The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-26

the flooring would still be there There is
no part Of the a 1oring left in the front
room. II is all gone The point OF the
explosion was in the hall, about eight feet
from the front door"
CONTRACTOR COOLEY CONVINCED.
Martin Cooley was examined at length,
and he gave the jury an interesting state
ment as to the explosive qualities Of dyna-
mite. He said il the explosion had Teen
from gas it would have fired the building.
On THURSDAY he was of the opinion that
the building had collapsed, but from the
fact that the door was blown of and the
flooring on the first floor gone, he was
satisfied that there was an explosion and
that it was from dynamite. He was sure 1t
was not from gas The areas were open,
and gas could not have accumulated enough
10 cause explosion. Dynamite on table
would have demolished the floor but the wit
ness admitted that he was DuZzed TO know
how the floor was blown off from the
joists, leaving the latter so nearly in act. He
accounted for the windows of the house on
the west not being broken on account Of
the vacuum between the buildings, and he
said il the windows were open at the time
they were not so apt to be broken.
MORE EVIDENCES OF THE EXPLOSION.
f. j. Kelly, deputy city marshal, corrob-
GRATED the statement of City Marshal Wade
as to the care taken to remove the debris
from the first floor, with view Of not dis
turbing the flooring Of the first floor, so
that the jury could examine il, but very
little flooring was found. He described
rat-hole in "a piece Of flooring, a bare board
with blue black stain Of a greasy nature
twelve feet from the front wall and
in the hall where he said the explosion must
have taken place, and he also exhibited
parts of a bottle, tin cap, which would
have fitted the large open-mouthed bottle
before it was broken, and a soap wrapper OF
paper bearing the brand Of Mendel q
Deitsh, in which wrapper parts of the
bottle were found near the point of explo-
sion. He also testified to the fact that the
ruins bad been watched Tuesday night by a
policeman to prevent any one from disturb
ing the unremoved debris until he could
superintend its removal, which had been
carefully cleared away with the view or
leaving the flooring for inspection. There
vas not a particle of flooring reno yed.
Not particle of flooring was found in the
front part of the house. There was a little
found in the southeastern part. There
were splinters of flooring in pieces not half as
long as his arm and no longer.
j. A. Rimes was next examined, and his
testimony was almost an exact counterpart
of his statement as published in the MORN
ING News Of yesterday.
DETECTIVE BAsCH ON THE STAND.
Detective Basch was the last witness
called, bat his testimony referred princi-
pally to visit to Robbins at st. Joseph's
Inhrmary Robbins had told him that he
heard the explosion and went to his room
door and saw the light flash, and was
going to jump out the window, when
he fell down in the ruins. Robbins likened
the explosion to such as he had heard il
dynamite explosions at Sandy Hook. Mr..
Basch said he had seen Mr. Mendel OF
Mendel & Deitsh, who explained that the
wrapper found by Deputy Marshal Kelly
was a soap label, and that the soap had beer
sold all over the country, but none b ad beer
sold since the firm had been incorporated
with the Savannah Grocery Company The
witness said he did not know of any one II
Savannah who sold dynamite and had not
heard of any being sold.
The coroner asked if the juryswanted tC
hear a statement from George Maxwell the
discharged cook. but the jury thought il
unnecessary and he was not called.
THE COLLAPSE THEORY SETTLED.
There was little doubt yesterday, even il
the minds OF those who had adhered most
close y to the collapse theory, that the build.
ing was destroyed by an explosion. Capt
Berg, of the City Of Birmingham, was stand
ing on the steamers bridge as the vessel wa,
coming up the river, and!he distinctly heard
the explosion, followed by the crash of tn,
falling walls. Chief Engineer Pennington
was on the deck Of the steamer aud ne saw
the flash which preceded the falling of thu
building.
What the powerful explosive was, how i
| came in the house, and if put there fo
purp- ses of destruction, by whom, ar
questions yet TO be solved.
The conditions of the injured in the dis
aster was somewhat improved yesterday
Robbins and Tate were reported from the
st. Joseph's Inirmary last night as in
fair way to recover.
Mr.. Ballard left yesterday for North
| Carolina with the remains of his wife
which will be buried at his former home
Lockline was buried yesterday.