New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-24
THE FAEL RIVER INQUEST

THE FAEL RlPER lAQOEoi'
TESTIMONY OF THE FIREMEN-THE cHIEF-ENGi-
HEER.s sroRY-THE NUMBER OF LADDERS IN
suFFICIENT-THE AUTHORITIES AT FAULT-IIh
ALARMS CONFUsED-OTHER THEORIES
FALL RIVER, Mass, Sept. 23.-The Coroners
Jury the Fall River inquest met at 9;l0 a. M Isaac D.
| Manchester, building mover, member OF HOOK anu
Ladder Company Antelope, which was on duty SATURDAY
morning, testified as follows:
Was at the fire in five minutes after the first alarm
when the carriages arrived, ordered them lnO lho
ward and around the south end OF the mill the au-
ders were 1Ot long enough; when tne h TS1dor.
carriage arrived L took her extension ladder
the second ordered OF the ladders az he
around the east side into the
helped the light hose the tre-escape; went up a51
into the filth story; John Boswell brought dead Dody
and lowered IL down from the fifth story there Wa ~
danger tins time for anybody TO 90 in stayeu ~
the fifth story till 1890 the Reindeer has the Iohgest
ladder, this not long enough saw as many as
three persons the LADDER when got tnere tnc
| were coming out OF the tower wndows'
Charles II. Davis. also a member OF the hook anu
| ladder company. gave similar testimony.
Henry Noteworthy, foreman OF the hook and LADDER
company, testified that there no extension ladder
on his carriage. Tue longest extension ladder 10 the
Department 65 feet long; the company Is not drilled
! oen; the longest ladder Oh his carriage measures %
| feet.
| John NJ p. Boswortb, a sailor. testified:
helped to haul the hose the cottonhousei hesra
| some one scream went to superintendent MeCreery
and asked for line; he was IN the ehglne-r0om went
| O woman out.
Hsiaen B. Durfoe, Chief Engineer of the Fire Depart
| ment, testified as fOll0ws
was at home when the alarm struck; counted to 72
was dressed 20 out OF the house at once IL was nv
minutes before O'clock; my and wagon were at
| the door and / wen: to Box No. "a; when Ieacheq
went directly the mill; did not pause at Box No. q
turned The into Twelfthst at that point met
ran INTO the mil aud struck the second alarm; when
came attended to the placing Of the streams "s
told him second alarm was through STRIKING 10
strike the third then gave my attention to the general
placing ana workug OF the department; the nrst knew
OF any one tOpmost story was hearing the people
shout andi noticing the crowd running to the south ena
| of the mill / followed; when arrived there saw
three OF four persons coming out OF the sixth story
windows; should think saw five or SIX come down
| then; thought they were pushed out by people
crowdng 10 the Windows 10 ge1 AR vne a
poss6e to do anything with the ladders at that end Of
the building; my efforts were directed 70 the north
| end OF the mill, the fire being chiefly at that
| end the ladders were not taken down wnile was
there did not think could do anything; there were
north 10 see II there was any possible of getting
on the roof of the buildings do not think the extension
ladder safe for men to use at fire. as is engh renuers
| IL too weak to hold the weight; 1t had never oeeh
raised more twice before; one or Two at
time could have come down had they been aOle 10 reach
| IL; did think II was possible 10 get inc
help of the sixth story they were PanisstIGken
anq crOwdlng upon and pushing each othei OUT
believe as In the Granite millyard within hye MIN
uies after heard tie nrst stroke OF the alarm ioun
the alarm-box open when went TO strike IL t6e au
ders at the service Of the department are not sucent
known Ghis before and informed the
proper authorities OF the Tact ana not thk u possible
| 10 spice the ladders III time 10 De VI herVlee /;
one ever offered aneA ea er sp en
trely with reference TO tins matter the Language
attributed TO me never used thought the alarm was
in nsrfeet order do not who struck box No. "
| l nave been told by engineers VINO have examined
them that the etae Of each OF the four boxes indi-
Gated that they had been struck IN an the engine
houses they got the first count "; II Mr. McCreery
sound else think should have heard it McCreery
might struck box IA while the other box was work
ing hearing the little IN IA striking u thought
1t his sounding went up tue towers as far
as the fourth story.
Alfred Bassett. stone-cutter, testified;
went TO the fire as soon as heard the first alarm
counted box "a; when got there persons jump
ing from tho sXtstOry windows Of the south end OF the
mil; was connected with the Fire Department for
seventeen years, but not member now; offered to
assist to spice ladders oil red To do tins to several
| members OF tue Hook and Ladder Company; one was
the assistant officer of the Reindeer. think
| to whom L made an offer they said they
Tor trial their lives; helped TO carry away
three bodies while the htemen waiting for orders,
aud when this had been done no orders had been re-
| ceiyed.
George Taylor, master mechanic at the Granite Mil,
testified:
Twas there Saturday morning; ordered engines put
pumps and put on hose; got hose coupled on aud
water was coming through before got It on the en-
CLUBHOUSE from the roof OF the pcKerhouse, which is
level with the fourth story where the fire originated;
we played until the fire extinguisned; there are
MIGRANTS each floor OF the tower aud four of smaller
Dimensions in the room; there Is water enough in
these tanks to supply one pipe four hours;
| the tanks cannot be otherwise than full;
| am sure the hose attached Saturday. morning
in the fourth story 1t my business 10 look after
these matters positive that tue tanks contained
| considerable water saturday morning; have charge
| OF the ,hydrants throughout the mill there Is
a possibility of sediment coming down and
lodging in the nozzle tine pipe, but
it is the duty Of he needs buckets,
TO apply to the supennendC or TO me the small
tanks and the hose ia the mule alleys introduced
as a substitute, and Improvement the bucket
| rangoment; Mr. McCreery, and Mr. Shove the Treasu-
rer both very strict with with regard ~ the hre
apparatus, constantly questioning with reference TO
them; on this occasion my attention has been more
| than usually yigilant,
At the evening session several witnesses
ined, but nothing elected except from Alder
| man Lascomb, who has charge Of the fire alarm He
| says:
Four different boxes pulled on Saturday morning
by which they struck together, confusing the alarms
The noninterferng boxes IN but there small
chance-one out Of ve hundred-of their missing the
Saturday morning. IL there any trouble Ia the
gongs OF engnehouses not striking right, etc, 1t
always reported TO him. He has recollection of any
report being made on Friday night. He aspects the
boxes frequently. No could have known box IA
out OF order unless they listened at the box at O'Clock
Friday night Eat which hour night the alarm Is
, sounded once) aud did not hear 1t strike.
Before this witness concluded the inquest was 3D.
,:...:a :. ~ .is 3. IN. on the asth mat
|
ELECTION OF OFFICERS OF THE M'KEAN AND