New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-13
HOLDING TO AN EXPLOSION
FIRE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS ON THE PARK
PLACE DISASTER.
sIoNERs COMMEND THE WORK OF
TIE DEPARTMENT.


ceIDing the Park Place disaster issued yester-
day. one is from the Fine Marshal. James Mitchell,
and the Others were written by Hugh Bonner, Chief
of the Department; Francis J. Reilly, Deputy Chief
Of the Department and Thomas J. Brady, 6upern-
tendent Of the Buroau of Buildings rlis is what
Fire Marshal Mitchell says:
Having made careful investigation the and
origin Of the fire that took place in the ruins OF Nos 6S4
Place the 22d ulG and which extended to and
damaged Nos. 80 and 49, beg submit the fol-
lowing brief report Of the conclusions arrived at:
I. That there explosion Immediately preceding
the downfall Of the building.
2. That the said explosion Of the Of benznc.
that 1t occurred the premises Roscnfed dealer
in bronze powder and manufacturer OF liquid bronze Of
explosive character.
3. That there were fires started in the ruins Of
the buildings at points far removed Om another,
and originating from distinctly different
4. That the first fire seen in the ruins appeared
almost the instant the fall OF the building. and was
That portion Of tho wreck that lay where Koseneds
had stood and that it caused by the explosion
above mentioned
.. That the other fir. that developed later toward
The southwest Of the wrecked pile rgnaed from
gas Jet that burning basement retersens
restaurant at the time Of the COLLAPSE and which was
ignite the fallen debris.
much evidence. the form Of depositions.
upon which the foregoing conclusions based i on
file in this and your examination at any
time. do not deem TO enter into details IN
this report would only say In conclusion that have
already testified before the Coroners substantially
the same effect here stated and the samples Of
explosive liquids from Rosened's premises after the
disaster. together with small sample of the rubber
taken from Druggist TriDpe's basement were
submitted by the jury and left in their possession
superintendent Brady, after dilatng at some length
upon the fact that accident occurred" makes this
Official statement of the history and condition of the
building, annexed to which is diagram
That the building was erected under Plan No. 50. New
Buildings January II, 1872 that the building be-
gun January To- 1872 and completed october 10, 1872
and certified to by Inspector Z. j. HenneSsy as having
completed according the plans and specifications
This eight years prior to the consolidation of the De-
parment Buildings with this department., under which
the Bureau Of Inspection of Buildings created No
complaint that the building in any way unsafe or In
secure was ever made this bureau, but in ;he year
1850, under the direction of this department additional
fire escapes placed upon the building, which were
the OF saving large number OF lives at this
disaster"
No information is given of how these lives
saved or how many were saved. After describing
the different kinds of material used in the construc
ton. he says
carefully examined the materials in the debris and
found them all Of good quality. also found anchors
the debris, and in the portion OF the souh wall
stu standing made careful estimate Of the strength
the various materials used in the construction u the
building. and found the floors would safely carry 200
N per square foot with factor of safety OF to l. or
800 n per square foot before reaching the breaking
point From the best information l have been able to
obtain there pot than 100 pr square foot Of
weight in the building a the most heavily weighted
points, and the weight the floor throughout
did not exceed 50 pounds per square foot
concluded that the accident due to an explosion
In the first story OF building in that portion known
TO- which displaced the interior iron columns ana
while fronting Park Place, allowing the upper portion
OF the building to collapse large number Of persons
eye OF the accident and without interest In the
matter have testified they distinctly heard noise
which they recognized and still believe to have been
the sound OF explosion. That this noise was accom-
panied by a cloud OF and dust that for moment
the air in front OF the building was filled with flying
bricks broken glass and pieces Of paper the bricks dying
across that the wall Of the building fronting
on Place then began slowly to bulge out between
the and third Stories and then crashed down into
the street and rumbng noise caused by the fall
OF the OF the building not heard until the
lapse Of a distinct period Of time after the first sound
which they describe as the noise OF an explosion
Superintendent Brady refers next to the inadequacy
of the present of inspectors, forty in number
The increase in building operations In the city from 1887
TO 1890 was 80 per but the number OF inspectors
has not been increased since that time Each OF them Is
required district containing an average oil about
900 buildings covering not less than fifteen miles OF
streets The number buildings erected and OF Old
buildings altered per year is about 5000 The proper
supervision OF these buildings requires nearly all OF the
inspectors, leaving little opportunity for them
to examine buildings for the detection Of violations Of
law.
lie adds that there are many buildings in the city
used for purposes entirely different from those tor
which they originally intended, and closed with
the recommendation that additional inspectors be APP
pointed TO examine into of this character, ana
that the Legislature be asked to confer power on TINS
Department to prevent the overwhelming of all build
lngs in this city.
Chief Hugh Bonner, in transmitting the report OF
his deputy Francis ]. Reilly, makes himself sup
Elementary report, in which he says:
Long before ruins In condition to handle,
owing to the heat st pervadng the forces pro-
ceeded to remove as many could be
reached The OF oYcrhsuling the debris
and removing the bodies was from THIS
time pushed forward in the most energetic and sJs-
possible under the condition Of anslrs
as they then were and continued night and day by
relays the uniformed force who were curing
period OF this work under the supervision Oh
Deputy Chief Department Francis j. Reilly who was
ably by Battalion Chief eastman and captains
Cooney Bnns and Farley. That portion OF the debris
oyerhaued by properly done, and the over
sight discovering the bodies sooner cannot be al
rbuted them, II has since whstoOd the most Sc'
examination.
1t is most gratifying hear the multitude Of witnesses
who were present the occasion eulogIe the heroic
oetioD devotion duty of the entire force VINO were
on duty az well the skin and ability displayed by
Deputy Chief Reilly, who necessarily in command Oh
the Department during my absence nom the city, taking
the annual vacation permitted by the rules OF the Depart
ment.
Deputy Chief Reilly says among other things
The officers and men OF the Department never III my
opinion worked harder and earnestly than they uu
on thi, occasion in efforts eXtngush the IRE anu
10 rescue those who in the ruins This WORK was
continued until ! o'clock p. the 26th ut "he inc
workmen employed reported that they had thoiousin1
every part OF the ruins and falling 10 discover
sny evidence bodies being in the ruins the seSfe
was dis ontinued Up to that time sxy-one bodies hau
been removed.
on the 2sth uIt, the owner Of the building, known
ot some pfoper:y which they desired TO Obtin being In
vault under the sdJWak, the location oil Which WAS
known only 10 tn m, employed worAmen 70 maze tne
search and IN so doing two more bodies were Iouhu
within the vault making total OF killed OF sAvthree'
The entrance 10 the vault reerrd entirely COW
cred with bricks, giving it the appearance OF oeNs
solid and this Is evidently the why IL was over
looked by the workmen employed by the department
when the search discontinued on the 2oh VI"
The FRS Commissioners. Henry d. PurroS' o. |
Rowland Robbins. and Anthony Eckhoh Au1on u
these reports the minutes Of the Board the loio"