The New York herald., 1871-09-19
THE TORPEDO EXPLOSION.
An Exhaustive Inquiry BEFORE
Coroner Young.
COnimittal of the Surviving
Partner.

An adjourned Inquest was held yesterday before
Coroner Young, at the Coroner's ONCE, TO inquire
into the cause of death of the victims Of the Beck
man street explosion. The inquiry occupied the
principal part OF the day, and resulted IN verdict
that caused the surviving partner to be committed
to the Tombs to await the action Of the Grand Jury
He was afterwards admitted to bail. The following
evidence was taken:-
CHARLES HOLDER,
OF 10S South street-Was not acquainted with the
deceased parties was not acquainted with the firm OF
GOdschmidt & Klueber; about twenty-five mintes
past ten O'Clock Thursday afternoon left my place
OF business TO see friend who was at the store next
door to Goldschnidt KlueDer: found the place
locked up, and looking up to the sign to see If had
got the right place saw the sign Of G0ldschmidt
Klueber, union torpedoes and fireworks; thought
1t curious that mau could make living
by selling those things In violation Of law; I
heard one torpedo go or in the stores no one was in
the store; saw o truck backed up to the store
loaded with boxes; o boy was scraping and man
was marking "Cincinnat;' a truckman was pass
ing boxes of the cart; the sidewalk was blocked
up by some Of the boxes; at the time Of the expo-
sion was In Fulton market; the explosion was
heavy and solid, like the report Of cannon; have
no idea as ~ tine cause Of the explosion
FRANCIS LUTz,
3o Division street and doing business at 124 Beck
man street, next door to GOldschmdt & Klueber-
Was at my place at the time OF the explosion; was
sitting at my desk writing when heard dull,
heavy noise louder than cannon; there was great
deal OF smoke, so that 1 could not get out
for five minutes; saw great deal OF stun
scattered ar0und heard a number OF lighter
explosions as If there had been torpedoes
in bn a
loud explosion; knew that the firm next door car
ried on business IN fireworks; l never heard that
anything dangerous was in there next door; the
windows OF my place were smashed to pieces, lying
in front or Goldschmidts store; the horses
had been taken out Of the truck and
taken to the other side Of the street; have
seen boxes delivered to the store; in July saw
them every day; 90 not know what they contained !;
have seen sometimes as many as thirty in a day
delivered and reshlpped shortly afterwards; was
not acquainted with Mr.. GOldSchmidt or Klueber.
HEzEKIAH A. LAWRENCE,
Of ii King street. deposed that he Is an express
man; am not acquainted with the parties who are
day aIsernoOn passed the place where
with boxes backed up to the store OF Godschmidt &
Kueber; saw boy scrapng the boxes and man
boxes down to the boy several boxes Were piled up
against the post on the sidewalk; at the time the
explosion took place was near South street, but
did not witness 1t; on hearing the explOsiO n
I went back and saw the bodies Of the boy
and several other persons being taken away on
carts; saw the building was badly damaged; the
windows or other buildings were shattered by he
conclusion; the horses attached to the truck were
badly injured; the & truck W. was badly smashed. asi
Leary and PatrOlman Dunlur as to the appearance
OF the ruins andhe loss OF life all OF which mas al
ready been published.
CHARLES NELSON.
reside at East New York; am grocer; am
Mr. % one Of the 1s parties VINO IS dead
am the .patentee of the Union torpedo; l had 1t
patented in 1906 sold the entire right TO the firm,
small box produced, fen On the pavement
made Of clay phosphorus and chloride OF potass;
sold my right to the firm last year, early in the
years in East New York, at the same place as the
firm now carry on their manufacture; did not
Know Know s Mn ,ns sw @ e ss s s @
pedo; did not know there was q suit against them;
s rSt I 5 g. M the IN
received $3.50; pat was & ior iae halt
their going Off; one OF these Union boxes would not
explode II 1t fell down, necessarily; made these
Ofslni bombs which were used to take Napoleon's
ife these are made OF clay instead OF ron did not
know that they would explode accidentally until
HENRY BROWN.
reside at No. Hamilton street; am q
was killed at the explosion, was my son; I lett
him sitting at the door on the side Of The building
took S Jne s % nS Rf
him, and looked at my watsn In Pearl street
to go back; 1t was then twenty minutes to two
the boy was at quarter to two O'Clock;
saw him sitting there in the place where had left
were two reports, which sounded like "One,n "twO'
ran to the spot and saw heavy man near the eel:
lar, who said "For Gods sake, get me out Of this w
pulled him up; he was a gray.haired man; then
looked around for my boy, and shouted, .IIenry !
Henry - went to where the awning fell, but
shouted 10 me- ale Is here but he's dead, father;"
ran Immediately heard the first explosion; was
the air; went to help the old man up; have
noticed the Union t0rped0es sold at this store;
knew that they were sold there's on the 4th of July
there was sign up over the store door, Unon Tor
pedOes.h
HENRY REINHARDr,
lying dangerously injured from the explosion In
Centre Street Hospital, was visited 10y Coroner
Young, to whom he made the following deposit
tlon-
reside at ll5 Columbia street, and have been in
the employ Of Goldschmdt & kiueber for apout a
year and half; on the day OF the explosion was
engaged In scraDing the names oil the boxes
on the cart; Mr.. Goldschmdt was altering
the names on the boxes; do not Know
what the alteration was; ] know the boxes
contained Union torpedoes; they came from East
New York; whenever orders came for torpedoes the
cartmen used to bring them to the store for ship
ment; Mr.. Goldschmidt used TO tell me that the tor
pedoes were packed so that they would not explode;
I was injured by the explosion.
THEODORE II. JONES.
Reside OF 1l0 Beekman street; l
am bookkeeper; was at my place of
business last Thursday; on the second foor; on
coming down the street noticed O quantity OF stud
packed on the side Of the street; saw some boys
scraping the boxes; knew that they were boxes
which were used for packing torpedoes; I la We
been engaged in business there since the LIST Of
May; have not heard any explosions before there;
but l have heard tOrped0es 60 of one at time; /
presume That they were thrown of for The purpose
OF showing the people who were to buy them; I
went to the stairway after the explosion and found
1t blocked with smoke ana rubbish and went to
the front window and got out into the street, when
went up the street before the explosion saw Mr.
Godschmidt standing marElng the boxes; there
were two rows OF boxes one on the side nearest the
building and the other on the edge OF the sdewalk
never saw any OF their cards OF business stating
that they were manufacturers OF torpedoes unit
after the explosions; picked up three or four en-.
velopes with their name. business and address.
JOHN wENsHAw.
reside at No. 406 Water street; am a truckman;
do business near Fulton and Beekman Streets /
was On the street before the explosion; was haul.
ing In some coal got Into the cellar 10 get the coal
In, when the boy said 10 me- 'Jack," and threw me
an aDDle: about four seconds after the explosion