The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-02-03
CHIEF FARRIER'S Fate.
Chief Denmead Tells the
Sad Story at the Opening
of the Inquest.

the coroner:-Daniel Moriarty, fore
man; Emanuel Sands, Gustav Metzler,
Thomas c. Brown, John Z. Ewald,
Henry R. Ives, Andrew I. Witter, John
J. Keane, Daniel Cole. L. J. Lieberman,
George Davidson and John 7. MARI.
There were but very few spectators but
among them were Counsellor J. B. Vree-
denburgh. The proceedings were con-
Quoted by Coroner Parslow and the
statements of the witnesses recorded by
StenOgrapher William Hannah The
first witness was Acting Chief Engineer
Denmead, who testified that he rode to
the fire with the Chief who told him that
a still alarm had been sent out before the
b ell alarm.
1--WE went TO the rear of the building to
gain access TO the cellar where the ire
was confined. The building was on the
cornor Of Pavonia avenue and Grove
street. The Chief was ahead and fol-
lowed. 1t was so dark that | had to get a
lantern TO see our way. We located the
hIe on the southeast corner OF the build
ing, near grating on the sidewalk. The
Chief ordered two extinguishers to be
sent there. Riddle was sent to the Chief
with one and went for another. The
Chief said TO me, I'VE can handle the fire
with these, send the companies home"
went up through the back entrance
Of the store and then met Fire
man Feehan, who told me Of
the accident to Fireman Dlnan at
the Pennsylvania Railroad crossing. In
stead Of sending the companies home l
reported the accident to the Chief He.
ordered me 10 90 to the railroad, and said
be would send the companies back.
had hardly turned to obey him when he
said he would 90 to the railroad accident
himself and directed me to dismiss the
companies. l obeyed his order and when
returned from the different companies
and put my foot on the step to go down
the cellar / saw fire running on top OF the
water in the cellar. ! at once sent
Chemical Engine No. and Steamer No.
there, and they got to work. The flames
seemed to be making their way from
the cellar TO the store. Soon
an explosion took place that drove us
from the building to the street. We got
to work again, and then some one told
me Mcdonald had been hurt and taken
away. The explosion had set fire 70 all
in the cellar and then / ordered pipe
run through the floor. In half an hour
we concluded the fire was out, and l sent
Firemen Townsend, Whalen and MuI-
dock, who had on rubber boots, TO go to
the cellar and see If any sparks remained
Half minute later | heard Fireman
Whalan exclaim:-
(T0Ql mere n Qca1 uFemdu.
81 could not see from where l stood.
and ran around to the opening in time
TO say
''It is the Chief"
II could hardly believe it true for /
had supposed the Chief mad gone TO the
railroad accident long before them. The
Chief was generally a careful man at a
fire and knew where he was going. /
cannot say what was in the cellar"
Fireman Michael Whalen, acting tiller-
man of Hook and Ladder Company No.
q 2testiled:-"When in answer to the still
alarm | took an extinguisher and ran
down stairs. Henry Bells, an employe
of Charles BoItwood, the proprietor ef
the store, told me to be careful
for there was explosive material
in the cellar. When we found
the nature of the fire we sent out bell
alarm, and when the Chief arrived the
fire was about out. When the Chief was
in the cellar he knocked down some
sparks in the centre Of the room and they
blazed up. l called to Mcdonald TO get
out. and thought the Chief went out of
the cellar by the rear way. Then came
the explosion. When 1 saw Fireman
Riddle | said, My God. Mcdonald is
down THERE and then saw McDonald's
head. and we got him out. While look
ING around the cellar after the fire was
out / found the body Of the Chief.
| identified it by the ring the
Chief wore when the light from the Ian
tern made it visible. / have no idea what
caused the explosion Mr.. Whalen then
repeated the same story that the Acting
Chief had testified to adding that the
odor of burning oil can be distinguished
in the cellar yet. he did not smell any
Policeman Nathaniel Smith, Second
precinct, testified that he sent out the
alarm from the fire box; he saw smoke
burst through the cellar grating when
the explosion took place. The report
was heard a block and one-half away.
He thought at the time it was caused oY
gunpowder and others made the same
Charles Boltwood of No. 13 East Ham,
iltou place testihed:-'I own the store. IL
contains hardware, houssfurnis hing
Goods. paints and oils. l have done busi-
ness there sixteen years. / had been TO
New York all of the day in question, but
about six O'Clock l stopped in the store
for few minutes and then went home.
| was at dinner when the bell rang and |
was told the store was on fire. When l
got 10 the store the fire was about out l
lighted the gas in the store and looked
about, and then Went down cellar, where
met the Chief l sald:-I guess you
have got the best of the IRE. Chief, aud
he replied yes. Just after this saw some
sparks fall on the floor and the Chief ex-
claimed:-
"'Give it TO her, boysF " ran up stairs,
for did nos want to get wet by the water
from the hose. | had no idea that there
was any danger, the IRE was so nearly
out. did not warn the Chief to beware,
Tor did not think there was danger. Ii
had thought so do you suppose l would
have stayed there myself! There was IN
the cellar TWO galvanized iron TANKS con-
tanning turpentine and raw oil. Each
tank will hold thirty-eight gallons, but
neither was full. There were two ten
gellon cars of furniture varnish, one
half barrel japan varnish, i've gallons
Leedsfoot oil, fye-gaiion can benzine and
one bale of oakum. There was no kerO-
sene or naphtha. | sell gun powder. but
do not keep it in the cellar. | never keep
on hand more than three or four pounds.
ana these are placed in tin cans which are
kept on the store floor. l have no idea
what caused the fire / have two per-
sons employed at the store. cannot say
what caused the explosion unless il WAS
the turDenIine running on the water and
the gas that formed. The body of the
Chief was found near the oil cans"
Foranan:-.-Were any Of the oil or
ether cans damaged by the explosion
"Yes. a ten gallon can of varnfsh mad
mole in it after tue explosion"
sMege you lnsuredf"
s-Yes: but did not carry as much as
the eosnpanies would permit me. In
June. 1884. my permit to keep explosives
expired, but until after the fire was not
aware of this l supposed the permit
never run out unless revoked. | have
made settlement with two insurance