Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-04-25
THE INQUEST.
Further Expert Testimony Taken-Many
Theories Edvanced-The Verdict

I
evening by the Coroner. A large num-
Der Of Witnesses were examined, many OF
them being experts who have examined the
Grand Army Hall building. One witness
advanced the theory that steam generated by
the fra below had caused an expansion 10
the hall F; but it seems very improbable that
this could have been the cause Of the wall
falling, for the room was not close, and there
were some broken windows In the room
through which any small quantity of
steam could have escaped. Another wit
ness gave q theory OF an explosion
Of gases generated from below By the COM
bus5ion Of grease and other things in the
kitchen. Theories are all the rage, and each
individual has enc OF his own, but no one of
them is tenable. l. has been suggested that
when the debris is removed from the saloon
building that evidence viii be found taas
dynamite was under the foundation. With
all the theories that have been advanced
there appears 70 he 10 reaacn for the wall
falling excepting that it was an unsafe wall,
and should not have bsen permitted TO have
ever been erecsed. A synopsis OF the evil
deDce i5 given.
f. +. Tebbets sw0rn: Was on J street.
in what is known IS the Heilbron building.
aSen the me CT Friday morning commenced !;
heard the ire alarm, went out on tins awning
and saw tie fire ell ct once saw a sheet OF
fire shoos into Che air at least twenty feet,
and said That was an explosion II
was my opinion that Il WAS an explosion it
was dead report, and nsy have beea the
falling of the bricks on the roof; did nos seq
the wall fall; there was double report :;
they we're IN almost the same instant they
both sounded alike.
George Uhl, Of San Francisco, sworn !:
Came up On the 18Th on the train; took a
room sc the Fifth Avenue House, on Fifth
street., and IN the third story; heard the
alarm of fire, and looking out saw e fire IN
the kitchen of the Campi Restaurant some
men coon came with Babcock extinguisher;
IN about ten minutes the stream OF tbs de.
partmens was put on to the fire. il was
moonlight and [ saw what seemed to be q
seantling fall from the building; saw fire
come up like fash. and it was fol-
lowed by crash; think now that Il was
the wall, and not q scantling I saw
| falling; coulo only see the north
west corner Of the building; there was no
noise until after l saw this scantiing or wall
moving; could see the windows in Che north
wall, but saw noJight IN them stayed at the
window constantly, watching the FIRE until
after the crash there were two reports
following the flash the first report was the
loudest; there was q cracking noise with the
first report; there was no fire in the second
story at all; there was considerable fire in
the kitchen (; the fash of fire came out of the
corner of the building; it was like fash of
lightning.
j. NJ. Stephenson, of Franklin, this county.
sworn; Was here on the night of the 10Th |;
was in the Capital Hotel when the alarm
sounded went down to Paines stable had
been standing but moment when | heard a
report which took for sn explosion did not
see the wall fall there were two distinct
sounds; saw no light; could see the front
windows of the hall, but there was no light
in them ; saw no fash do not think the first
report was caused By the wall striking on the
roof.
James McNulty, sworn On the night of
the 19sh, when the fire alarm sounded, was
on Fourth and J streets; ran with the engine
to the fire ran into Saenger Halle saloon !;
passed through to the rear porch saw one
fireman trying to help another up with
Bsbcock extipguisher; I helped them with it :;
they could get up to the FIRE some one broke
glass inside heard soma words about it
saw hose come in from the alley; tried TO
get out 60 keep frem getting wet got about
fifteen feet when the plsstering fell. then l
knew nothing more; was hurt in the head
! and leg laid there perhaps twelve OF fifteen
minutes; some man helped me cut; followed
him out under the floor, crawling on my
hands and knees; Wss near the east side OF
the building there were several persons near
me think there were forty men IN the sa-
loon when the building fell; heard no report
under the floor of the saloon felt the floor
giving away before was struck.
Richard Singleton, sworn: When the alarm
of fire sounded was in bed; got up and
went into the saloon the first intimation I
had of the crash was when something struck
me on the head did not know the Fl Jor had
fallen until got out heard no report of any
kind ; was standing four or FIVE feet from the
east wall.
P. A. Miller, sworn Have made an exam.
ination of the buildings injured by the disas-
ter on the night of the 18th it sppsared
like a steam explosion, snd think it was
think the hot air and gas had gathered in TIE
hall, aud when the water was put on under
it made steam there being no vent, it ex-
banded and threw the wall out; had it been
powder, there would have been some FIRE,
which there was not, excepting where the
ire burned through1the floor; the windows
on the north end of the building
wers sash-worl1. and the upper part is
broken, which is evidence CT an explosion
had it been q fiSs explosion it would have set
fire to the place; when water comes ia con-
tact with hot air it creates much steam it is
parsion the roof wss lifted up; have no
other theory that viii account fer she ex-
plosion. The examination of the witness By
the District Attorney showed many weak
points Ia the theory OF steam explosion
The mortar in the wall was OF & fair quality
when the second-story wall was built the
mortar On the top of the irst-story wall was
not cleaned off as it should have been the
| floor in the hall has settled three or four
4ha Sc q L.
of the hall is but eight inches
while the second story is twelve inches;
the saloon building was well constructed, ana
evidsntly with the intention Of building g
second story the ceiling joists extended four
inches into each wall; the saloon building
was built first, and the buildings on each side
were constructed afterwsrd /; there we're
anchors in the saloon building Amy Hall
has no independent side walls, excepting the
western portion of the second story.
Con. Sullivan, Chief Of the Fire Depart
ment, sworn: The alarm on the night Of the
| 19sh was sounded about ten minutes after II
o'clock was at the fire 10 two or three min
utes afterwards; some water was thrown into
the second story by the hose after the wall
fell I; was not in the hall until after the wall
fell was in the door of the saloon when the
building fell; heard no explosion; had ths
water On the fire two or three minutes before
tlc wall Acl bAtctc AS 10 evidence OF an eX-
plosion anywhere did not notice a smell of
gas in the hall under the stage there was a
| little FIRE which had burned mp through the
floor from the restaurant kitchen below.
John Owens sworn About fourteen vears
ago the upper story Of Grand Army Hall was
put on /; it was before a one-story building:
worked on the roof at that time, and worked
on it afterward for Harris; it was then
called the Red Mems Hal, put on a felt.
roof FIST the material comes il heavy rolls:
Harris came up and told me to ego Slows
on the roof for he did not consider the wall
very safe this was Immediately after the
wall was built.
J. G. Rodgers sworn Am river man,
snag-puller and graiu.hsulsr examined the
walls snd debris Of the fallen buildings on
K street, near Filth: found no signs of
powder; my opinion is that the kitchen and
stove was very dirty and greasy, and the
fire created great deal of gas and smoke
tt e range is about three by six feet in size.
The witness explained to come length that
he believed the gases and smoke found their
way into the hall through fue aud caused
an explosion in thu hall. There was no
doubt, in the witness mind, but that was
the cause of the disaster.
! n. L. Drew sworn Was standing in front
of the Postoffice, in company with Others.
when the accident of Friday morning &C.
Cured. We heard noise. and one Of the
men said it was an explosion ; ten or twelve