New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-27
LOCAL MISCELLANY.
THE FOURTH STREET SCHOOL DISASTER
THE INQUEST BEGUN BY CORONER LEVf-ih'ii
xsoNv op yP-WIrNFssFS

The inquest into the causes OF me fouIaai.t
Sav The room was filed with idle spectators and
persons interested in the fate OF me cni'urehc
spector Esterbrook was present, oue Ts Wv in ad
dressing the jury, called atten' 20 ."e sft of
of the case ii connected WITH tne Tbe r Of
over vas Caotan John IT, McCulagh, of the
Fifth Street Police. He testified that on driving
carving ont the children. He cleared the ball and
then went to tho church. Learning that there
injured Children and at Tb Hr arR he
went there with doctors. He had great
difficulty in keeping the CROWD OF oc prcp,e
there were from 1000 to 5000 people around the
house At the point where the children Eel, there
were three exits-one in front Leading 10 me chutcn,
one to the left to the basement one 10 tne iSn' W
0a6cer Schwenk stated that he began picking the
children up and handing them to Nj; Lam eI. wv
carried them to the next room. He did not Know tnao
there was wooden gate closing the passage from me
foot of the stars to the basement. me chlidren
fell on the Sister who stood at the foot OF the STAIRS
Before the breaking of the rail there were seyera
men at the bottom of the stairs; the witness
noticed man especially Who flushed c ms w of the
Fourth Battalion, said that he saw smoke ISSUING
from the second and third story wlndows Iroh,,
and caused two lines OF hose TO % passeu eSt side
where ne saw twenty thirty children IN charge OF
two three of the Sisters, in one ronn ne Hola INA
latter they had better dismiss the children iney ma
so The main hallway was feet inches wlde the
onter doors opened inward the stalrways ieading
TO the first and second floors were feet q inches
wide and nj right ANGLES to the main building; the
guard was 2 feet inches high Assistant foIeinan
Matthew Rcks testified that ne went Up, up wv, ow
flights of stairs and blaze from the closet ex
tending across the landing He shut tne door on
The closet saw Sister with lot of children IN rhe
classroom and told her to send the children OUT me
children were passed out through the smoke. Some
men came and aided him. Ihe chlet came anu gaNo
special orders to the to see ina, 'ng f
teen minutes The witness arrived at the scnool VIII
In minute and half after the alarm was sent OUT.
George H. Lambert, officer OF The society Ior we
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals testified that he
sent out an alarm. AT the schooi De heI OiI:ei
Schwenk where the children we're lying' ne triee
TO drive the women there BACK; put c09 1 no.,
With the officer he began taking off the children on
top who were lying in the hallway toward Avenue,
carried several dead children out through
the basement, leaving them In a Chlnesc i3unuIIy,
Not more than three persons could render anu aI 9
place of the disaster, so many persons had croWaeu
In Not more than two children cOnld pass OUT lne
hallway abreast. Coroner Levy instructed ne Jury
to be present at the sehool-house at p m to-day,
school will give their testimony. RI,
The leading members OF the congTegatl9n on fhe
Roman Catholic Church of the Most Holy he,
deemer, to which is attached Tue scn0oi
where the disaster occurred object 70 the state
ments which have been made that my nau o. Hes
The undertakers who had charge OF the Ouria III
Calvary Cemetery were gwen $50 Tor each one ana
this it is two Of the children
r hured in what "a known as the Poor Grounds"
When the church authorities learned ths, tneg ndu
one of the bodies removed to separate grave. IN
the case OF the other one, the parents eIec'9u W
take the money instead of having the oody re-
moved and $25 was given them. -, -.
Civil Justice Alfred Steckler, of the Fourth DIS
frlct Court, yesterday sent a letter TO tne rev
Father HelmpTecht. of the Church OF the MOST HOLY
Redeemer inclosing his check Tor SZoo, TO DE usgu
10 relieve the necessities of the families whose chill
dren were killed or injured In the school disas,er
Justice Steckler asked that Mrs Gerlach ana MIS-.
pkera
their needs were the greatest -. -,
Mayor Edison has sent COMMUNICATION 10 the
Fire aud Police Commissioners calling attention
to the clause in the Building law requiring All pup-
lie buildings, such theatres, scbOol-h.H'G nVs,
etc to have tre-alarms connecting With the system
of fire-telegraph. He wishes Tie law strictly
forced.
BUYING PROPERTY ON WARDS ISLAND.
.'.Ss,essrs Brennan, Hess and Porier, Commission:
ers of Charities and Correction, met IN the once OF
the CORPORATION Counsel at noon yesterday ana
signed four contracts which assigned 10 tne cry
little over seventeen of land on wards island
for $67 600. The only persons present were Ine
Commissioners, Corporation Counsel Andrews. Con
troller Campbell and Dwight -. OLnsleaa; a
LAWYER who represented the former owners oil the
land. The city has been endeayoring to BUY the
property for years but owing 60 the TACT that
The owners asked $3.50 more lot than they were
Thought to be worth, the sale of them was
prevented until last Saturday. v The S;na own
L. Suydam and Maria n. Olmstead, then decided to
accept the offer made, which Is about $3.50 apiece
for the Z7S lots. Inc lana is ABOUT beFeHly-n
feet to the north and northeast of the Narfs
Island Insane Asylum, and has water front ex-
tending toward Little Hell Gate ne price ue-
OF waiting a reduction to $500 was made. Inc
deeds of the property will be given to the Controller
in a few DAYS. Mr.. Campbell yesterday expressed
his satisfaction at the low price for which the lana
an act was passed by the Legis AZURE on May IA
1872. giving the CoInmss oneTs of Charities and
Correction the power to purchase lands on ward 3
Island for the use of their Department Inc former
owners of the property said yesterday that taxes on
their land had been paid for sixty years at the rate
of about $500 year, making total OF $le'ooo'
PERSONA TING THE MAN HE GAVE BAIL FOR.
The case of James Mem, indicted for selling
Gouor without a license, at No. 141 WOoster-st
was called yesterday before Judge Cowing, IN the
Conrt of General Sessions. Mem was out on pail
and when young man presented himself IN answer
TO the summons of the clerk, be was asked what has
plea was He pleaded guilty. and said that he had
made an application for a license and supposed that
that entitled him to sell liquor even il the license had
not been received. Judge Cowing was nwIillng 10
accent such an excuse and sentenced the defendant
10 twenty DAYS III the City Prison. The young man
said nothing but his face showed surprise ana dls-
appointment he was led away by the court
officers In few minutes one OF the OiflceTs wills
pered to the Judge aud the young man "hO nad
fust received sentence was again brought TO the bar
The Judge turning TO him, said understand
that Won now saw that you are not Mem, but are
William Haelig. one OF Mems oondslheni me
young man answered that his name was Haeig
The Judge severely reprmanded him, and said that
IL was evident that he had presented himself IN
Mems place surprising that only fine would be
inflicted, which he could pay without disclosing
his identity lie revoked the sentence End ordered
Haelig to produce the defendant tins morning.
MIR. GLEASON ADDRESSES Mr.. CORBlN
Alderman Patrick }. Gleason has written the fol-
lowing letter to Austin CoIbn, president OF the
Long island Railroad Comp my, in regard TO the
charge that he attempted TO get money from the
company TO prevent the passage OF bill to nix the
passenger rates on that road
AUSTIN CORBIN, esq ,.
DEAR SIR: You nave appeared before suDcommt'
tee Of the Legislature TO testify as to what the ylcepes
you of interviews with tel you that no such state
inents have made by and nothing Whatever sara
that would have any such construction. Your testimony
a. orpamented with the statement tnat you know me
only as politician, and that approached Messrs Max