The New York herald., 1866-12-16
THE RECENT DIsAsTERs.


THE RECENT DISAsTERs.
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TIE SECOND Avenue Tencnent House Ca
aamity- -Ceroner,s Inquest % the Three
vSetSxis Charge Of the Coroner-The hvi-
Scnce-Death OF Two More Of the vicunis'
The inquest upon the bodies OF Margaret Weon, Sseo
twenty seven; Mary sandford aged tnir'y' ana nor
infant. william Turner saadford, aged three months,
vss begun Yesterday morning before Coroner Cover a.
sAs Twenty nrst precinct station house Tha jury
having been sworn, tho Coroner remarked that the
present case was one Of extreme importance, and
involved questions which could not b 100 ngdly
Investigated So far a he had been able TO ascer-
cain, the history Of the fre was e follows:--A
paiuser Who had been employed 70 paint the house
Aad placed in the cellar quantity of oil Of highly
dangerous and explosive character. This oil bad BY
soe means been gnited and SET nrs 70 the house or
nsars evident 10 svery intelligent mind that the
ell however infammahls would have lighted unless
scus other substance had been applied 10 it ought
now to be found out by whose agency this nre had
accountability The Coroner then proceeded 10 ake tho
Afadavits Of the various witnesses summoned
Nina Puniger: residing at No. o63 Second avenue, in
shs basement Of the house which was burned
That the night OF the fro she went 70 bed abou ton
o'clock; at half past eleven she was awakened by
soe followed o an is 70 ,s - sss % ncs
saw the fire coming into her apartment .nrougn smau
window, which opened ont into cellar, occupied oy
Mr.. Kane, for the purpose or storing kerosene
oil she got up, and heard somebody walking
a;rc1 the floor OF tho store above she called
out 70 the person above for help the sound OF icotsss
fhen ceased the man above seemed 70 DO walking very
ulowly and as lightly as he could she knew that Mr.
Kane had paint and oil 10 the cellar adjoining her
p~rmeut had put them there the afternoon of the day
ON which the fire hsppened before she heard the
poson heard something fall down 10 the cellar; i'm
med'aiey after the explosion snc nw the nrc coming
fhrou the window. her husband had lost "a 600
through the IRE his properly having been uninsured;
there were three cans and three pots Of oil and paint
brcaght IN py MT hane o. the time OF the explosion
there light burning In Ksne's store above; her
hnaoand and mr Kane nso mac dmculty; sne did not
know the particuiars
julius Puniger tesined that ON "Wednesday afternoon
Kane had put some things In the cellar; he did not
inn" What they were after his wife had axakened him
abe window; he then took his children out into the
street ana called out nre ne noticed ght burning IN
& lanes h saloon 70 he r. met pocsman who wsns back
ina out again into the street. he saw Kanes bartender
spenngne door OF the saioon witness went round to the
staircase in blaze; he returned 70 his own part
Of me house and he and his wife came away:
ne nad oeen IN tne room where the oil and
Abe house; there was trap door through
Abe ceiling communicating with the store above.
Nina Puneer recalled, testified that the noise pre-
retng the explosion sounded very much like the sudden
closing Of trap door, the noise came from about the
place where the trap door used TO be.
Julius Puniger recalled--He had had difficulty with
MT Kane about the water coming through the ceiling
he sned Mr. Kane for damages; they had no words,
however, before the suit, Kane had broken barbers
sgn which he had placed in the street, witness had
lease for the basement which would not expire until
snree years from next May; Kane had sent man 10
him 10 try and buy the lease; the offered him $780,
but be wanted $400 the said after he had refused
she offer, that Kane would get him out without pay
ment; after the had gone he asked Kane what he
wanted the place for and Kane said that soon as wit
ness went out nc would ut u mp as billiard saloon
SEQ. a h shehan sworn:-He was bartender to Kane;
ne was IN the saloon when the fire broke OUT he
sbere aone the first thing he saw Of tho ire the
smoke coming through the floor; he tried to awaken the
already in asmss he went out then to the street and
called out nre he saw painters ladder standing near
which he placed against the house, that the occupants
OF The second hoor could escape he assisted the Cit
family OUT Kane left the that night about twelve
o'clock there was no trap door In the floor the time
erevces Of the door just above the store room he heard
no one shout from below for hep witness owned the
store the beginning OF the year. Kane had bought the
ore from him Tor $4.500 Kano had before owned the
house ana nAd gwen him the use OF the store without
making him pay rcnt at the time OF the Kane
exactly the fixtures in the store bad cost he had gone
he expense OF putting In these fixtures without having
ssy iesse or written agreement with Kane:
lane iurnlsned the money and witness had
bought ths fixtures In Kanes name; he re-
sognixed ~ the time that Kane furnished
che money, he had interest in the concern the
me witness had taken out license he had not sworn
that ne was the only person interested in the store
xsnes STOCK at the time or tho re was worth ato out
witness had no knowledge OF how the fire originated he
nad NOT peen down stairs In the store room with light;
80 aid ns know tsat any body else had been; DO not
several persons who ask cd me how the fire oc.
cured and todthem 1t seemed 10 from the
John Kane sworn witness owned house and liouor
store se3 Second avenue when the fire occurred he
up srs ne and his family occupied three furnished
rooms on the third hoor he went up stairs about half
pt eleven or quarter OF twelve; hc was just going
,n.o pea wnen ne peard policeman,s rap; he waited
some time before he paid any attention 70 III he then
s,.e. he them rsS !. - 49, LIE =. nte aiso az lns
a. 81 hsct sr.,, - 80 ~. 10 ~ - NV was oonscv
abe scutte before he could ret he h.d y, h,n
through the scuttlc; he called the webb family frst
Vines had owned the house and store since last March
lager seer saoon he bsd o~no srs, 0rc as men
else had had any interest in M his bartender had
eus ms license; witness had been bartender himself
shere was IN he store was nsursJ fcr so so M
building $4,000 for xtnfes and stock In The store
can give cOPe estimate Of what he had