The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-12-29
No Steps Yet Taken to Recover the Bodies Of
the Victims Of the Centre Street Fire.
WHO is RESPONSIBLE i?
The Board Of Police and the Board Of
Health Refuse to Aot-The Comp
- troller Called Upon.
Sorr0wful Scenes at the Rains Yesterday
Grief OF the Stricken Relatives and
s1 Indignation OF the Public.

Indignation Of the Public
1s4Nts NJ eeas g.
Another day has passed and no steps have been
taken to recover the bodies OF victims Of the Centre
street fire. 1t was supposed by the public and the
persons 80 deeply interested-the relatives-that
work would have been commenced yesterday morn
ing and In anticipation Of this nearly hundred
laborers collected about the ruins in search OF Q
job, hut the day wore on and they still continued
IDLE. The fire engine which had remained near the
premises since the 1re was dug out and taken
away BY the nremen, as its services were NO longer
required, although smoke continued to rise from
tho smoldering embers which had not been properly
extinguished When the fremen commenced dig
cling the engine out large crowd collected, think
Ing that the search for the bodies had commenced,
but they were soon undeceived and left the scene.
the sixth precinct house was more than usually
crowded with
THE RELATIVES OF THE DEAD
girls and boy. They were rushing necessarily In
and out making frantic inquiries Of Captain Ken
,Aedy and his men relative to what measures
any, werc going to be taken. Captain Kennedy re-
Setved them as kindly % 1t was possible for him to
10 but being powerless 70 act he could not .iYe
them much COMFORT During the past few days the
Captain has had hard time TT, and he states
that ne has never suffered 30 much anxiety since
he came to the precinct He has done all that 1t
was possible for q man to do to have the search
commenced, as have the police authorities at
headquarters; but they have no discretion in the
matter and must await the course of circum-
stances. So anxious are the policemen in the pre-
cinct to have the bodies found that they have
unanimously expressed their Willingness to work
In the ruins themselves on their day Off duty.
On the opposite side Of the street large numbers
nine
and afternoon, and their comments upon the dis
graceful spectacle OF seven bodies being allowed to
remain to rot in one of the most crowded thor
sughfares Of the city, while the relatives OF the
victims were enduring the torture OF grief and
doubt to which they have been exposed we're
many and severe. Well dressed men in the crowd,
and even women, stated that they would cheer
FULLY 80 to work themselves, If permission were
only granted, to clear away the debris and solve
the mystery which
WILL CLING AROUND THE TRAGEDY
anti the bodies are found One gentleman VINO
Hves in the vicinity said, my Cod this Is terrible;
1t Is shameful. II immediate steps be not taken in
the matter an indignation meeting Of citizens
should be called to protest against such outrage
upon Christianity and Civilizations Similar ex-
pressons were INDUCED in by every passer-by. In
deed it ia long since any in the city has
Eested that some enterprising citizen should ad-
vance o thousand dollars and have the search
made, matter what obstacles there might be
thrown In the way OF such an undertaking Coming
10 close upon the Filth Avenue Hotel fire aud the
the poorer classes of the people who were
gathered at the ruins asked among thepselves
fare the hives OF servants and working people Of
no valae tnat they should be SO disregaTded by the
wealthy as they have been within the past few
pifv 1lv n fhai 6Qn ri a nf
spirit Of miserable economy which has prompted
the public authorities, the lessees Of the building
human manner in which it is considered they
have. Last evening scarcely anything was talked
appearance. II the proper measures are not i'm
0ediately instituted, an attempt will be made to
accomplish BY force what should have been an i'm
Among the relatives who came to the station
house yesterday to make inquiries was the
brother OF Bridget McGrath, one OF the unfortunate
girls.
FINDING NO CONSOLATION
at the station house. he stated that he would 60 to
the HERALD ONCE and tell his story, which he did.
He says his sister was twenty-one years OF age,
and was the idol OF her aged mother. On Monday
h Archer, and returned home well pleased with
her new situation the same night. On Tuesday
morning sne proceeded to business again. and that
turned. When evening came on the old woman
began to feel very anxious but when the night had
grief Early In the morning she heard
for the worst She still had faint hope that
Bridget was not dead, but would turn up unex-
pcctedly. Christmas Day was the most mourn
ful OF her life, and when, at its close, there was
despair. The son states that his mother is almost
crazy with grief, and every time he returns from
the ruins with the news that nothing has been
THINKS SHE WILL GO MAD.
The poor fellow wept bitterly during the af1licting
narrative, saying IN conclusion, "Oh, will no one
% anything 70 dud the bodies Ny poor sister,
Tne brother OF the Donoho sisters also entered
the HERALD ONCE in company with McGrath. He.
Centre street ever since the mourful occurrence
for the l0ng-deferred work to be commenced. He
s Be 10 his G
bodies are not soon found. She is q widow, and
she two girls, since their fathers death, have been
her sole support. The relatives Of the other girls
were all on the ground and the picture OF their
snferings made many persons weep Some OF
down their wtthered cheeks when they found that
che bodies OF their loved ones would have to re-
main buried beneath the ruins and the snow.
The only appearance of work on the site of the
Cameron, the owner Of the building occupied by
Mr.. GEORGE MIDDLETON.
A force Of men were at work yesterday in clear
Ing away the rubbish adjoining the part Of the
book bi6dery in which the fatal IRE escape was
when II ID commenced, II ever 1t Is commenced.
small force Of men were also employed In clearing
the streets Of tho accumulated snow.
The history OF the attempt to have the ruins re-
moved Is as f00ws:-On the day after the fire Su-
perintendent Res0 telegraphed to Mr.. Robert
Oraghead, the owner Of the building, to take meas
ures to have the space cleared and the bodies re-
covered. Mr.. Craighead was not heard from until
Thursday. when he called at Police Headquarters
and said it was not his duty to act In the matter
and nc would not incur the expense. He said 1t
was she duty OF the lessees who have property be-
meath the ruins, to move In the woik, as they are
the parties interested
Here another obstacle steps in. The lessees evade
tai qho m
the statement that the ground is virtually the
property OF the insurance companies until the in