The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-03-24


A. A. Leavy VS.. the Niagara Fire In
surance Company attracted large
number OF specta tors and the Hastings
Courtroom was crowded all day.
The most important witness on the
stand during the day was John w. NAL
lett. professor OF chemistry at the Uni
versity of Virginia. He gave expert
testimony in regard to explosives, and
his entire examination was a very in
teresting one.
John White, who was an employee at
the Hotel Brunswick at the time of the
fire, was the first witness. He testified
that he was employed during the day
and was not there on the night in ques-
ton. He showed on diagram of the
building where the whiskey barrels
we're placed.
Charles Campbell, colored, testified
that he got to the fire about o'clock
in the morniog. Mr.. Leavy was on tho
street about the building. On CROSS
examination he stated that he went
with Leavy the morning after the fire
to get some clothing. lie got q collar,
| shirt and neck tie.
Policeman Johnson testified that he
met Lesvy near the Commercial Ma
tional Bank and the latter told him
that his hotel was on fire. When he
said this the witness ran to the alarm
box at tho engine house. He did not
notice the fire until he got to the
engine house. The alarm was also
turned in at Commerce street.
| Al the conclusion OF Mr. Johnson's
testimony the plaintiff rested It's case,
and Maj. r. Ii. Day was the first wit
| ness for the defense Major Day des-
| cribed the building in detail which, he
said, belonged to his wife. In October,
1892, the witness agreed to reduce the
rent from the lat of November. He did
this because Mr.. Leavy said he would
be ruined If the rent was not reduced
The witness told Leavy il he was will
ing to sell his business for a reason
able price he thought he could find him
a purchaser. He said he would sell for
| $4,000. The witness stated that he
had had a disagreement with Leavy,
| but thought it had been settled. After
the fire he made an examination Of the
boiler, together with MIR. J. T. Engleby
and A. l.. Fuqua, and found it intact.
Major Griffin read portion Of the testi-
mony given by the witness at the cor.
oner's inquest, which Major Day pro-
nounced TO be incorrect.
Joseph L. Engleby stated that he was
at the fire and heard two explosions in
Hotel Brunswick. When he arrived on
the scene the fire was in the rear of
Hotel brunswick. He orroborated the
testimony Of Major Day in regard to ex.
aiming the boiler
Hugh G. Wiley, m ember of the Wig
liant Fire Company, testified that ne
WAS sleeping in the Vigilants house on
the night of the fire. He was awakened
by hearing someone yell FIRE" They
RI fhn nj,
of the engine house and carried the hose
to the back part OF the building Mr.
Hesser, Mr.. Cokemiller and himself en-
tered The building from the back door,
which they found open. They turned
the water on the fire and thought they
had it under control They had gone
oui OF the building and started for
window when the explosion occurred
Tho rear wall was blown out and a large
quantity OF blue flame and smoke poured
out MIR. Cokemiller was caught under
the debris and they had to get him out.
At this point the court took a recess
for dinner after which Mr.. Wiley WAS
crosscxamined, but no now facts we're
brought out.
DR.. John w Mallett, professor of
chemistry at the University of Vir-
GINA, was then put upon tho stand He
stated that he had studied chemistry in
Germany and had had a great deal Of
experience with explosives during tho
civil war when he held tho position
during the last two years of the war of
superintendent Of the ordnance labora-
tories for the Confederacy. While in
this Office he had examined into
Der Of explosions that had occurred
lie considered himself an expert on
this subject
do you think" asked Judge Robert
son, that barrels of whiskey, with the
heads in, stored in burning building
and exposed to no other source of heat
other than that of the conhagration of
the building could give out sufficient
amount of alcoholic vapor to form with
the air of the room an exploding mix
ture which, when exploded, would pro-
duce an explosion of the character de.
scribed by Mr.. Wiley?"
81 think not, sir; taking the condition
PIT as stated. Whiskey by ITSELF as a
matter of course, will not explode. 1t
will burn 1t is unnecessary to say the
air itself won't explode. You must take
mixture of the air with the vapor and
the mixture must be formed in advance.
Answering the latter part of the cues
ton, as / understand the position in
which these barrels were placed, thew
were subjected to nothing but the heat
OF the burning building and as soon as
the vapor was formed it would have
taken fire. There would have been a
large burst of flame, but no explosion.
For an explosion it would be necessary
to have some source OF heat not suffi-
cient to set fire to the vapor, but yet
su1nclent to evaporate the vapor in ad-
vance. There might have been a slight
" lint A,nt0