The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-08-21
rHE ENGINE HoUs1 OF TEE sroIE-
WILL EZRH C0KFANK

rHE -EHGINE HOUg1. OF TEE STO1k-
WILL ELRB C0NfAHH
An investigation into the origin OF the fire,
by which the engine house Of the Stonewan
Fire Company was consumed: on Tuesday
night last, was continued yesterday By Assis-
tsnt Engineer B. n. Alexander, at the oifice OF
Messrs. Buist Il Buist, on Broad-sreet. OFF,
Ger o. r. Levy, OF the detective force, who had
be=n instructed 10 work up the case, had seour-
ed the attendance Of number Of Witnesses,
the substance OF whose testimony is subjcined:
MIR. w. G. Pemberton. wh,le near the engine
house, at or about quarter past eight
o'clock Tuesday night, saw smoke there, and
then saw negroes trying to force open
the door. BE went to General Wage
ner's house opposite and asked for an
axe. His son brought an axe. and with it
knocked the door open. He with Wasener
pulled the engine out. As he ran in he
stepped on some slippery substance on the
floor, and would have fallen but for catching
hold of the tongue Of the engine. When he
first saw the smoke there were two negroes
near the engine house, and one near the cor
ner. He asked them what was the cause OF
the smoke, and they replied that there Was q
snokehouss in rear Of the engine house. Tbiok.
ing it queer that there should be smoke in
smoke house at this time Of year, he went to-
wards the engine touse door, whereupon the
negroes he had aocosted ran OF. '.-,,--
MIR. Il. b. DeLeon, who lives next door to
tn. engine house, went there when the alarm
was given. On entering, he found that the rear
door was open. The wheels OF the engine
were not tied. He saw that ii re was some delay
in getting the reel out, and heard tnat it was
occasloned by the wheels being tied.
Mr.. Henry Wsgener was at bus father's house
when gentleman cane and asked for sn axe
to break the engine house door opeu. He got
the axe, broke the door down, and aided In
hauling out the engine which was done with:
out difficulty. he had nothing to do with
hauling out the reel.
Mr.. VIM. Harrsl, Jr., Q member Of the Stone
wall Company. saw the door broken dowa with
an axe, and entered the house with the first.
He saw tho fire IN closet on the left hand
side. He attempted to haul out the reel, but
could not move 1t more than few feet. On
looking at it to see what was the matter. be
found that the dfsg rope was entaugled or tied
Che could not be positive wbioh) between the
spool and axle. preventing it from being
moved. He took one his knife and cut the
rope, and, with the help OF two oolored men,
hauled it tn the well, where the engine had
been carried. On attempting to unreel the
hose he found that also fastened or entsngled
with rope. This rope had to be out with an
axe before the hose could be used. When he
en- cred the engine house the rear door was
open. ---.,-, .--.>, $50
M E. IT, West arrived after the reel was
hauled out, but saw il after the attempt had
been made to uureel the hose. Seeing that it
could not be moved, he took his axe (bene an
sxman Of the company and cut the rope with
which 1t was tied.
Mr.. d. VI. sileox, who had charge Of the
closet in which the FIRE originated, said that
t.ere were rags IN 1t, which had been dipped
10 oil and turpenrine to clean the engine but
they had not been used since the 2lst June.
Neither h&a that closet been open since that
time. He WAS the only one in the company
that h.d key toi it. There were no matches
kept 10 the closet.
MIR. F. +. Moore helped to pull out the engine,
and on returning TO the reel found that it was
tied. % was the hose: 1t could not be moved.
nor the hose reeled Of. until ropes, whlch tied
them, had been cut. {.
Al. twelve O'Clock the Investigation was ad-
journed until Eve o'olocA At that hour infor-
nation was received that the matter would re-
auire little more time to be looked intos and
the Investigation WAS further adjourned until
Ave P. H.; Tuesday afternoon.
The evidence clearly proves that the flre~Vas
the work Of an inoeudlary.