The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-12-29
BARCLAY STREET FIRE.
The Official Investigation Continued by
the Fire Marshal.
HERzBERGER'S BODY FOUND.
Did the Buildings Fall OF Their
Own Weight?

The Fire Marshal's investigation as to tho cause OF
the Barclay street lrc continued yesterday morn
ing. Herman Baacae, o. No. 9S Lewis street, New
York. the machnist OF Grconnclds factory, was nrst
examined He testified as foliows:--l had charge OF
all machinery, steam pipes and everything OF that
KIND IN the building. excepting only the boilers and
engine; my room the upper floor OF the Col
lego place building at the end at the time OF the
accident had just lett my to go down stairs;
heard crash US II chimney or the roof had fallen,
and then followed tho noise OF falling brcks went
back into my room and looked out OF tho window; tho
roots oithe adjoining buildings toward Greenwich street
were lower than ours and wcro covered With bricks
and mortar and rubbish; . largo portion Of the ives.
wall OF NO. 60 Barclay street had evidently fallen out
upon these buildings, and attcrward when | went
around to the Barclay street front that tho west
wall was down almost TO the level OF the roo OF The
three story building adjoining tNo. G5) called TO
two men who were working there Frank - and
Fritz -, telling them the boiler had burst ana
had better got out; we went down stairs and then
bacls~to tho third loft and called Stodhan who
still at work; after doing this | went down into
tho College place store as lar as where II joins Tho
Barclay street building, where found several lremen
and other persons; the Barclay then
on Ore principally about tho ceiling; the lromcn had
ex,ingushers trying to put out tho .Grc and heard
one OF them say il was mo use;' then went up 10
the first lott see il any OF The still there,
but ound 0 one; this done ran around 10 Barclay
street; only part OF front had then fallen, but
tho west slde wall was down; the police AT this
juncturo drove crybody back, and saw no moro;
had been employed there Tor one year past.
ENGINEER AND MACHINERY.
was we'll acquainted with the engineer, .Herzber
ger; never knew him to be under tho influence Of
liquor; knew him TO drink anything and
always considered him a careful man. who understood
his business and attended to IL the horizontal furnace
due of the boiler Is about IS or 40 feet Longs Herz
berger used to clean IT every four weeks; there is
door the luo the boiler, and he used to go
in there clean 1t; man named Grissch, now dead
used assist him this particular job; Herzberger
had no work TO do, excepting his duties about the
boiler and engine; never heard OF there being any
difficulty with tho aue, there were no pipes OF
any kind inside IL; all the steam feeding pipes and
branches were Oh the west sidc Of tho building and
only exhaust pipe the other side; the steam
WAS blown of In the sewer have seen the furnace Of
tho boiler since tho accident and found The fires
banked and doors open ono Of Schallmcyer's
men, whose name do not remember
told mo that he was In Hcrzborger's room about i've
minutes before the accident and that Herzberger was
then banking his fires; steam was Principally Used IN
manufacturing, but there were several furnaces In the
buildings; one In the third loft, some the upper
loft OF the Barclay street Store four IN the basement
and two tho third loft Of the College place buildings
all OF Tho machinery, pipes and everything IN my de-
paruicnt SO lar as know, was IN good order NJ the
time OF the accident; tho ioremcn OF the diiarcnt
floors were always very particular 10 call my n,ten.
ton 10 any thing IN my department that was out Of
order; the last repairs had been called on 70 nuke
the upper door OF the Barclay stroe building
the joint where the steam PIPE connected Win the
kettle, called the 'unou,' Was leaking, and put
washer on 1t; there wcro several dfyipg rooms 10
the Barclay street building, small one IN the base
mcnt tho east siue, ono IL the first hoor on The
west side, In the rear aud one IN second iot Oh tho
east SIDE one 10 tnra 1oi1 on ane east me steam
pipes ~ the Crying rooms wore raised some distance
above the moor, on an IRON frame ana tcmporary
hoor placed over them; the COOKING Kettles were al
OPEN
WAS THE BUILDING shAkff
There was no possibility 81 an explosion ID any part
OF the steam apparatus oil which | had charge; we
had burned Kerosene ABOUT year; smut on tho gas
~ eacn meteI u'sconecsco uic ppca ana put Ups
tne outlets q tue meters, .no i,.er naa nos oeen
taxed away oy tue eas COMPANY, there was IRE w
ngusher KEPT on 'op % cioset az Tue " .o
two stores tho Kerosene was KEEP. ID inc 'au UNDER
Coege place, anu one nun nad chargo " nliins ahu
trimming the lamps; TANK Tue barciay street ouia-
ing was ON; " was qu'.e snaAy Wnco s,ahaiuE On
mo ROOF nave cit ~ Ucnoe unucr ine HerAoer5cl
usually carried from slxsynVe 70 seventy pounus "
steam the sa'oty vaiVe was SCI a. seventy ave pouhus'
WHAT CARE az HEARD HEARD MD saw; yax,
John Garry, Of NO. % Gfaua street, new iosA,
fireman Ia tho basement " ane eoiehc Piace uu'ans'
yns Icxt sworn, ana .estihcu ~ suos' nuce, w io
lows:-Was 10 the basement ~ worN wneh tno Acci.
dent occurred ando'aading OPPOSITE lne West wal =!
the Barclay street Duildins neTa great hose out
describe what seemed like; then the upright
shalt which ran up through the College place ouung,
just al tDe Junction OF tne TWO buildings oi aown AZ
my Ieet this smart - nos oioMeh ~ ,cacuea - on my
cellar 70 the iourth oor AZ te Time hearu tne nosc
fire and smoke came aloug The ccinR from tho BAR
clay street building; my escape wac maao through =
rear window INTO Grecpwicn street whcn Rot out OF
tho basement ire was coming rom tnc wiMoWs u tho
upper part OF the C0nege place ouuins ABOUT nvc or
ten minutes before Inc accacht oceurreu was III te
b0iler room Taking Win the eusihcef.
THE LAMP MANS SfoKY.
Nichoias VOL oi NO lvo o'anton street. porter,
who mad been win Inc Creehlelds auout one year.
said:-ihere was one othef porter ocsiuos ysei anu
ihrec packers had cnif2c u INC hcrosene on ana
inc lamps ever slnce OH was useu ny .he urn hcps
the on ~ I'm ank ~ tne 'aai. " WY .oncse paec
UullalnR INC hrss thnB tnat o'a every oan'ns WAS
70 take smuil can o. on anu 20 aiounu 70 M ~ he
amps once week TOOK them M uown " we oo'.
iese place store anu trimmed ,hein ,neie were noou.
my lamps, most o. .heni OF 'nc hanging description,
! Know VI put thtee aceilen's WIN lamps occurring
Ia the place, mo oi mem oens ID .ne
baSciay street ouiuhsi IN ohe ,ns'ahGe, "o'h.
man upset inachnc OIL lamp which lei' on a',n ana
burned MIN Sishty ~ auothor Instance ih'hp was
huhE cooxeu anu isii GOWN, ~ causrd ssisht ne,
put was put our W'hou uana aiauip looh ble o mo
OUTSIDE III the ceir y lne ,oese pace ouiiahs, pt
workman Az once eAuHsulsnca y wneh tie aSc'ucnt
occurred was s,anaing oy lho scaic ,n .he h.fcuy
str.e store vain ~. ons % lne "vininon ~ ~