The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-01-29
INQUEST.
CorOner's Continued Investigation into
the circumstances OF the Death OF the
Men Found I'm the Ruins of Caldwelrs


the burnt bodies OF the men found In the ruins
OF the fire at Ninth and Onesnut streets.
members OF the firm of Caldwell " Co.; was out
of town at the time OF the occurrence, conse-
nisht before the fire the whole place was en-.
tirely clean; there was not handful of dirt,
shavings, ETC., In the basement; the basement
in bins; the bins were open and bored, aud mad
ordinary doors; the cleaning de pal tment of the
store was under the front pavement; no COM
bustible material was used there; no explosive
acids; know of no explosive material in the
building; he cleaning was all done under the
front pavement; the basement south of the
front pavement was clean; have not been at
ali able TO discover a theory satisfactorily to ac.
count for the fire; there was a little hay-sutli-
citnt for day packtng-in bin in tne oase-
ment; the clerks who slept In the store were
confidence in them; gaslights were kept burn
ing in the place all night.
Richard A. Lewis swOrn-Am one OF the firm
of Caldwell & Co.; have no knowledge OF the
origin of the fire; was in the store until 10 O'Clock
on the evening of the fire; when lett every
thing was all right; noticed no unusual smell
in the building; was in the basement twice
during the day; think our basement was an.
on the floor; we were getting rid of al our
superfuous packing materials and packing
box es; there were about two bushels OF sawdu>t
in the Observation-Disclosures kept wet-used Tor
sweeping purposes; all the swoepings were de-
posted in one place-1 think under the Slnsum
Street pavement; don't remember any smell OF
gas about our building.
Henry Lapsley atlirmed-Reside on SAMSON
street, above Nlnth-back of the place where
the fire occurred; was awakened by whizzng
poise-then an explosions; then saw the flames;
the fire came out OF the western door OF the
store; thought at first that the fire was In Orne's
store; heard second report similar to the tirst
1t sounded 10 me ike the report OF an explosion
of gaseous matter.
John Rice sworn-Built the stores according
to a contract, which was rigidly adhered to;
my impression Is that the ez poston was in the
fiue leading up 10 the second floor; by the ex-
plosion an immense weight of matter was
thrown upon the first floor, which crushed it
through to the cellar, breaking off the gas pipe
and causing the fire: nothing bat an explosion
could have thrown out the fiue; can't say
whether there could have been an accumula-
tion OF gaseous matter in the due or generated
by the furnace sufficient to have caused the
explosion; saw the fire start in Howells store;
have examined IL since; two of the iron beams
In Oaldweps place twisted out of their places
portions of the wall in which their ends were
placed through the openings thus made the
fire entered Howells store; the ends OF the joist
did not abut against each other.
John Macarthur rsworn-Testified to the excel
lent construction of the buildings; the walls
were solid and thick; the timber used of the
best quality. (The witness furnished copies of
the specifications Of the three buildings to the
ury) l personally superintended the cou-
struction of the stores (pans exhibitedG the
buildings were originally intended to beheated
by ordinary hot.air furnaces.
Benjamin f. Wright sworn-Was building
inspector at the time the buildings We're
yeTV Substantial and Very we'll builS; measured
the distances the joists went into the wall: the
deepest found was six inches; the top part OF
stores was l8 Inches thick; this would leave at
least six inches OF brick between the ends of
the ioists; the hues spoken of was built In the
ordinary way: think there must have been
some explosion in the fine in order to throw 1t
out in the way IL was thrown out.
Henry Horne sworn-Am employed In the
gas office; on The morning of the fire had my
attention called to the gas of the stores; took
measures to have 1t turned off; did turn 1t OFF at
the rear; 1t was afterwards turned off at the
meter In front; we have a fireman who attends
to these matters; he was at this fire very soon
after IT, broke out.
Hugh Hawkins sworn-Am employed in the
gas works; as soon as got the alarm went to
the fire TO turn off the gas; reached the place
and found the store in blaze; couldn't find the
stop cocks In the pavements @ either a. the rear ear
mud, water, and rubbish couldn't find them.
r.. o. Snyder sworn-Am fitting inspector of
ne MSsn Wepe bae
there could have been q leak inside the ceiling
of the first hoor the pipes were thoroughly
A. w. Lowry sworn-Am meter inspector
employed In the Gas office; made an insp ,ction
OF Caldweirs meter twenty one days before the
fire, on December "a; IL then stood at 252 500
feet; from Nov. % to Dec. "a the average con-
sum ption OF gas per day was 1906 feet; when the
3ll 200 feet; from Dec "a to Jan. IA the cousump.
average ave- TeS bee been 10 consumed between Dec.
"a and Jan. IA, the am~uns cN mt con. con.
zoo burners are used in the building; they use
gas all day and all night
John A. Miskey sworn-Am superintendent
employed by the Gas office; there could nave
| been no escape of gas from the main In the
| street to the culvert, thence to CaldwelPs
"a. B. Huston sworn-Was In Caldwell's
building until half-past 10 o'clock on the night
of the fire; was down In the front cellar shortly
before; everything was made right; LOGGED
| back into the rear cellar, and everything there
was all right; our cellar was thoroughly clean
know of no explosive chemicals being used
| in the place. .
joshua Husband, ESQ.,, appeared before the
| Jury and submitted the following theory OF the
| explosion and the fire.
"The explosion at Cald wells store, Just before
the fire at Ninth and Chestnut streets. need no
remain o mystery, as the mighty power OF eec
tricity is too well known to Iequire eluoidation
| have long since discovered that 1t has AL
which, when pun ped into boiler and made
into steam lcalorified hydrogen( escaped bJ
use, leaving the electricity in the boiler, where
lis volume increases (unless conducted off
until a whites heecy-loolSing summer cl0ut
comes in range when the attraction becomes
the tensile strength of the iron is too great TO b
rent; then the boiler may be lifted mid-a
until the electricity escapes to such cloud wheI
il falls to the eaIth again, In obedience to the
laws of gravitation; or If the boiler is too wei
SecuI ed, some seam must open for Its escape
What are the facts In this case ? The boiler IL
having necks, which are fitted together
and held in place by wrought.iron roll
extending through several of them, anC
secured ct the ends by a head, screw, anC
nat. There Is not in these spheroids one cubic
foot OF area, & but & large large or Or ioTg surface o
mtnt accumulates until, by It's force, when ex
cited. 1t sprung stretched this rod ut being tn,
OF The neck Joints, which rod instantly con
tracted bringing those joints together AS 1t were
by a blow struck, which, with escaping steam
produced the explosive reports. Electri
city, ever seeking cover, entered some in
flammable material las conductor to Its desti
the surface, the oxygen Of the air quickens it
| hence the conflagration. Caloric is a difusibl'