The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-31
THE LEONARD STREET FIRE.


The Fire Marshal's InvostfGa tion-Tho
rtsl ss laurence.
The following testimony was taken by Fire Mar
shall McSpedon yesterday relative to the fire that
occurred at 20 Leonard street on Monday morn
ing:-
Peter Cun, being duly sworn said-I am employed
as Waterman at % Leonard street; went on duty
Sunday night, at halfpast eight O'Clock, and re-
manned until the IRE was discovered. There were
nine men ut work In the building besides myself
The gas was lighted on the second noor and only
one burner was lit on the third floor; this burner
was hanging nom the ceiling about four feet from
the receiving tank; there were two burners
lighted on the fourth moor; In going up and down
stairs Bernard McEihoun carried with him o hand
lamp, in which they burned common tallow oil |;
at just two O'Clock l was upon the fourth floor;
then made remark to McElhoun that it was just
striking two O'Clock; first discovered the fire in
the building nearest West Broadway; some time
after two O'Clock two men came from the cellar
and said there was a fire somewhere in the build
ing; then rushed to the street and looked up and
saw "a t.tr,al a-r .f...-, q ~ ',..tr ISL
FLAMES LEAPING FROM ONE WINDOW TO THE OTHER;
could not tell now whether II was on the third
or fourth floor; then gave the alarm; Afterwards
went up to alarm the men; Is came down met
McElhoun on the second moor; he came down stairs
retorts; these retorts extended from the cellar up
to the second floor; the Ares under the ret0rts were
all on the cellar floor; the building has never been
the company; my duty was to report to the Super
intendent II saw anything going wrong; he usually
came to the building at direrent times during the
for him = - - o'Sr' = e. 80 -
Patrick ]. Leonard said-Iam the Superintend.
Company; my men work day ana HigS ut; fusaas
put Peter Gun In charge to look after things at
night; the furnaces are In the cellar and the heat
comes up through the pipes; the pipes are red hot
to very near their own extremity about eight feet
IN height; they come up TO about the level OF the
ture IN ali that part the building; there was no.
and bone dust; do not believe the fire could have
originated from the steam pipes; the filter man
uses lighted lamps at night to go around from one
see how er1Y lol .a..f.fe f- s4g ~
THE LIQUOR Is RUNNING Us ar4
Bernard McElonn had no occasion to 60 to the re- e;
after twelve O'Clock; the liquor was all down
through the filters on sunday morning and left
when he went there to wash OF the filters; don't
very much believe he had the liquor running
sron the S again the fire i
temperature of the liquor increases the heat we
We're steaming out two OF the three charcoal
heat the steam is inverted into The
filters between the third aud fourth floors In that
part Vi tne DulOang Wnere Cn0 nre Is Salu 10 nave
originated; II there was foul air in the filters and
1t came In contact with the light Of lamp gas
Jet it would ignite; have seen 1t do SO, but don't
know whether 1t would burn or not; have
seen foul air in the bottom OF a filter when had
lighted lamp at the top explode and raise the
sheets of coarse muslin in the false bottom
OF the filter, but never saw it burst the
filter; can't form on opinion as to how
the fire originated unless the filter man had
his lamp on the door and some Of the
foul air came in contact with the light; we had q
slight fire In the refinery one afternoon that came
from the tmbers that support these filters, Which
were little too close to the kilns. rf
The following is the official list Of insurances:--
National, OF Bangor, Me-. $4,000; Commercial, Of
London $1,000; State OF Pennsylvania, 5000; Re-
lief, $4,000; Hartford, Of Hartford, $4,000; Kings
County, 5000; Hanover, 5000; Etna, OF Hartford,
$4,000; Union, Of San Francisco, $4,000; Liver
pool London and Globe, S27,500; Mechanics
and Traders, 5000; Globe, $5,ooo;1 Eagle,
$4,000; Boston, 5000; Commercial. of Cleve
land, $4,000; Springfield, $500; Adriatic,
$4,000; Pennsylvania, $4,000; Holman, $500;
Imperial, $12,5O0; Atlantic $4,000; st. Nicholas,
$4,000; Gerard, $4,000; Queens, $4,000; Sterling,
deiphia 5000; Peoples, Of worcester, 5000;
Tradesmen's, $4,000 Jefferson, $500; Bowery,
$1,000; Clinton, 5000; American, $2,b00; Star,
$2,5CO; Importers and Traders, $500; Pacific, OF
New. York, $500; Niagara, 5000; Empire City,
Boston, So 500; American, $500; total. $500 goo.
will be held by the Fire Marshal this afternoon.