The New York herald., 1873-11-20
TIE HARLEM BOILER EXPLOSION.
Opening Of the Coroner's Investigation-A
Large Attendance Of Spectators and Coun-
sel-Sixty-six Witnesses 70 Be Exam
ined-Evidsnce Of Residents in the
Neighborhood Of the Explo-
sion-What Daggert, the
Holster, Has To Say.


into the cause OF the death OF LOUISA Virginia Bass
ford and SIX Others Harlem, the time OF the
cent explosion, ON Tuesday week. Mr.. Alexander
Thain appeared the contractors, Messrs. Dillon
Cyde; Mr.. Joseph Fetterich for Mr.. John Bal
more, owner Of the boiler; Mr. I. Otis Hail Tor
Messrs. Warren b Beemer, sub-contractors; Mr..
Leo Schwabb, from the offce OF Messrs. Howe Il
Hummel, for Barnum, and Judge Koch as counsel
for the contractors generally. The Coroner in open
ing the inquiry delivered the following address,
CORONER KEssLER's REMARKS.
Coroner Kessler said
GxsrLx.Ks OF rHH JUnr--The fatal explosion OF
rs s1ss a q sss sS
remote centuries You. action win detsrmins whether
il is endowed with the spirit OF modern progress
aSd IN oar @ s z for Sa
na ,nS a sn 70.
and ssss saIy !hs ssas1s! xSsni
the nquy s nte the
tn ns IN and nDs 81
@ %ss ss1 Mn but se cs
duty and You coming
men unbiased mind. thai verdict You shall
finally render may be ne legitimae product d the
S5ossht before nays diligently laSoTsd gathsf
are S voa nd
faiihiui are solemny syOTn sOrn
enHs hat 1sS kea waoss
no i gis q ana h1s
cause, but also The intsectua and the responsibility
s sais
er
as preventive against similar Al caiamities that are
isal science !echnsa Tence estabshed
4 v, where
/ THE observation-disclosures or JOHN 0RMIsToN.
sohn &, Nc as he n0
place his saw nss men moyng the boiler
Court House and was thrown his back; the boiler
the up the
@ os Ma caused ss e py as
boiler tended by man and boy named Daggert had
Mr. Barnum at the boiler about two hours pre-
s'0u' 70 'Hl TESTIMONY srHSlsSH OF HENRY /. DwYER
Henry y Dwyer grocer grocer Of i2sth street and Fourth
he % h N ssa1s
The 4n ana rShsS ap where he hs
and the BODY q Miss Ba,stord lying his
Ss s f9sf s M ns the ssd &c
y, & before the that
gnee he identified the IN man Dasgsrt and his the
raj umes alone N charge OF the boiler; he never saw
john Beas Of No 1850 Fourth avenue, a saloon
keeper corroborated tne prisoners testimony u many
avenue
1 EVIDENCE OF HENRY BAKER.
Henry Baker, who keeps barber shop nearly oppo-
site to whss the oSe as M sd was
in my Windows and threw down my ceiling rushed out
ana learned that persons had been kl!sa have
boiler John Barnum who is said to have been the en-
h s"s s to
| EVIDENCE OF WILLIAM MOORE.
william Moore No 22 East l2st street. testified that
eyswnesss Of ns r srxp'gson he lFs heard
he three or yng into @ a. air 's lie
a hs 1ds er on he the saw
sna and nd s Ss 81 wSs a e es M the
saw the boy feeding the frss; he also saw the man
sGund me boiler r. he mad
boiler; the name OF the engineer was Maguire and he
an hs % @ The The boiler 1e e
at the @ . M w Would Th Ike s b D
yards from the boildr II an explosion should occur.
Henry A. Byer 9 baker, Of No 2,ss4 Fourth avenue,
at h ii s e Men he be nv
hs excalmed There goes the boiler and into he
boiler would explode, sooner Or Later his reason lor
and rusty piece Of exploited boiler about SIX ieet
BY feet was thrown in front Of his door, never
and his boy aendns to the boiler; the Doy some
''''s EVIDENCE OF OFFICER GARsIDE.
John GaFside Of isa street a and Ninth avenue an
he was sitting within Of boiler when it 'a. eS
S e ana had the as y ns
nearly every day on one s as & n @ heard the boy
brake Of the hoisting machine watch the gauge
Soy S' ,ensed % boiler Smse and came very near bow
Ing himself and others into eternity
quently seen it moved and thought the manner in Which
il was done was perfectly sale the boiler was upright
EVIDENCE OF MR. BAssFoRD.
Of Miss Louisa Bassiord who was killed by the Explosion
testified that he was on train coming from the city
and the bridge at 10th street where he
dead on the other The bridge i.S IRON the
n q ont
that the bridge about ia witness crossed
S% ssa
scme In ons her bsos to Hmm es WENT a a
he issth street police station and there idsniiasS
engine was standing opposite the drug store, izsin
snd ieye Without any other assistance n I'm erstaa
that the boiler was used as an experiment and was
boiler was rssg and exposed 70 the The wseher had
had seen boy IN attendance, and frequently the
'''' ''' 0A' T TESTIMONY OF JOHN ). MARTIN.
John J. Martin, of l22d street and Second avenue
sd that s scene S s sSo@R @ o
MsGiven Ss heard him state Ihat lew days
turn on valve and, instead water, burning steam
TESTIMONY OF JOHN DAGGERr
The next witness Is a was n @ wh
have also in my time iarmed some: have worked on
last thing have done is running holsting machine IN
s%o @ wseR, sy ss
Beemer was TO work tor them at anything they put
me do; i have been engaged SINCE January last;
have been transferred 10 this railroad improvement
work about two years ago; my last work was running
the holster; the holster machine for hosting
anythins this hoisted dirt out of the pit
l had charge Of The engine aud the machine
S the SSss ss
the direction Of the engineer when came the
found John Barnum In charge the eng ana boiler
was under his directions with regard 10 the machine
when FIRST came work found the boiler and ap-
located at 10th street, Fourth avenue moved
Il TO the centre l2sth aud gh street. when
IL we moved IL with the platform and en-
ene CHE witness here described the mode OF removal
OF previous Witnesses Mr. Barrum had charge OF the
boiler altoge and present during most OF the
time we were a work; | don't know anything about
MT Barnum having charge OF any other engine, he
that the boiler in proper order and did everything
that should be done by an engineer; sometimes
he was absent not at any Particular time,
but at different intervals; to knowledge he was not
hour during the last few weeks one time;
should not move the engine without the fireman Civ.
Ing particular oriers always waited for orders
present at the time just to the explosion
placed rollers under the platform, on the plank and
moved the machine along by the steam Mr. BaYnum was