The New York herald., 1879-08-05
DANGEROUS DWELLING PLACES.
TWO HOUSES WRECKED By THE FALL OF DE-
cAYED CHIMNEY-LUcKY ESCAPE OF THE

| TWO HOUSES WRECKED BY THE FALL OF DE-
| cAYED cHIMNEY-LUcKY ESCAPE OF THE
INMATES
Nos. 435 and 437 Pearl street among the Oldest
buildings in the Fourth ward They frame
structures with brick fronts and have old fashioned
Dutch chimneys that is TO say the chimneys OF the
two houses joined together at the top. Nothing
separates the two houses except . stucco partition
and II u feet wide. No. 435 Pearl street has
been occupied for the last eight months by John
Gehrng and family and No. 437 has been in
habited during the past year by Mrs.
Brannigan and family. consisting of herself and
four children and servant girl. Mr. Gehrlng keeps
a lager beer saloon on the ground floor. and the
floor above and the attic occupied by himself
and family dwelling apartments. Mrs. Brannigan
keeps liquor store her first hoor. few
months ago the erection of large tenement house
commenced at Nos 431 and 433 Pearl street. I'M
mediately adjoining No. 435 and it was found neces-
sary to put up brick wall under that building.
Everything then considered to be secure. and
the dwellers in Nos. 435 and 437 were unaware of
any danger until the true state Of affairs was
shown by the falling in of the chimney
of No. 437 yesterday afternoon. Fortunately,
however. the inhabitants of both houses had some
premonition of this occurrence about nine hours
before it happened. Mrs. Brannigan. about re-
tring after twelve O'Clock Saturday night, when
she heard cracking noise in closet which is
built against the chimney. She thought at first it
was rats. but on opening the closet she large
fissure in the paper with which the wall
covered and still the cracking noise continued.
She at q loss to account for the noise. she
could no rats. until a short time after, when.
opening the closet door again, she that the fs
sure III the paper had increased in size and that
there was also crack IN the chimney itself. She
at once became alarmed, awoke her younger chill
dren. who were III bed at the time in room through
which the chimney passes, and made them dress
themselves and go down stairs.
SPREADING THE ALARM
She next called her neig hbors, who were asleep at
the time crying out Get up; get up;. the house is
Pearl street, was notified. and carried the news to
the Oak street station, whence Captain Petty pro-
ceeded to the scene with few OF his officers and
placed o guard around the buildings. For
nearly three hours the Gchrling and Bran
ngan families, assisted by some OF their neighbors.
busy removing their effects to the back yards OF
their respective houses; working perseveringly,
though they knew not at what moment the house
might tall i'll them. The families remained il
the yards until daylight in the morning. About
eight o'clock Mr.. Dudley. superintendent of
Buildings, who had been teieg-aphed tor from Police
Headquarte arrived He sent tor some house
shorers who did not arrive, however, till the after
noon On insulation with Captain Petty it was
decided to place rail around the buildings, aud
two officers stationed near by to warn passersby
OF the danger. Mrs. Brannisan secured an unoccu-
pied store about two doors below, and thither all
her stock, fixtures and household goods were re-
moved in the course of the morning. the neighbors
Cehrling left ali property the back yard Of
his dwelling Superintendent Dudley finally ordered
ali persons to leave the house and caused the side
walk opposite be cleared it feared that the
] front wall itself would tail out.
CHIMNEY
About three O'Clock in the afternoon, when Pearl
street was crowded with people. o crash was heard,
and the sidewalk front OF Nos 435 and 437 Pearl
street u moment covered with debris. Owing
to the precautions taken by MIR. Dudley and the po
lice no one was hurt. but the greatest excitement
prevailed in the neighDorhood. Until the clouds OF
dust cleared away and the front walls of building
seen yet standing ono ventured near, but in
about quarter OF an hour examination OF tho
premises made, and 1t was found that the por-
ton OF the chimney connected with the house No.
437 had completely settled down into the ground,
beams and ceiling OF the second hoor and the
stucco petition dividing the two buildings
ON the first floor. rendering the houses inside al
most complete wreck. Mr.. Gehrling estimates his
loss at about $500. and Mrs. Bran nigan says that
she could not begin to estimate hers. There was
counter" she exclaimed when the reporter called
ON her, "that my father paid $3.50 tor, all solid
black walnut and there were tables would not want
broken for the world all gone to pieces. There
! two barrels OF ale the cellar and denijohn OF
brandy that could not be bought for $40 each, all
destroyed. But perhaps ought to feel very thank.
! full to God that myself and my children escaped
with our lives. l am widow eight years. and
! never got such fright in my life."
| Tho laCy's mind seemed about equally divided be-
| tween her thankfuness to Divine Providence for
sparing her Lille and desire TO find out how she
to be reimbursed tor the losses she had suffered.
The owners of the two houses, Mr.. John A. Brown
and Mrs. Sarah Kencer, called MIR. Dudley and
Mr.. Dudley, in n conversation with the reporter,
stated that it accident that could be
seen ami that the chimney fell from pure decay. 1t
purely case of old age. As 1t was the chimney
itself gave timely warning OF its approaching disso-
luton and this alone perhaps the lives of eight
ten people.