New-York tribune., 1882-02-07
THE CORONER's INVESTIGATION.


| l. lreadway viii be inferred at Tarytown to-day.
THE CORONER'S INVESTIGATION.
SEVERAL WITNESSES EXAMINED ESCAPING FROM
THE BUILDING-THE Old AND NEW FLUEs.
Coroner Herman began his investigation yester-
day as to the of the fire and loss of lite in tho
Potter Building. The room crowded with spec
tators and witnesses Orlando B. Potter sat at one
of the tables with his counsel, X. W. Townsend.
George NJ. Curtis, f.. " Neville and l.. 7. Gardner
appeared as counsel for Z. g. Moore, who received
injuries in the building, and for the family of
Robert Ircalway. who was killed. After few in
troductoTy remarks by the Coroner as TO the nature
of the disaster Policemen Ernest H. Meyer, G. w.
Curtis and Edward McCabe, OF the Fourth Precinct
testified 10 the fact that the fire broke out at about
1910 a. m. Samuel B. Bruce of No. 10 East
Forty y-secOnd-st., testified as follows:
am of the editors OF The Turf Field and Farm
When the fire broke out IN the Potter Building was in
room No Q, which one of our Offices There were
nine persons belonging to our office in the building The
first ntmaon I had Of the fire when one OF ths
employees rushed into the and said that the build
would be lost succeeded in getting down through the
fire and smoke, and had whiskers and HAIR burned
by the fire and my face scorchcd The fire
seemed To be coming from the Nassaus eide OF the build
lug and appeared to be coming up the side OF the ue
As the wind from the east it the FIRE to the
front OF the building As came around the turn In the
stairs at the third floor the staircase rc on tho
second ANA thd floors IL was impossible TO get out by
the Nassan-5 entrance. remarked TO the jantor one
thing burning, called his attention the fact that
| the wall very hot where the fue up told him
something done the whole building would burn up
ald ALI the people in it. never mentioned the fact to
Mr.. Potter spoke 10 the jantor several times, The
ceilings and partitions were all made u pine plank We
had been in the building fourteen or fifteen years |
always thought Mr.. Potter pretty tight Landlords
he was always willing that any tenant should do his
own repairs anghep Ny son @ stopped to attend ate b to
| he could not get out the same way that did He
reached the third door Of The Times Building. 1
| never fire escape in the building There was an
wooden ladder attached. The fadder generally
locked TO the wall, however The stars were made OF
| it was overheaed during the last five or six weeks
Acontroversy arose between Mr. TOWNSEND, Mr..
Potter's lawyer, and the witness in regard 20 Mr..
| Potter as landlord
"You considered him a good enough landlord TO
remain in the building fifteen years, didn't your
| sad Mr. Townsend
Il remained there SAID the witness because I
could not get any better place"
lyon considered the building safe enough TO oc-
cupy it for fifteen without complaining TO the
owner, didn't you?
II occupied the building for fifteen years because
| couldn't get any other place to suit me-"
"Didnt Your lease require You to make all repairs
to your oicesF
always thought that Mr.. Potter did not treat mo
well as | was such an old tenant
Captain Jane, lIcaDcY, OF Truck No. l. and cap
tain Henry M Jones' Of Engine Company No. z. tes-
titled to the work at the hremen. They both sald
that alarm was sent out at 1918, and that tho
engines were at the fire in two minutes. Captain
Jones SAID that there scarcity of water at the
fire which retarded the work of the hrein"n. lie
accounted for the scarcity OF water from the iaet
that there many factories in the nelghboFhood,
which use a great deal of water III the daytime lie
said that there was always scarcity OF water III
that neGhbOrhOod III the daytime.
Francis IL. 1readway, of No. IS Henry-st., Brook
lyn, testified as follows:
Ny brother worked in the composing room Of The Nep
Yorl O5Serre' the Gfth floor there also when
the fire broke ont. 1t was about 1918 when some.
body said, Look at the smoke and looked mp and
saw smoke coming through the ttansoni. Ihe smoke
poured into the room when opened the door MI Cum
the hall said " Keep cool ana follow me went to
the window The Times Building and found that IL
window down. got out first and got on lie Scottish
american sn which Mas ten inches from The wall and
wall. | next got into The Times Building Hitchcock
Harris and Davenll got out with me. exrected the
Building aud reached the street the engines had not yes
shirt and ny ogzed the sewing on the apron
Iav night and said Boys there is ire down stairs"
thought he was only joaing In coming to work in the
morning my brother and | used 10 warm our hands on
the wall You couldn't put your hands on the wall in
some places because too not. one time the ques-
tion came up Is Ia how should escape If nre
discovered those signs. SO when tie Ere broke out
recalled the fact and escaped 10y the signe Otherwise
thnk The fire amounted 10 much. The only IRE escape
in the building was the ladder leadn- 10 tne rool
and always locked 80 that Il Couldn't toe used
The anItUr believe, usually kept the key. The roof or
The Times building ten or fifteen feet higher than
that of the Potter building. II man had got on the
roof of the Potter Bulldlg he could not nave reached
the roof OF The Times Building unless he could get a
ladder.
Samuel Wcir, the carpenter of the building. was
the last witness, and he was questioned principally
by the builders VINO are on the jury. lie tcstlhed
mainly aS follows:
When the Kelly Building above the burned build.
Ing Hue TO the boiler dld not draw we'll fhe Ola nue
tl..rg al ta.al IN IA "A a.
lue was really ak Old one enlarged EAtra framing was
necessary when ue enlarged and new headers
trimnrrs put IN adjoining the Eue on All
tne stories Iue woodwork 10 or Il inches from the
iue and none less than IL inches from IL Inc
h,r mar tbe Iue ON the tfth story became heated
huo was discontinued aud tue 0d one was used
until repairs could be MSdG around round Ihe new
budiug burned There Was distance OF Is feet
and q inchc, between tue two Gues | am sure that
mo- fire was left sm0udenn. IN thc um0crs near where
The header was seen smoking on Monday first the
nre near the o. hae the hrst story When first saw
il the nlmo not more tnan Inches by iIchcs and
between the bottom OF the stars ana TIE entrance
door was standing a. the head OF the hrst story
saw the flame. felt OF the wall of the o.d tiue the
morning Of the lire. examined II very careuly aud
found nothing that would cause the fire There no
cOmbustDlc material near H. aud how the whole budng
became cnNcOped IN flames IN five minutes Is what puz-
zes nae. The elevator on the opposite side OF the
hall. The old hue was ID inches 10y 10 inches and tho
new ~ inches by 20 Inches. There VarnIsh
used IN the building. did not smell any escaping sas
Robert l.. Darragh, a builder and one OF the Jurors.
questioned the witness closely IN regard TO the wood
work near the iucs. The Coroner then received
word thar another body had been found m the ruins
and the inquest adjourned until this afternoon.
MI Ners testimony Will be continued.
ONE WITNESS BEFORE THE FIRE MARSHAL.
Fire Marshal Sheldon yesterday resumed his in-
yestigatou Of the Park-row tire, but examined only