Year: 1868

Bodies Of Six of the Victims.


Coroner keenan, yesterday morning at the City
Hospital continued the inquest on the six bodies Of
the victims in the recent fire engine explosion In the
Bowery.


Patrick W. Hand was too Ill to speak, his jaws
having been recently set by the surgeon.


TESTIMONY EDWARD ROvEI.


Edward Rovel testihed-I live at IA Henry street;
am foreman OF Engine No. .; came down from the
building and she was blowing of steam from the
safety valve, and the engineer asked me to help him.
he was tying down the safety valve with strap;
Hand said, rhe safety valve screw ia broken; he
said, solve me hand with it," he asked and John
Conway to assist him in holding it down: at that time
he jumped down and went round and turned the
engine or she was going at the time; Conway
aud in the meantime took hold OF the valve;
said l. "What are you going to do" and he said,
"Go to the tender and get q strap and fasten 1t
down." the foreman sung out Of the burning build
ing to start the engine slowly; Hand did SO; the
tied down. said to Hand, "Had you not better
make 1t tighters he said, "Yes, pull it down one
was another hole and JUMPED up to look and lust
put my foot on the ground again when she exploded;
noticed nothing peculiar about the working Of the
remark that the engine had given him any trouble;
don't know whether she had . full head Of steam on
think she % had no not biz re In % her; We had only
i've minutes more to work to wash the building
down; was present at the test, when she seemed to
we had used her six months before, when she
seemed to work WELL 1


rssrIMoNY OF JOHN n. cIARrssr.


John H. Carsse testined-I i've at 4oi Pearl street,


am licensed to run engines, but am practical 1re
man. have been engaged in that business for the last
Engine house when heard the alarm, and went and
assisted the engineer OF No. II until the stoker came
e e he No
eaugs and my Goa. Ssins too heavy Il l handed iSsa
TO hand It back, when heard the noise
OF the explosion; he wanted to fix the coup
up against the engine with my wet coat in my hand;
he made motion with bis hand and handkerchief
as 4 he was screwing up the coupling; saw Roach
gneer was saying that he could hold no steam with
the safety valve; did not notice anything unusual
was too weak; they have regular steam gauges; the


s waen got tss hss wss tS s and
the hand; IL was not more than that; when he
stopped It do not know whether 1t ran up or not;
Sees nss sna nsss nsne
on them while was there; do not think they
q e sae Ssap n @
and press out one q sSe lower shssts which had
she was leaking; the boiler was pressed back then
and has been used at different times since then Still
been trouble WITH she Was sent to e Amc
keag Works, but don't know whethertshe was fixed
or mott they put on blow on cock there to take out
the sediment; few knew what this was for; did not
know whether this blow on cock was there when
she exploded; that IL an unusual place to put IT, and
formed Of IT, the water gets dirty this this blows on
the sediment which would keep the water foaming;
this might create an explosion; this blow on cock
was an extra one on the bottom OF the boiler


TESTIMONY OF COLIN LTGHTBODY.


Colin Lghtbody testined-I reside in Sixty-frst
machlnist and engineer BY trade; am employed on
the Second avenue dummies at present; was in the
Bowery Just before the explosion talking to our
day night, half an hour before the exposion the
steam gauge blew out from engine No. 0; noticed
glass face straight out from the gauge; then went
out to the engine and saw man strapping down the
safety valve spoke TO the engineer about It. and he
was wrong; he made no reply: heard him try the
lower gauge but only heard dry steam; did not hear
so wheeled about to leave but a. went rot II n
the head and that Is all know had got ten feet
on when she exploded; the boiler exploded because
there was an injection OF cold water on the hot
Sheets II the boiler had been full and such an ex-


Would Been
rev were scalded; the engine did not seem to be
,nIgs workns right; she worked very unsteadily this
right; did not examine the engine closely.


TESTIMONY OF MRS. BLLES wARD.


street; recognize one OF the bodies as that OF my
son, Joseph Ward, whom I saw alive last at eight
3. then q Ne ed not
for him, and thought he had been taken TO station
morning, who returned and said he was dead 10 the
Tenth precinct station house; his two thighs were
broken and his side was crushed in.


TESTIMONY or MRs cArHARrNR BEARD


=. me-. OatnArine Beafo tetlned-l recognized one Of
the bodies as that OF my husband, John Beard; re-
O'Clock to attend q candy stand near the old Bowery
theatre; did not hear anything about him until late
home and then learned that he WAS hurt: heard he
was killed that night about eleven O'Clock: saw his
60dy ~ Bellevue Hospital next day at ten O'Clock;
years Of age and was born In Ireland


MRS. ANNIE KEATrNg


ons ., Ahne mn g neasng .estned-Thomas O'Connor,
years Of age; was born In this city; live AT No Q
Roosevelt street; he le last at seven O'CLOCK on
heard he was killed, and saw him next morning a.
City Hospital; Identified the body as that of nv SON
ne was crushed IN the ribs.


TESTIMONY or FRANK CLEMENS


FRANK Clemens tcstined-One OF the deceased
was Charles schildknecht; he was eighteen years
Old; ne was born In Germany reside at la Norfolk
street. he was locksmith he went out shortly after
supper; next heard his brother say Charles was not
ton house: went there and saw him; his legs were
crushed and his head was injured; he was dead can
swear IL WIS tne somo DOy.


TESTIMONY or NORMAN WIZARD.


:. Norman WE testned--I live at the Westminster
Hotel; am a practical engineer and machinIst; ex-
amfned the exploded boiler OF engine No. In the
Bowery since the explosions found that the sheet OF
the furnace mad been ruptured; IL Ia an upright
boiler; water spaces are very narrow; 1t has fur
mace at the bottom, with tubes running through It
and passing from the tube sheet at the
top Of the furnace to the smoke pipe
the space occupied by water surrounding
the boiler Ia very narrow; the rupture was at point
where there seemed 70 DC an old fractures the sheet
forming the sides OF the furnace broke away from
the rvets at the bottom the edge OF the sheet was
then pressed Inward, towards the fire and then bent
upwards so as TO lap over the tube sheet at the lower
end Of the tubes; can conceive from the place and
manner OF the rupture that the initiatory breaking
or the sheet came from the contact OF water which
was colder than the sheet which cracked it; the
pressure OF the steam then tore up the sides OF the
ruptured part; think u was evident from present ap.
pearance OF the boiler that the water was driven ont
OF the water space and either fell back again 20 sud
denly cool the sheet which was heated while
the water was absorbed, else by the
starting OF the pump some water Of
lower Temperature than tho sheet Was Injected