New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-03
BOTH DECLINE TO BE BLAMED.
ANSWERS OF THE FIRE AND HEALTH DEPART
MENTs TO MAYOR GRANT.


MENTs TO MAYOR GRANT.
The presidents of the Health Board and OF the Ere
Department Yesterday sent long replies to Mayor Grant
IN answer 70 his letter recurring information regarding
e finding Of the List two victims Of the recent usser
IN par, place As will be seen in the letters, winch
are prined herewith both officers decline to accept inc
blame for the tardy in which the bodes Oh tc
unfortunate people recovered from the runs
The letter OF Charles George Nilson' Vi ''ie '"i'
Department reads follows;
have the honor 10 acknowledge the receipt Of yours
NJ tne 5isl nit requesting the reasons that lis &c
paltment has made thorough iIVcSuS'G III nnI
scene O the Pace accleTt' anu why ~ uV iiG. .
Gisrover tine additional bodies there respectfully
state in reply that all duty responslDy anu d
in sucn believed 70 deNoiVe upon az srs If
partncnt secLOn Is, Of Chapter 900, Oh te Laws "
1857, provides that III tie Gaae % ( VV Civ Of New
building part Of any building ~ Ine Guy VI brrj"d
York II persons are known or Del!eNeu 10 W pu5ac
under to 1ins thereof 1t shall be tle diy Vi ae ne
Department cause an eAamlhau0n Oh tle
he made for the recovery OF the bodies Oh the eu anu
injured and for that pulpgse sala uqprre. Sii 70
employ IabOrcrs aud Inatess a. may Ue ,o
perform said work speedily as possible. AZ IUe
Controller Of the city IS authorIcu dnu IeCtGa 10 p
vide the funds 10 prosecute juch WORK htli
Suci being the law 1t you'd seem to be uWIse ana
Improper for this department 10 iaeTe,e n aS b
Inc business and IN the performance OF tS GuiGs ~
are expressly conferred upon another department. VI u
assume any authority IN such cases: o,o, ,,a+ u,bo
dsinfcctng ID the place has been zone ny IN OutalS
company, and not by the regular dsinecmg cGr7 r Vi
your tnsl Department. Is Incorrect suiCient III,
her %. men nom this corps was detailed % uislel S
ruin. and debris and dead bodies removed tltIyiI'
Tie work begun NJ 10 O'CLOCK on HlonuaS tT III IN
tinucd without interruption. day and night, uht l1Is
DAY p. m, and it was performed "aH success anu u
the eati, faction Of all concerned 49,
ON Thursday morning private nl,lniGeu ig F S
pany Appealed in Park Place under peIIsslom lITin
The Commissioners Of Pubic NOfhs' winch PcI'hl's'On
was recognized by the police in charge, ana tacy Plo
ceedcd 10 di,lnfcct the premises thereby interfering WIN
Tc 9ner Of Public Works declined Withdraw this
private company. A. two corps oil dSniectors Mt I
annouaced by those in charge Of the work that an BODIES
had been removed ana as terG SeGn 10 G at the
inspector in charge directed to discontinue tie
work, but TO keep ne premises nnaer constant o"7e'''
tiOn and resume work whenever ncceS'HtS'
Upon statement from Inspector Doty mat inc work
Of removing the debris from the premises had Dee az
and served ON the owners of the building mat ali debris
be removed from the cellars and that said cellars be
owner was proceeding With the work required By this
order when the two additional bodies were discovered
pom the receipt Of your order OF August III corps Oh
di-iHlCctOr wa Immediately dispatched TO fark IIce
and IS now OIL duty there; Your attention IS TSPecTI
fully called 10 the inclOsed copy OF the report OF A. l.
DOty acting chief Inspector Of contagious diseases upon
the operations OF the corps Of this Department at Park
Place
$ Rowland Robbins, Of the Fire Department, writes
in part:
TIE law defining the duties Of the Department in
OF the falling Of building IN the city OF New
York, If persons are known or believed TO De buried
under the ruins thereof, reads as follows: To cause
an examination Of the premises 70 be made for The
recovery Of bodies OF the Killed ana injured and Tor
that purpose the department shall employ labOrcl5
and materials mas be necessary - perform such
work Il speedily possible"
As soon as The fire in Para Place had been subdued,
Francis ). Ridley, then Acting Chief Engineer, en-
gaed about Lily lsborels and employed thirty -hye
hrcmen 70 scarcn TIE rains Tor the recovery OF the
the night and dufng the following sunday under the
direction Of officers Of this Department on sunday
long5horemcn were added 10 the number Of aborcr5
already employed and men OF the Marvin safe Com
pauy were engaged great deal OF heavy material,
and especially machinery, had 20 be removed In order
to recover bodies, and this work was materially I'M
pedcd by an apparently unsafe standing wall, which
II j had fallen would have added 10 the difficulty Of
finding the bodies. Chief Reilly ordered to leave
nothing undOne to complete the work as rapidly a.
possible. IhulSday John d. CHmmns offered his
Tho work accelerated TO such extent that on
Monday at 40 p. m. Chief Reilly teephoned TO Head
quarters that his work OF finding the bodies was com
plcte. Not only officer on the ground hut also
Mr.. Crimmius. VINO directed his men. declared EN-
phatically that no more bodies could be fnund hone
We had reason ~ assume that the work had been com
pletcd. That lthc two bodies which have since been
ionud were rot recovered then was n sad toistabc
This completes our report for which You asked in the
In addition T. tine report we take tbo liberty ~
add Tie examination OF the ruins If the fallen build
Ing not being one Of the regular duties Of the Fire De
partment, laborers not OF our trimming under our
skilliul nborers on hand ready at our cali for an
emergency such as this. the Ike Of which has not
avallcd ourselves Of such material rs was mmedotcly
Obtniuablc. Although II IS not at all the duty of The
said purpose, We did employ al that could he spoSd
from their regular duties directed by 'he officers ~
work. ''-
Many erroneous statements regarding orr action md
Iaise suiet , 'e rPReared ID some Of the news
sion Of the hour demands victim for the terrible dis
aster The firc Department declines 10 be made that
victim. We have done more than our duty II n
does not receive praise it certainly will not take cen
President Purroy, Of the Goard Of Fire Commits
siOners, also made statement yesterday regarding
the connection OF bis department with the disaster
lie said that several Wcre on their vacations nj