New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-29
TIE FALL RIVER DISASTER.

FURTHER INVESTIGATION By THE CORONER-TESTI-
MoNY OF THE CAPTAIN OF THE NIGHT WATCH
AND THE CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS CT THE
BURNED MILL BY THE JURY-THE QUESTION OF
SUFFICIENT WATER SUPPLY.
FALL RIVER, Mass, Sept 28.-The jury met
at 2:i5 p m. Frank McGraw. Captain OF the night
watch wos the first witness lie testified as follows:
Heard the alarm Saturday morning. at five minutes
attending to fires and special duties Of that Siud when
got round the corner Of Twelfth-st. saw one or
two throw themselves out of the window !;
had two officers with me; sent them into
the houses to get mattresses TO lay at the end OF the
ordered to station man at the gate to keep out all
but hremen; saw several men trying to save cloths
they were policemen. and others; told the police to
come outside aud do something else was asked by
some one what should be done with the dead; they
were lying there and they did not know what
dead bodies should be taken to the staton-house;
the crowd back saw one pair OF little hands extended
from the attic window at the south end and they dsap
ton OF the dead wounned 1t was perhaps minutes
after got there that the little hands extended
preston there 10 ladders against the building
When arrived there do not think the Police Depart
ment did anything toward saving life except IN getting
beds aud some assisted In holding them up; instruc
tons are TO obey the chef engineer aad his asssants
nave 1ou men Ia the eentra station to attend the res,
&c. and two each In the outside stations; am speaking
Of night men do not know Who put the to saving
cloth my feeling was they had better DC at the south
end OF the mill doing anything they could there.
AT four O'Clock the jury adloune TO inspect the two
water appliances for the extingushment Of fires.
thorough Inspection OF the engine, boiler, and pump
engineer. together with Mr.. Shane, the Treasurer,
showed the jurymen that 1t was impossible for the
tanks at:he top OF the mill Mr. Shove stated that the
tanks contained 5000 gallons each, aud that the pump
threw up 70 gallons per minute These tanks supplied
the pipes distributed throughout the TO which
the hose attached IN the different mule aleyways,
that therefore the pipes could not passlhly
have been without water on the morning OF the fire.
The attic room OF the new mill was visited Il being
precisely similar to that OF the mill No l. There
are windows In the sides OF this room, the light
coming through skyghts. and no freescapes were pro-
vided help was killed or injured excepting the
the help working IN this room 1t IS pitch roof and the
grade IS very steep.
Tue jury completed their examination OF the mills by
about els. Tney reassemDed at us for the evening
Nathan W. Harrington aged SO. Chief Engineer OF
Granite Mills Nos and gave the following testimony:
Went to the mill at the usual time, o'clock at ESQ got
through oling; heard two three voices hollow
Cnace along and sent him for the hremen,
who had gone. to breakfast; pump No Z was
then running In No Mill did not go into the tower
No. only ia OF the forenoon; did
not notice any water in the tower hose that was forced
from the pump; l am certain there was water In the
stand ppe could be otherwise after the engines
started II there no outlet tor the wafer at the
top it would have burst the pipe or break the arm
connected win the pump, when mas an elghtlncn
stroke; have had an experience OF the KIND twice
outlet; I went into the large Dump-house In
the yard OF the mill and found the pump broken was
broken after the nre had started IL Was al gnt .ne
too rapid starting would cause II to break never saw
inside OF the large tanks at the top OF the m they
had been cleared my knowledge for some four or
i've years; | have nothing TO do win them
suppose is the duty Of boss machnist to look after
them; should think sediment might collect In the
course of long period the pipes tnat run
horizontally may get some sediment into them . ~
William II. Butler aged 80, engineer at Granite MIL
No. j. testified. after which the Inquest ADJOURNED TILL
9:l5 III. Tuesday
morrow.