New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-02
SAFETY OF SCHOOL-HOUSES
TESTIMONY BEFORE CORONER LEVY.
IMPORTANT WITNESSES IN THE FoURrH-sE SCHOOL
DISASTER INQUEST

TESTIMONY BEFORE COhONEh LEV l.
IMPORTANT WITNESSES IN THE F0UkIii-sT SCHOOL
DISASTER INQUEST.
Co,oncr Levy yesterday concluded his investiga-
zion INTO the cause Of the disaster at the German
c.,ho,Ic school i'm Fourth ST. last week. and said
that ne should charge the i1ry on Tuesoay lie
read letter which he had received calling his at
,sntion to the unsafe condition OF the staircase IN
Grammar Sch,o No. Is. In East Fiiy-frstst. The
writer said that i'm case OF fire IL would be almost
nm impnsslbity for many children 10 escape the
staircasss being entirely too narrow The letter
wa. sienel by Henry Frankel. and was handed oy
the Coroner TO John J. GoIman, the president OF
the Fire Department. who was the first witness Ga
oil ued yesterday -.
,oumis.iouer German testified that the Bureau
of Buildings was under the control OF the fle -
missoners. who employed the examiners lhSPec-
Tar. and other persons connected with the bureau
As tho annual amount at the disposal OF the Ooh-
missoners for the maintenance OF the bureau was
only 40 600 of hich - 600 paid g Its coun--
AL IL sas impossible to employ enough examiners
propery 10 look after every house. Two years ago.
he sad. be had reported TO Mayor Grace that there
should be q larger appropriation made to the FIRE
Iepnrtmeut in order that more examiners oil build
ines might be appointed The subject was re-
terIed 10 the LEGISLATURE but no further action was
tak.n A siriIsr bill il now before the Legislature
III which ~ "a cstlldttu AuhN Ff''N" "'"''N ~ 49,
proper apprcp riation for the maintenance OF the
Hnre,u MIR German said that resolution was
ndopted on Wednesday by the fire Commissioners
recommending telrgraphic communication UetNtScn
every school building ana the ONCE Ut 'no 'o ~
+. +. jenkins. superintendent Of the society for
the Prev entiOn OF Cruelty TO Chlldleh was ca!S"
10 testify 10 regard To the number OF children IN tie
lnblic and industrial schools aud the c"nulloh ",
the school buildings There wefe' he sad: lZiVuV
rhidrcn in the pubc schools and 'Ol1i IN the m
Gusfrial seh0nls Inc WaTOChiNi SCHOOLS uau s'N-
nspils the Home for the friendless, Lap tue
Chdleus Aid society, Ill ahH inc I,ooew ~,
schools l,7ul. The rrochlal scho9ls were ~
thrty-fonr buildings. OF which MI JenSlnS saiu
thar he considered tweutyslx detective; me lone
Tor tho trendless had ten school hmldlnes' ol,
which seven were defective the Childrens A'd
society eighteen buildings fifteen beng deceive,
and the four buildings occupied ny me me IIsuaeWW
schools were all detective By uelto,No
building Mr.. jenkins explained mat ne meant one
that had no hre.escapes; that hau lhe l,ouV uoU5s
either locked OF opening inward; mat hau CrooEeu
stars. wien the banlsters were shaky or when the
door was locked aud the key placed IN the chaI9e
Ola janitor or teacher or ins on " a vo 57S S
Sccond-st where there is German INDUSTRIAL
tool under the charge OF the CnllHlehs Alu
Society. is4n very bad condition ~ mas no nIe
.scapes the sci DOL in the second ana thltd uO9fs
and the windows are covered by wfe nettlhg' me
rooms are heated With stoves ana Ineie Oh, ,hs
detective hui .diugs has been obtained rom an
officer Of our society who was iOr many NeiIs u
school teacher There are seventy-hNe grammar
schonls f,rty.fye primary schools and three
schoos for col,red children but do not consider
that more than three OF four OF the buildings occu-
pied hy these schools are unsafe do not hno"
That there are 70 many as that =, .,
john Riev. the examiner of the Bureau "f Build
ipps In whose district the accident occurred eetl-
fed that he fifty years Old aud llNed AZ NO. ZuN
Sulhvan-st lie applied for his present position III
1877 aud was examined by the Board oil IAaul
ioers-Wcnrv Dudley Edwin Dohhs John Banta
and James VI. Mclean concerning MS khowleuRe
of the quality of brick. mortar iron, t'e t9nSVuc,
lion OF a truss and OF plans OF buildings. lie hau
1.pu "A faTpeNter Tor twenty wears IliN lI''ChN
duties he said were 10 lOok alter the cohs' ,tioh
of now bindings and the alteration OF nulIulnEN,
and TO inspect all plans submitted 10 tue inspectors
of Buildings His wages were $40 month auu no
Yenorted dali the result of his work. Ills district
was bounded by Houston and twenty thli"-sls''
Second ave. and the East River. lie never IN
sperted churches theatres, schools or Uther lunic
buildings unless especially ordered 10 90 10 ps az
snecror EsterbrOOk When asked 70 give tne idst
time he had been IN the school Duldihg III
Mr. Riley said that II was In september nc naN
some nen az work on the roof and went up the STAIRS
where the children were killed. lie only maze
casual examination of the staircase and diG not
,o.Gs any report as he considered It safe. There
were twenty six schools in he district ana none Oh
the buildings had been examined IN ths laSt TWO
years except those used by the puniic scnoos l n
TO the width of the stairs .? ptr cent Vi VIC puor
school buildings in mis- district had narrower st.iiS
than that IN .he rOurth street school Last year
he investigated 400 complaints.
navid 1 St9cg tho superintendent or Scbool
Bnildlngs testified that all the public school Ould
ings we're safe aud thai the staircases were sum
cisu,lv wide The Rev. Father Brels, WHO ls CON
,ecte1 with the Church Uf the Most Holy re
dp,tner and Theodore Edlemann. the carpenter LOT
,he church and school testified with reference W
the school building and its connection WIN Ine
ehnrch he report of an examination OF the school
buildng made III $50. which was submitted on
Wednesday. read by the Coroner bnt va no. %
cnnsidpred evidence. A fTe-escapo or extra line OF
stairs was recommended Ia thlS report: put IaleI
his order was changed and tho outer doors were
ordered to he changed so that they wOuld Swing
outward and that change was mace