The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-07
TIE CEETTlIsE STREET HOLOCAUST.
The Inquest Opened by Coroner Herrman-Repe-
6tion Of the Evidence Given Before the Fire
xarshal-Coroner Herrman's Charge
Wcrknen Charge that the Building Has
Been in Dangerous Condition for
Long Tme-0ne Denies This and
6wears that the Old Sun
Building is Even Worse

L., CONNIE need the inquiry into the cause OF
aaath Of the victims OF the IRE at the Caxton
Building, Nos. 81, 80 and So Centre street, on
Christmas Eve. Tue following are the names Of
the victims James Stewart Bridget Magrath,
Mary aret and Mary Donahue. Charlotte and Mar
gar ct Bell and James Bevins
Coroner Herman addressed the jury, remark
ing that the case which he was about to inquire
into was perhaps, one OF the most important
shat had ever come before coroner's jury. The
.cnormity Of the catastrophe, where so many poor
people lost their lives, had excited much comment
in the community, aud IN selecting jury ne had
taken care TO find gentlemen VINO were wen
knOwn an the community. lie quoted from the a"
defining the duties OF the Coroner IN cases
M tnm kind He briefly stated the
action ne had taken towards recovering the
bodies and stated that he acted in the matter IN
the interest or the families OF the victims and de-
served NO credit in the matter beyond the mere
performance oil his duty. He stated that 1t was
not only their duty to inquire into the cause OF
death, but also whether the superintendent OF
Buildings had complied with the law whether the
landlord had evaded the law in not providing
SUFFICIENT means OF exit; whether 1t Is right that
Buildings to be used as factories shall be built SO
nigh as to endanger the lives Of the working peo-
pie who leave home Ia the morning never to re-
turn, perhaps, to their families alive, and, in
short, 10 ind whether there was any carelessness,
and, II So ON the part OF whom, and to fix the re-
sponslbility where II properly BELONGED. he
ton and not hesitate TO censure. II any person de-
served censure
sbal were then called and the evidence lalready
pSblished) was read over to them and verified.
sox L Co., who verified his evidence, ana stated
that he notified all on his door OF the fire and
sisted to get them out.
John Vanlatner verified his evidence, and in ad-
AitOn said the men generally considered the build
Ang unsafe. The building frequently shook badly
ny the action of the machinery; but ne did not
know whether 1t was ever reported to the firm He
described the fire escapes; there had been slight
ass once before some time ag1 when en inc earth,
fall; 1t was the general talk OF the men that the
building was In a dangerous condition; the occu-
pants who got out escaped by the fire escape run
ming from the third moor; the ladder was hooked
mp against the upper one, and touched the wall
Walter W. Adams, Deputy Superintendent OF the
Building Department. submitted the report made
January II, 1871. OF TIE means means Of escape The
six stories high slxty-iour feet 'front.' forty-nine
an l.; that report compellea them TO put on q
IRE escape; later in February fire escapes were
were compled Win: winess Considered the SEid
Ing strong enough for the purposes used and safe;
there was no report made 70 the Department OF the
escapes, bridges and balconies, which were
fully explained In the herald at the time Of the
minutes Suppose some Of TIE srders gave way
The walls should have been two feet and twenty
inches instead Of sixteen and twelve inches;
IN case Of IRE; the sixteen incss wall goes up two
stories and the other four STORIES Ysrs tysye lash
vides. but it complied with the old law; We Gould
not make an old building comply with the new law
unless it was In DANGEROUS condition; there are
IS changing dwellings, into stores
James Brown, PRINTER verified the evidence
dition that the boys were cleaning presses with
benzine under the supervision Of the foreman the
stairway ss T leading up from the press loom Where 3e
or Eve feet wide the building used to shake con.
ssderaby, more 50 than other suidings in which he
had worked; he had never heard the opinion ex.
pressed that the building was unsafe.
William Q. Goniere, q compositor, also verified
ahas be, considered the building unsafe; he could
aes CORRECT type on the imposing stone the build.
eng shook SO; he told the ioreman's father mat
out fines he was apt to '.pi'' the type; he was
timidi all the time he was employed there; the
stairs leadINy down were five or six feet and
going up from the press room four and about
5ouf or tour and half feet WIDE.
ZOhn Z. Hopkins, foreman Tor Anderson Archer,
VINO occupied the upper nOors uourtb, fifth and
uixthl, verified his evidence. He stated, IN add
d TO Mr. that the e ESCAPE shcud Id
be put IN order; there had been fires in the build
ing beler what fire escapes there were were good
some had to urlp distance OF sixteen feet yet he
considered the escapes very good as far as they
went, they should have extended further down
these sixteen feet to the adjoining roof, or TO the
ground; witness never considered the building
particularly unsafe the stairs were all the way up
wide and strong, and whole regiment could 80 up
Or down an double file he had been in buildings
that shook worse than this
Juror-Can you name one?
Nitness-YeE, the old Sun building.
Juror-i>O yoA believe It Is now more unsafe than
che Centre street building
Witncss--I do; 1t shakes more.
C0roner--Do yea mean the present Sun build
Witness-No; the old one, corner Of Nassau and
Fulton streets.
VIM. II. German, an employee of Dun, Barlow Il
Co., was on the mont SIDE o. the press; heard the
ran along the door, and then told the men to give
the alarm; have charge OF the press room; the
boys VINO were washing were under me they we're
washing with henzine; sometimes lye and oil are
used upon the rollers; bepzine is very combustibe,
and we great care III handling it; noticed
nothing the floor lat abe time; think the bows
were done washiitg; don't know how the fire occur
red IL may have Heen caused by oil; can't tell the
names OF the boysN never considered the building
unsafe; there weree six presses on the floor: Mad
heard OF previous dre.there, but was not in the
Witness seemed verysrelnctant to give the names
Of the boys and meuwho were present when tine
ijre broke out, but finally gave the names OF two on
three of the men; he scot hoy up stairs to alarm
the occupants; they lett the cleaning Of the rslers
witness tbonght the stairs were fully four feet
wide previous to this the washing OF rollers was
Always done A the morning, when there was no
JOAN Larkm. an emp,oye in the press room, tes
Liged TO the msrner OF the Ore occurring He was
uteen fret from TIE blaze; handed blanket 10 last
witness, who attempted to pat II cut; he could not i
10 IL then calle ITO us to get OUT fire occurred In
ear OF OF the presses, on the noor about six
eeS from q gaslight. and the name was nearly
haA high one OF the boys Is called 'Battc Row."
.nother ABrock bun witness conld not tell their
,ames; could not toll how large q space the fire |
overed: the previous fire was little paper, which |
itncss put out with his coat; witness believed |
he buib5ing to be as.sa.c as any other shop lie had
worked In.
Jeremiah Cleary. .pressman, stated that they
yere nearly all sitting down waiting Tor their pay;
wo boys were washing rollers; suddenly saw
ash Ike dghtning running along the floor; the
mole fiaorwas on hre; tried to put IL out witness
an upstairs and gave the alarm; one OF the boys
ashing v called McGlbney; the floor was always
iIty with,lye and bepzine; can't say who lighted
he gas; n.yer heard IL said that the building was
nsafe until\ after the fire; smoking was not pro-
lbited in tho room.
William A. FATTY, a bookbinder. in the employ OF
anderson, Archer * Co.. was on the fourth noor,
landing on Tie Leonard street side, when the
larm given; he describea the difficulty OF get.