OF steam, because the noise Of blowing or the
would prevent the captains orders from being heard by
the man at the Wheel the Of tho wood work
from the furnace Is about three feet the entrance
TO tho bunker doors to where first light the
furnace is about three four feet the wood wolk in the
reroon was like ndor because it had been heated so
long, from the nreoom the bottom Of the smoke pipe
Ii twenty twenty feet; there is but vcn
iator in front & the smoke pipe, about three feet
about two three feet in the frcroom in front OF the
boiler as the flames rushed out Of appeared TO be
just commenced at the panel work around the steam
chimney when went up stairs, eight ten minutes
aftacwards the room the engine used
storeroom about month before took larkin the
1rcroom TO show him how hot it there and that
che only time him there my knowledge; the store
locked; II contained tools, &C. there was
no turpentino in the storcroon; 1t kept in the |
NEAR sha, s O @ ami nh always ioGksa
the key was kept hanging in the engine |
aS day the steward n asked me for
deck hand leaving the ordnance wharf the lights
were not extnguishsd; had I'VE burning In the engine
room and they showed light in tho sangway; we used oil
in the lamps.
Henry o. Freeman. being sworn tor the prosecution
testified as foowsI reside in Richmond county, State
Of New York; am Of the firm OF N. NJ. Freeman 4 Co..
of No. SO South street knew the defendant James Lar
kin; first became acquainted with him in May last he
employed on board the steamer Catalina by John f.
lcven for the owner Charles Steson, Jr don't know
Mr.. stetson personally Iarkn employed a clerk
orthc catalne the the paid him. per-
sonaliy ". NJ. FrcemanS Co advanced the money pay
h war - ard from we left New York until
the st:Ici ion OF the boat TO the best Of my knowledge
. . tbs time no has received $3.50 os, portion Of
Will II RENTED 10 his Wife al his request his duty
Collect the passengers fare: may here state that
at the time the boat was chartered t was presumed she
carry passengers from crryvc TO Annapolis; up
On her arrival there the ferry vas ned By Other beats
and she was used az a transport TO tighten largo
she would rot carry passengers and NJ Iarsns duty as
clerk ccaset placed him. in behalf of the owners,
cargo oerk % supervise bills nnf assist The captain n
MI Arkin in Washington he TO supervise the bills
OF the boat and the bills of the captain NJ NJ Freeman
Co. we're TO advance all the moneys the boat and
we did not want the bills TO exceed the contract price
There something due to Iarkn yet from the
Catalina
Cross communicable Catalina left New York in the
latter part Of April; at the time Of her sailing had
Mr. Iarkin my knowledge; member Of our firm
had him; firm consists Of d. N Freeman John
Lucey and myself the agents Of the boat; the
FIRST time Lnrkin was about the middle OF Nav,
Washington him on board the the wharf
Ia Washington and all the conversation that had up
that time was ON board the boat, Captain Philips
duced mo- either Captain Philips, the steward some
other pei son present; part Of the time he
talking account Of the cargo; AZ no time did ]
hsye moro than twenty minutes conversation
with him on the boat; saw him the following dag on
board tue boat; connected with the boat
present and Dr. LIckiey Of the army; Mr.. Iarkin
busy taking account Of the cargo which was being
discharged from the boat during most Of the conversation
hold with him. next him after the boat burned
and Mr. Iarkin returned to New York had commnnica
tion with him by letter twice, think, previous 70 the
burning the boat the letters 10 Larkn requested him
supervise the bills for the payment Of which the cap
tain drawing upon US; said anything TO Mr..
Iarkin, by letter word OF mouth, about burning
the steamer Cataline previous TO the hre; never
said anything, directly indirectly, to anybciy
about burning the Catalinc before the fire; she