The New York herald., 1868-06-21
Full Statements by the Parties
Injured.
Statements Of the Engineer and
Fireman of Engine No. 8.
They Declare the Boiler to Have
Been Unsafe.
CONDITION OF THE INJURED

visit Yesterday to the New York city and Belle
vue hospitals to the various parties injured by the
recent explosion of Engine No. o. IN the Bowery has
resulted In obtaining from the lips OF the parties
themselves full statement OF the facts as they un-
derstOod them. In very many instances the testl-
mony was necessarily Of brief and incomplete
character, the parties having been but mere accl-
dental spectators, and Immediately after the ex-
plosion nearly all Of them being for time senseess
or in state OF confusion which did not permit them
to take cogniz ance of the awful scenes which were
then presented. The statement Of the engineer, VINO
was delirous from concussIon of the BRAIN until yes
terday, and that Of the fremen, viii be found OF
special interest," as bearing directly on the main
points of the case, viz:--The competency of those
in charge of the engine and their carefuness or
neglect of duty the sad occasion and the safety or
unreliability of the engine itself.
DIR. S. +. Morris, resident surgeon at the New York
Hospital, reports the condition of those under his
charge yesterday as fol0ws:-
Patrick W. Hand, engineer Of the steamer is very
comfortable considering the seriousness of his
wounds. He has fracture of the jaw and Is badly
bruised about the head and neck.
John Conway, fireman, was not much hurt and Is
doing very WELL He has an injury in the eye which
it is feared will necessate the loss of the same.
John NJ. Clarsse is doing well. lie was injured by
the conclusion and is badly scalded.
Colin Lightbody is comfortable and doing well.
Charles Myers, incorrectly stated before as Lyon
vetter, is unconscious Still.
Stephen Woodbridge was very seriously hurt and
is suffering occasionally from delirum occasioned
by severe concussion. They are comfortable as
could be hoped, but their recovery is considered
doubtful.
Frank Burbaker, who has 4 compcund fracture Of
the jaw, is comfortable and dong well.
STATEMENT BY JOHN CONWAY.
John Conway makes the following statement OF the
case:-
was standing behind Engine No. 9, In the
Bowery, Thursday night, opposite the front Of the
Bowery theatre; this was quarter Of an hour after
the fire started; the first thing knew there
explosion, and / was Knocked wrong side up without
care; was not knocked exactly senseess. but was
very much stunned; still I knew what was doing
all the time; was lifted up and carried into drug
store; could not say whether got up myself or not
knew the engineer and Mr.. Roach and one Of the
men who work In the repair establishment; they
were standing near at the time and all OF them got
hurt; am fireman by profession.
STATEMENT BY.JOHN N. CLARIssE.
The following statement was made by John M.
Clarisse:-
work in the repair yard where they nx steam 1re
engines; was assisting at the fire and had been in
the burning building with some twelve Of the engine
men; was alongside of the pipe; staid there until
saw the fire was about to be extinguishel when
went down; then went over to Engine No. 0, and
had been there but a second when the engineer had
just ceased trying the water he was then fixing the
steam gauge; then came the explosion; do not re-
member anything more; remember lending the
engineer my handkerchief to fix the steam gauge,
which was very hot, and too warm for him to
bear his hand on 1t; she had plenty of water, be-
cause he had just tried her and found this out as
got there; will tell you what made me notice her
more particularly; she had been leaking in the morn
ing while she was up at the house; I thought then
she was in a dangerous condition; an engineer
and would not have liked to run her; did not
remark anything to him about the danger
of her because he and I do not speak; we
are not good friends exactly; then came the
explosion; that Is all know; remember they
picked me up In the street, heard the noise, felt the
blow and everything clse some one made the
remark, SIS that your and I told them eyes,"
thought had lost my eye; piece of skin had been
blown over my eye; was taken into the drug store
and from there to the New York Hospital; will take
sides with the engineer; do not think the engine
was ut to be rum with little fixing she could have
been made right in a few minutes; there care
lessness about the engineer, because he Is good
engineer and first class mechanic.
STATEMENT BY FRANK BURBAKER.
This party has broken jaw and could scarcely
speak. He, however, managed to state the following
facts
I was passing by the locality of the nre at the
moment when the explosion took place; was a mere
spe ctaor; was not knocked senseless but taken
into drug store; know nothing about the condition
Of the engine and did not know the engt neer.
Colin Lightbody could not speak intelligibly His
head was much disordered by the concusslon.
Charles Myers was deliri0us when seen.
stephen Woodbridge was also delirious.
Hospital.
STATEMENT BY THE FIREMAN OF ENGING NO. 0.
Edward Roach fireman OF Engine No. O. made the
am o fireman Of Metropolitan Engine No. Q; the
alarm came into station 81 at very nearly nine O'Clock
5 night we started rSInd d through the
theatre; We then got our water the fire, which
In paper box factory situated in the rear Of place
is in the Bowery came down into the street @ and
went over to the engine; she wes blowing OF steam;
the engineer got up and took hold Of the safety valve
matter; he said there was a spring on on
the safety valve broken; so he told me to
ges. gs. a, strap 2,,t ana ID. strap strap 80 IN aas would
q strap and strapped the safety valve down
pretty tight, so that there was only small amount
Of steam escaping; then the engineer got down and
the foreman haO0ed out through the window to
start the engine slowly; the engineer turned the
wheel and started her going; she had made only
e Se1 e a.
first place found myself was lying alongside the
Bowery theatre steps; got up and grabbed hold OF
far as the gallery Of the Bowery theatre ana two men
carried me into the Atantc Garden; man In there
poured some water on my leg and then took me out
engine house: then they brought me over next
morning to the City Hospital because / was
growing worse and could not see out OF my