The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-20
BELLEVUE HOSPITAL FIRE.
CONCLUSION OF THE CoRoNER's INQUEsr-THE
CAUSE OF THE FIRE UNDISCOVERED

CAUSE OF THE FIRE UNDISCOVERED
Coroner Woltman yesterday held an inquest ON
the bodies of the three children, Thomas Sheehy,
Charles Bentley. Martin Richter. and the woman.
Mary Dunn. who died from burns received at the
Bellevue Hospital fire. the 9th inst. Susan West.
head nurse Of the pavilion. wards 81 and 80, had
charge of the and help and also the patients
la these departments. She ON duty from eight
A. NJ. to twelve M. and from four p. NJ to eight p NJ
On the evening in question she OF duty at
eight P. NJ. and returned at nine P. III. to issue
certain Instructions which she had forgotten. She
remained in the pavilion only few minutes The
stororoom on the southwest OF tho build.
ing; the bedding. medicines and other necessary
appliances were kept in the storeroom. A large
supply of blankets had been taken in on the pre-
ceding Wednesday. Bottles containing ether. nitric
acid sulphatc Of iron and nitrate OF silver in so-
ton werc stored in this room. The apartment was
lighted by gas and . candle was occasionally used
in the room and In the ward. There were three
stoves in ward and one stove in the other ward
She was aroused about eleven p. NJ. by cry. She
slept in the coffee house building across the street.
Mrs. Larsoneur left in charge of the pavilion.
TESTIMONY OF A NIGHT NURSE.
Maggie Larsoneur testified that she is employed
as night in the pavilion; she went duty at
eight p NJ. about half-past nine she went into the
storeroom and turned down tho gas it was not
likely that any could have entered the store
room that evening without the knowledge of the
witness; she remained in the pavilion all that even
patient in ward 81. which Is the east ward.
when she flames between wards 81 and 80;
alarmed the attendants; she also called upon them
to the children; ward 81 was reserved
for adults a.. and tSs srd sa9 81 for Children
in q helpless condition; she first saw the fire
in the nurses room. where the kitchen and closets
connect; this u called the storeroom; there had
been no are in that room; no one used . candle
matches, and there WAS ether used that evening;
room. where the blankets were slowed away the fire
did not originate that side Of the where the
medicines were stored female keeper smoked pipe
that evening; the witness was not aware that the
female keeper went into the storeroom on the night
inqueston there are four means of exit in the pa
DISCOVERY OF THE FIRE.
Margaret Biglin. keeper at ward 49, was examined
O'Clock; her hours are from six A. NJ. to halfoast
eight p. NJ: she slept in the ward opposite the Chill
ne & no sns one On 10
at ten p NJ the night nurse asked her II there
any blankets; being instructed where to find the
blankets the night nurse took candle and went in
the direction OF the closet; subsequently the wit
ness who had retired to Sleep was awakened BY tho
night nurse telling her the pavilion was on
Are; the three children were sufYocated in her
ward; when the night nurse came in witness
t tSe latter said Hush. husSl it. is Margaret who
has got the water closet on fire. Witness saw fire in
the storeroom on the night in question:; she saw
no smoke that night; when she frst saw the
blankets burning she stood by the cebox outside
the storeroom.
street. assistant foreman of Engine No. 16, stated
that about six minutes past eleven O'Clock he re-
sn Of Of snd 0F rs
avenues; he proceeded to the station and found
flames issuing from the building on the northwest
corner Of the Bellevue Hospital grounds; he was
informed that the pavilion on FIRE and that
there patients in the building. but the fire
too far advanced to do anything; three minutes
elapsed from the time he received the alarm until he
got the water on.
nj (1eor0 II he