The New York herald., 1877-09-08
SCENE OF THE GREAT FIRE,

LABoRERs AT WORK AT LAST ExcAvATrSo TIN
RUISs-AN ILLusIGAIIoa OF EvERYBopYs
BUSINESS BLING SoDoDYs BUSINESS.
The recent great Gre on Eleventh avenue has made
IL appear very clearly that authority and responsibility
are needed IN same quarters whom IL becomes necss'
saTy TO do something moro than put cur nre pail
down unsafe walls protect property fnd levy nqussa
People have been growing for the past few days at the
diAtoriness shown In removing the debris OF the fire
and searching for the dead bodies OF the workmen
who to the number oi nvo six are believed 10 be
eutombcd beneath The fallen aoors and walls OF the
factory. The Fire Department considered ne
duties performed when IL did It's bes, to put
out the Gre and pull down the dangerous
walls The Police department was satisfied its juris.
dction and power extended further than giving
protection to property and keeping the crowds Of
curious people who thronged the scene Of disaster at
safe disance from danger to themselves and Of In.
convenience TO the hremen. Tho Coroners' DEPART
ment saw nothing for IL TO do bat await the exhuma-
ton o: any bodies that Nigh. bo found within The
RUNS aud the Insurance patrol beng private affair,
could not wcll be- expected to interfere.
WANT OF RECOGNIZED AUTHORITY.
1t was another illustration Of the old saying that
what is everybody's business is nobodys business,
aud thus four days allowed TO elapss
before any steps were taken 70 ascertain
II there really any bodies buried under
the debris OF the burned buildings Such an emer.
gency was little contemplated though thsro was .
strong suggestion OF its possibility in the nre on Gen.
re street few years ago, where some half dozen per.
sons we're buried in the ruins OF burned building.
On that occasion the very same controversy
TO whose business IL was, tho Police the Fire De-
partmcni TO cxcavate for the remains OF the missing
people. Finally Morgan Jones, George Middleton and
one or two others raised subscription and employed
laln aaft TIM L. snse
instance, however, there much less dinicuty in
the way the FIRE being smaller scale. than the
present one What Is suggested by the matter is that
law should be passed giving power other 10 the FIRE
lowed by consequences similar the case ia question:
TO employ sufficient number OF iRborers proceed at
once with the work OF excavation.
TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITY THEMSELVES.
Commissioners KING and German, OF the Fire Dc.
kind and yet feeling that they ought something
Ia the premises, even though II should not
osss Go s'ro,y uHor wInn E Inc Letter tho law
yesterday. ANA both these officials agreed
In recommending the Commissioners TO 20 ahead and
employ al once force OF laoorers TO clear away tho
dorrls on the burned block, saying, at tho me
,hat taere need bo no tear that the money
forthcoming. Accordingly. Commissioners King
ana ah late srs 0s to cine, me scene OF
gard 10 the matter Al this time, though the rain
had fallen copousiy for many hours, the bricks
were s., in nary places. almost rcd hot, ana a
great cloud OF steam kept continually ascending from
them. Tho hose was at work IN several places, and
the dangerous walls were all disposed oL Twenty
laborcrs were hired the spot, ana they settled 10
work With Will More be engaged this morn.
ing and the space OF hof tho block expected 10 be
cleared by Monday nexL
WHAT HALE's ARCHITECT SAYS
Mr Vanderbilt, The architect OF HaIe's factory told
the HERALD reporter that Mr. stone law oil Mr.
Hale, had instructed him that morning hire force
of men 10 clear away tho ruins aud II there we're
any bodies among them. He WIS about 10 do SO when
ho met tue Fire commissioners whom he understood
had been authorized by the Mayor TO do the same
thing, SO he lett It In thor hands. Mr.. Vanderbilt
SAID Nc did not think any boies except perhsps one
at most two would be Iouud The ruiuc.
ways quitting It were easier than in most buildings
and # man had any little warning ut all II would bs
his ault II no ailod 10 escape. He had roAcued
no positive conclusion as to how the ire originated,
but he thought must havc been through Tho careless
handing OF some lighted object in the drying room,
which was lttle better thhn powder magazine.
THE KIND OF LAW NEEDED.
Tho Police aud FIRE Commissioners say that In this
matter oil DONG work Ike removing ruins IN order TO
recover ut bodies supposed 10 be among them
their cannot DO spared intended tvi
such operations. law Is needed the subject. and
the general sentiment ~ that the owner OF the but
ing should be compelled, under heavy penalty, TO set
Immediately about the task oil recovering the remains
OF persona TO whose death ho nareciy contributed by
the very tact o his building having fallen them.
Ibe burned block presented desoiate spectacle
terday. A good many men aud boys aud not low
women, hung nrounc the RUNS most o the day IN spite
OF the rain Men wero at work pulling down tho par.
tally burned buildings on Tenth avenue but no,
much VIII DO done anywhere around the block or the
adjacent quarter TIL tho debris Is removed No more
than missing mer, already reported, have mao
their absence from homo sgniacd NJ the Twentieth
police precinct, Thirty-scvenin street.
WATER.
The question as to whether the water was turned on
in the burned district Is exciting great deal OF
hro II was the universal testimony OF the IL momen tAat,
when they attached the hose TO the hydran.s Tenth
avenue there was no water, and Mr.. Edward hcCabe,
who Keeps liquor store at the corner OF Tenth ave
nue. and lhrtyoighh street. asserts positively that he
saw frcmen turn oil the water the FRIDAY before
the lire al the corner VI the street where his
place OF business ~ Situated Mr. McCabo
positive that these men were In the employ yment Of
the Board OF Public Works, and no has the
same persons do the Same thing previous occasions.
About two hours after the water turned of 1t
partially turned on again, and remained until about
three O'CLOCK the day of the nre when the full
sure was restored During tho Two hours on Friday
while The water was of there was no supply In Mr.
McCabe's house. and after IT was partially restored
It reached only the third story, whereas 1t pre-
viously had reached the top OF the house.
Police Officers kclp aud 1amoerson saw
The water turned at Thirty-eghth street
and Tenth avenue on the afternoon OF the lire. The
tzens in the vicinity moving for the removal Of
Superintendent James keegan, who has charge OF the
water mains In the district, on the ground that his
neglect OF duty or queer performance Of II renders
property unsafe under his supervision. They they
cannot consent to have the water supply At the mercy
OF any chance plumber who chooses TO ampsr with Il
nor Will they patiently submit to tho supervision OF Al
official who permits his work to be done careessJ
as II was dono In this Instance.