New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-20
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE HARLEM BOILER EXPLOSION.

GINEEB.
The Investigation into the causes Of the ex-
posion Of the steam boiler ut Fourthave and hund
red-andtwenty seventhst. Nov. II, by which sevon
persons lost their lives and many others were injured
was begun by Coroner Kcsser yesterday morning In the
presenoe OF large number OF spectators There an
imposlne array OF counsel Dillon Clyde & Co. being
represepted by Messrs Alexander Thane, George T.
Stewart and Mr.. Koch Bemer Coyle by OILS T. Hall
Barnum the engineer, by George Schwab; Balmore,
the owner OF boiler by Jacob Veterioh and Tracey
Catte a Brodhead appeared for the families OF the
little boy Brett aud tho Italian girl two OF the victims
The testimony was nearly all that OF persons who were
present az or lived near of the explosion and
the evidence was important, showing that
I'm constant attendance upon the boiler that fears had
been expressed Of Its safety and that boy fire.
ouently left TO take of IT, Further than this, one
witness testified that no had seen the boiler entirely
deserted by those who should have been constantly
watohingit.
Coroner Kessler began tho proceedings with an sd-
dress to the Jury. John Ormston Of No. 237O Fourth
ave. was the first witness called He stood in the Court
house looking at the workpen moving the boilers when
the explosion occurred The engine was on platform,
and wooden rollers placed under II to it. At
the time Of the explosion the men were In the act OF
raising the machine and II rested upon one corner SO
that they could put roller under. All the other
boilers that the witness had seen at the Fourth-aye
work had been WneelS anu Dctu moNtuAOy euOrrtS
He thought that the explosion was caused by careless
ness. man named Daggett. and boy, his son.
generally in charge of the boiler The boy usually
at the boiler and Daggett the engine. In answer to
the question OF gentleman present. the witness said
that the steam was not let of while the boiler
moving.
Henry Baker. barber, OF Observation-Disclosures
st. and Frstave had seen the two Daggets father and
SON. in charge of the boiler he never saw Bsrnum the
all he the bO there
alone; he was not paying any particular attention to
the boiler on the afternoon Of the explosion. Peter
Jackson practlcal engineer foreman OF the jury was
requested by the Coroner to ask any Questions IN ea-
ton TO the boiler which might suggest themselves. He
obtained no additional Information from this witness
however.
Henry n. Dryer, proprietor OF grocery store at
One.hundred and twenty -eghth-st. and Fourthave.,
was in his cellar when the explosion occurred. He
heard the noise and the breaking Of glass, and all the
heavy goods In his store tumbed down. He out and
saw the headess body Of Miss Bassford in front of his
door, the dead Italian girl the bridge, and the broken
boiler and dobrs scattered about. Witness had never
seen the engineer, Barnum until he saw him In court
IIe had seen the Daggetts in charge OF the
machine, and often saw the boy there alone.
Before the explosion no had heard people that the
persons in charge OF 1t not engineers Mr. Jack
son asked the witness whether the boiler canted"
while 1t was being moved. The witness did not know
and the Juror then explained TO his felowjurOrs the
nature OF superheacd and the danger of explosion
from cantng" or fitting boiler with steam on.
John Bick keeper OF saloon opposite the scene OF the
disaster gave evidence which corroboraed that of the
preceding witnesses lie never saw Barnpm In charge
Of the boiler.
Henry A. Boyer. baker. at No. 2yss2 Fourthave was
in his shop when the explosion took place As soon
he heard the noise he said That's the boiler - he said
SO because it DID, rustyooknc thing and he was
nigays afraid 1t would explode; he had seen the two
Dagges in charge OF the boiler but had tneyer seen
BaTnum there.
william Moore Of No 7as East Onehundred and
twenty rst-st. corr0OOrated the testimony OF otber
witnesses to the manner OF moving tie boiler ana 70
the Daggetts being in charge OF it; witness had propne
sled before the accident that the boiler w4nld
filled up with white lead; a man named Mcguire was
with him at the time, and he sad that he
that boiler this about week before the explosion.
Mr. Jackson began asking questions Of and arguing with
who said he must protect the witness The witness
and was about 10 inches long Argument here ensued
between the Coroner and various counsel as 10 whether
the crack opened into the rebox or into the boiler and
a rambling and desultory discussion took place.
Officer John W. Garsde. OF tho Harlem Police Court
willie watching the hOsting machine to which the boiler
was attached. not long since, heard the boy Dagge
TO the attending the brake, You watch the Steam
gauge; I'm going to get water ths was the first time
Witness knew VINO had charge OF the boiler; the
VINO was attending the brake OF the hosting machine
had plenty to do without watching the boiler witness
could not say thai he In charge OF the
boiler except the boy, in this one instance; he in
the habit OF watching the men working about the boiler
George W. BassiOrd Of No. 81 East One-hundred-and-
twenty fth-st. father of tho Miss Bassiord who was
killed, was next called About minutes after the e1-
and went 10 cross the bridge at observation-disclosures
There I, was large sr9Td ana he saw
found the dead body Of his daughter at tho station
house, he had frequently expressed apprehensicns
and rusty and the hosting tackle frequently got out
of order witness said that ho had been told that
- thah vnku "a, Tho
hoss soa had Examined the 6cer before the eSpo
sion, and had pronounced t unsafe witness had fre
near it /; he had remained near IL long himself.
always being apprehenslye OF danger while the men
were moving had frequently seen the boiler canted
o'I abn N O. Daseett Of No. East Northumberland.
deposed that lie was a carpenter by
trade but had the holster attached to the boiler for
two weeks, having been engaged by Beor COyme the
under the direction of the engineer. John BarnuD Md
no specific order 10 work from hiampoyers but had
re Witness DID not testify very
who had charge of the moving Of tho boiler Mr. Blrnum
had charge and most ofIhe times they began
TO move the engine short time before the explosion;
they never moved 1t without the foremans orders; Mr.
at the boiler aud said that everything right; wit
ness never fed the boiler had anything to do with IT,
occasionally he went inl presence OF the engineer and
looked at the gauger hut turned the water on
himself; did MS think that any one ever did
witness was four feet from the boiler when 10 exploded
and heard premonItory sounds he was not Injured
DeyOnu DtlnR turOWH NiuichtiJ W tho RrOunu, anu
scorched about the and neck he had no
opinion 70 the OF ths explosion: thought there
had been fuel put the fire just before the e-door
was open. generally the case when the boiler
moved; Just before the explosion witness tried the
gauges aud water ut the upper ene steam was
blowing OF to his knowledge; did not know what the
maxmsm pressure was at the safety -valye the work
tk pressure from co 10 20 pounds; the water
conveyed by rubber hose across the pit into barrel
and pumped into the boer injecting water the last
thing before beginning TO move che register
log this 40 pounds; did not know what the pros
sure was at the OF the explosion; they had only
moved II about 10 feet. The witness described from
diagram the boiler aud the hosting engine, both Of
which were together on platform 10 feet square
The proceedings will continue to-day when the boy
Dagger Barnun, the engineer, and the contractor viii
be examined.