The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-12-12
The pIWsIom STREET CATASTROPHE.


Inquest ON thc Bodies Of the Victims Tosti-
nony Before tho Csroner-verdics Of tho
Jury-The Fire the Work Of an Inceudiary-
The Mayor Hcc0mmcn ded to Offer q Re-
ward for the Detection Of the Oacnder-R Re-
eon,mendation OF the Jury Regarding tho
storage Of Petroleum. &C., &c.
Coroner Cover held nanquet at the Seventh precinct
Police station house yesterday tho bodies Of the yic
tins Of tho late disastrous IRE at 2i5 Division street
After tho jury wers empanncled they proceeded 10
th, Of the calamity, and made thorough research
OF tho premises The rooms occupied by the unfortu-
mao people found IN the utmost disorder tho fur
nure chared and backenod by smoke. and the dresses
OF the late occupants and the toys OF the children
laying just they had been left when their owners
retired TO rest the night before.
Having returned 20 tho where the inquest was 10
held the Coroner impressed tho jury ON the necessity
arelly investigating all tho circumstances connected
win the melancholy occurrence, II seemed TO him
there must have been fault IN regard to tho storage
OF such dangerous materials kerosene promises
whre human beings resided and he trusted tho Legs-
latre would laws that would bctlor protect life in
the city FOR the future.
TESTIMONY arcHuL nacwErr
who testified follows:--I Two at No col 4 Division
street; last night about past O'Clock heard
an Alarm OF IRE, and went to No 2i5 Division street,
Whre found smoke canning out ~ tho front door
thrush the grating from the hasemens having frends
IN he house attempted 20 enter the hail. when met
some trends coming out, who tud NE tho police would
moi allow mo 20 I'M thon returned 60 the street.
or two tire engines there at the time; Ono OF
the smoke seemed to he IN The back % the house and
going up the stairs: saw the inmates making tleir
escape think had been allowed IN 20 up stairs at the
time first attempted 10 do could have saved the
lives of those who lost policeman standing
at tie door: did not attempt TO pass him hearing from
otnrs tha was no use 70 try 10 do so arrived al the
fire ibout three minutes after the alarm was given.
TryTfMoyy or Patrick oBhIRS.
Patrick O3ren was the next witness examined, and
testified as live at az Market street. Sit
ting last night in bsrroom At No Hester street right
across from where the FIRE Was, about twenty-five min
utes to eleven O'Clock heard noise In thu which
supposed WAS light; ran out and saw a. 2l5 DvI-
sion street crowd and noticed hose being stretched
IN there attempted 10 pass In al the hall door when
me, policeman who asked me II belonged 70 tho
fire department replied no whom be said you
60 In them finding II useless To stand there, |
through the milk store and found the proprietor and HIS
wife just getting out Of bed; told him To
hurry out, as his house was on Arc pass
cd through their bedroom 10 gain the rear door IN
the hallway; when opened the door Leading TO The
back hall the flames met me, and shut tho door again
In through the front door again, but tho policeman
fused me Abundance. while talking 10 hun struck
on the shoulder by somethlng did not know what
az tbs tine, but Afterwards learned 10 vas Mr. John
Ford. who fell he jumping from the
second story window; went sssin to the policeman
aud told him there Others IN the house, he said
away the inmates were all out; | called friend and
went through adjoining hoaso and got tho
saw some hre,pen on thu roof going up,
but whom we got on the roof they wsrs away the
smoke was 20 ,nenso we bad 10 leave also thoge
ladder LEADING from the top hoor 10 the roof
in the adjoining house. and va were com
PEELED to swing ourselves up by hands:
had been allowed to enter the house the nr- time
attempted TO do 80, think could have saved all ths
me; al hat time the smoke was not very dense did
not see any OF The inmates leave the house by the door
OF the burning house, the most Of them escaped
the roof OF the adjoining banding.
TESTIMONY or JAMES CLARK.
1--we al 20 Monroe street; with the previous wit
lat nigh, AZ the Of til. nre; heard
the alarm sbont twenty minutes 10 eleven oclock when
ran out and crowd. proceeded To the spot and
found was irn and not row, ~ at nrst supposed
policeman, | heard oBncn say TO tho policeman,
~ have friends there, and | desire 10
fireman. and no answered hc not fully corrobo.
rate NJ. O'Brens testimony, had been allowed To 40
in ther AZ rsi could have notded all tho persons in
the house Of lhs danger without tbs ASSISTANCE Of my
fTianda there nremcn any other persons
going in tberetben, bat there persons going
through Nr Rcliya store the smoke was DOT very IA.
tense ~ tho tmo, a0d am sure ! could have got up
stairs and saved the people.
r,.srsoSi ~ m w.iros
live 1T S6 Wnter street, at No Hester street.
last uishi. when heard aoise and thought u was
row; Went and Hook and Ladder Company No.
scrcwing tho batt on the hydrani ran over % zl5
some ring stake this baby y tbs haby being
lowered u the font w,ndow, 0rst floor,
took the baby and then another person said ake this
woman, ardlag TO woman who beng osered
from The same window; I thea helped 10 take lhe
woman sho fell on me ana ne both fcii down.
leu returned 70 the hall door and there police
man, WHO asked me " was a nfcman, and said was
not; thea sad nc, you cannot 20 In X told him had
friends there but hc again sad 'yoa cannot 70
In - this long before the Ore alarm rung bat there
noSe cart there, SIR Kelly tben came out oi tho
entry and assisted 10 rer1ove bis furniture the
street there SMOKE At the time Mr. Kelly
OF the hallway that would affect anyone, think 1
could have gone from the bottom The top 81 the build
ing at Tho time and aroused All tho inmates allowed
do ep. I a wa a.
about ave minutes after sot there saw hr Kelly;
was not The on er that they ssy was on duty at the ts
the house. they attending TO their appsraiux
10 Mr.. Phillips, tho foreman ~ ths Jury 1T wss
about minutes after arrived there the FIRST ladder
raised and that ony reached 70 tho rss story and
nfoen minutes after that before the higher lad
ders rsed the hydran, stream was the first wser
put TIE Gre u was good while before steamer
came there nrs, thought Il s,ahle fire, but
when saw the smoke coming ons 0f the front cellar IL
looked IKE smoke produced by Reros.n. OIL II vns 20
thick black the ladder rsisad 10 front Of tho
building. We we're after taking all ar Keiy's farntarg
sbs street before the high ladder WINS ral'sd
TESTIMONY BEsHKRr.
wlar Herbor, the next witness, id live az 2ib
Division street, and ocrup.ed the room he milk
store about halfpast elcsen las. night Was passing
through bedroom and FIRST noticed TIE smell ofsmake
my sister opened Tho door and -aia the house re
ssssns smoke IA tho ball which rushing
up tho stairway lowered all my people OUT
81 The trout shadow, then wont round
the room TO gather Up thing. and
nainod ABOUT twenty minutes In the before Ieft
left tho house which ssraped ten minutns after
loft IN. house long ladder put up; II the long
ladders bad boen put 10 when they nret arrived, aud
entrance lned By the Window 10 my opinion. al could
have been eaged had 10 halloo sometime 10 put
ladder bcis the small oDe MS pot ~ Tor me 70 escape
by: believe the time lsft tho room nobody had
been noierei have always had dread % that house
on aecoun ~ The quantity ~ kervsipe oil stored In the
basement accident Of tns nature might hap
pen Phalsn who i dead often said a. me ought h.
pat out 4 the housr, tbrrs y snbceliar uu1er
the basement ! have often noticed the roor
Of thu basement soaked with Kerosene OIL the smell 81
a IN the cellar very girung and led me N think
the gas 70 eraied would sometime blow up have no
knowedse ths, any psr-on wen, into the cellar ias'
night tue cellar divided Into wood houses Cor the
families HING In tho house.
rrNrfwcep sar1ayw DwH1As.
Matthew Deegan Wa then examined and said ~ live
n No 21S DIVISION street and keep k-fOsens oil store
under the t~elng ~ the honss and also me
baement nder he mix stofs storage room Tor OIL
returned iona last night from fssdlng my horsa A'ors
hafpasi ne ~ sni retired 70 bed about trn half
pat: I gesp ~ the rear par or the store, AZ
was getting into he'd my foz berked - IN.
cesaan,lyt hat MY wife said | Lad better look lest
.ore ferysn IN thn house. and raif could