Year: 1875

Captain McElwaine of the Seventh precinct was the
first witness called He testified follows:-I
present with several OF my Tuesday last during
the experiment made with the aerial ladder the juno
ton of East Broadway and Canal street. | saw the
sections of the ladder, connected together, and
afterward the sections elevated six
mounted the ladder, led by Chief Of Battalion Nash;
they continued TO ascend until the last section
reached by Nash; then noticed that the ladder began
tremble and the top leaned over almost Immediately
after there sharp crack like the report Of ps-
toll and the second section broke with loud crash
and fell to the ground Nash the top section
which struck hlm on the head as II fell and rebounded
several feet into the air assisted in taking the
the station house; Hughes and Nash dead and Maus
died shortly after when they first began experiment
with the ladder apprehendeo danger and for that
cleared the square; Nash appeared have complete
control Of everything connected with the experiment.
there was no guy rope attached TO the ladder which
think at angle of about seventy or eighty de-
grees.


Seventh precinct, testi1ed:-I present at the
pertinent with the aerial ladder Tuesday last after
the had assembled the ladder began tremble and
Chief Eli Bates who was present looking on, gave in
structions for the to come down; almost imme-
diatey after ladder broke at the second section
IRON the Top and the three men were thrown TO the


jeremiah Froyland patrolman attached to the Sew
enth precinct corroborated the testimony OF the pre-
Vious witness


Charles Whiting of No so Division street. testi-
fed witnessed the erection Of the ladder and the
accident which followed; the ladder raised to
angle Of about fifty degrees and afterward seventy
degrees there were several persons above the part
which first broke of, and of them slid down aud
escaped the first break took place at the
nom the truck second break took place toward the
upper part OF the latter.


Thomas Beebe of No 254 East Broadway fireman
attached 20 Chemical Engine No g. testifed:-I
dered on.1eta a trial Of the aerial ladder Rutgers
square by Chief Nash Taesday morning last it
an exhbnion drill and for practlce; arrived
on the ground about twenty minutes past ten A. NJ.
and Immediately began 10 elevate the ladder; Chief
Nash in command; there eight sections of
about twelve feet each in the ladder, making
ninety eight altogether the ladder hrst raised
elevation Of from forty five TO fifty before any Of the
men ascended; Nash then gave orders 10 ascend he
himself leading the ascent followed by kaus and
Hughes when the three got toward the upper
aiOn Of the ladder 1t raised about twenty degrees
more; several other men began TO ascend, ] among
them; assembled to the fourth section; suddenly
crash and the ladder fell pieces; thrown


distance Of from thirty 10 forty feet; held the
ladder until II struck the ground when was thrown
af and caught by of the bystanders thought
the ladder perfectly safe until the accident the lad
DIR had been taken out three times previous the
when it broke; don't think would 60 up a similar
ladder now, but might in another week ! think the
ladder well made and the wood good the ladders
nearly all made out Of spruce pine wood.


A. this juncture the inquest adjourned until
eeEsn O'Clock this morning During the examination
there present in the room Mrs Scott Uds, the
widow Of the inventor Of the ladder Mr. White, Chief
Ell Rates, and large number Of friends of the de-
ceaseI hremGn.