The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-02-16

turned again three times, anu thefc WIS Nv
IRE at all 1t Ave O'Clock: think i was about nv.
minutes 70 when came In with the alarm. snss
was Officer Frear he very kind 10 give 'neso Psop
O Before he went bys A. Yes; he was new man
and he discovered the fire and gave the alarm WIN VIA
he hsooed are and h nsy thew had their
ensne out got up Of that building ana ABOUT
quarter 20 six O'Clock met Engineer Percy Inere Va,
o Was there any engine at work there then a,
No. 81 steamer saw the foreman, Mr. Weir. VINO nad
stream Catharne line who was using his mea 70 70
three engine came and were work in break
ing oren the shutters and opening the door
Q They had steam ups A. Yes, the steamer ON
o Do You know what company ii was' A. did not
look spoke 20 Periey who said he thought me ~no'o
Q Where was the href A. II appeared TO 10 all IN
the snbcear under the sidewalk and appeared 10 run
2. down the cellar down the caharine alley sae me
nre was breaking out through the window the neat was
very great; there was no fire above the first moor
q Could you. seu into the nrst noorY a. Yes; the
they tried to save some goods but Il was useless the
smoke was great that Il drove the men OUT seemed
al one o
got the door OPEN impossible the building
~ 9 Dd You discover any smoke At nve o'clock. A
There no indication Of III A Not the slight
Have they no wstchman thsrsi A. No.
Any light in the storef A They kept no light IN
tge store there had been, ocer could sce whether
Q BE would has. ssen smoke, A Yes; almost all
stores have gas'iehts burning during the night
lights and padlocks on the doora
Q. We're the fremcn eneroeticf A never saw them
extraordinarily quick: no there when arrived;
looked at the station honse clock when ! went OUT II
was then quarter to six o'clock.
BY Mr. Abbe-Have you ever been a fireman. A. Yes
Q: How long did you serve In the Fire Department.
A. Between FIVE and six years
q Have you been officer? A. Yes.
@ Was the Fire Department prompt that morning 2
consider tina. they were very prompt
BY Mr. EngsAs you had better opportunity OF ascer
tanning whether there any peculiar odor about the
re there want to ask wheth you smelt anything
OF oil or gas when you were there? A. There was no
Indication Of fire, smoke or anything when was on
Q speak Of the time afterwards when the building
the heat was great
EXAMINATION OF OFFICER RYAN,
Officer Ryan-Am ronndsman; do not know any
thing about the origin OF the fire; in the station
house when the alarm was brought in 4 cannot say
when the alarm was brought in; left the station house
generally turned out in i've or six minutes after the
alarm has been given; when got the fire the flames
thought they could not stop il from burning down the
store; they had couple OF streams playing upon H. the
nre was progressing most rapidly in catharine lane
say whether the streams were from ono engine or from
two have had the opportunity Of seeing at many
thoy generally dol should judge quicker; saw
nothing wrong in the conduct OF the emen around the
IRE
Commissioner Abbe-You spoke Of the Gre being In
the basement Is MT the basement level with the
streetf No, sir; the door Of the basement Is little
below the street, the lire was in tie cellar which s
o About how lony do you suppose was after the fire
commenced until the side wal fell on Leonard s,rectf
A. Between an hour and q half and hour and three
several Other ofcers made similar statements in ref.
erenpe TO the progress Of the 0 the time hey lef the
station hooseSo 20 there and the condition. che buiid
ing when they arrived Tho cscsg whose beat 10 be-
passed Chitendens store al twenty minutes pass i've,
there were no indications o. IRE In the Of smoke
!. ExAxIxA1oy OF CAPTAIN JcURDsx sss
denis store and from nv knowledge Of nre d. mt b.
sve thas the building could have been saved by hard
.nos s e Se s1
sheet Of fame soon as Janfay's building took nre
the fremcn began % play on y with their ensnss 10
the flames; i looked at one lime as 4 they
would not be able to sacceod; thought
sason that ala Of Ii. $
shutters OF Jaray's bald Dg we're warped and had split
open; the windows broken by tho heat and II was
The heat was 50 treat Sai L was ds5Ir o SET sss
goods out OF Chtendens store though sever attempts
were made 10 do 80. eee -. -
John II kehoe WINS on patrol duty on l).s night IL the
fire at Oh ttcuden's store from twelve QclocR unt, six
Of aSos ana when The
In the direction Of Leonard ran al once 10 IT, spo
and saw the house, w-n a. Inc engine house and found
NV INC -. ossss sss went into the house and
down stairs; ny heat did NOT lend me past where tho
re was; o. MA shnk after got TO the engine house
that more bsA two nues elapsed before they had got
70 tho re; the WAY mp and the engines were all
ready TO 20 TO work rs sosn ss they got there
cSmmis.ons, PnccyYoa had no p watch NV WIN you
not more than two minutes A. ] only guess At the
time.
Commissioner Pinckney--And sometimes guesses are
little erroneous, they not? "A. Yes, sir; wc gene
rally get out Of the bouse in thirty seconds
EXAMINATION or pArRotNAS BREsssS. t..
John j. Brcssen- WIS patrol Duty on the night Of
the IRE at Chitcndcns store from twelve O'Clock until
six O'clock In the morning. pairoled regularly all the
nights got something 70 cat about four O'Clock at the
Continental; stad there about quarter Of an hour;
then came right down Broadway 70 the engine house.
report regularly the best Of Judgment every
hour; whom left az five went around Broadway, Gem
ire and Canal; had not got very far when glare
and back 10 the engine house and gave the alarm
the men turned out and fetched the horses and
hitched them tho engine: had crossed OF
and Leonard about three quarters OF hour
before gave the ALARM left tho Continental at four
EXAMINATION OF YoRxwAN WEIR s-t
Foreman weirwas at the engine house In bis bunk at
absent have On ARRANGEMENT bv which Tho steam In
our boilers Is kept up; coud blow on stm on that
.ss The was then s o.. q order and
alarm, hitchcd 10 the horses and went 10 hs ve; IL
would only take about minute. and bali TO
1 in less. 1 ana that Il the time allowed By the
DEPARTMENT; took the hydrant the northwest side
OF Leecard and broadway; we stretched linz down
Leonard 70 the middle az the building Ares
saw the doors - shutters were Of iron and Wrought We
should have some ananlty n opeuinG them 20 get ~
The fire. and sent back fireman 70 srcsch line along
CAtharne lane and that Nos, anticipated got to
work hrst; sent down alarm. from our station by
telegraph that was II twenty minutes 10 six by our
clock do know what engine came next 20 ours beng
engaged getting door open; when Mr. Sheridan and
the eight truck came up they succeeded IN making
opening and got pipe In 70 play upon the flames;
Mr. Sheridan sent for small ladder and tried TO get
into the basement whore there ID slide 20 get goods
from the sidewalk into the storc worked In the
basement floor and tried TO keep the Are down ns the
Cssharne street side where showed itself on the base
mens noor and % prevent from going across 10 the
Leonard street sde the iron shutters had padlocks
sidc and mad bolt At the top and bottom we'll; the
shutters we're thus fastened 70 protect the aganst
thievcs: The elevator fastened the top and bot
tom, and had paddock; the rs was IN the subceilar
originally, tnink
7 q Did you uOtics anything in the hatchway leading
rom the lower floor TO the upper one after you got In
70 show that there covering over the elevator At
each hoors A. Looking from where No were, could
not 60 whether there covering not; II therc had
been the flames would have been driven down somewhat