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On 16th January^ 187^. i^m PKiM-Kl>BY MACLEAN, ROUERA^,, SOUTH WELLINOTON STREET. 1874 / r7Y C) >3 Cc 3 7^ ^ sH DOMINION OF CANADA, . County of Carleton, [ A N rNQUrsmONlNDENTRD, tukonforOurSovor- Clty of Ottawa, to wit : ) jTx ^'K" La<^ly the Queen, at the -Railway Committoo lloonis, ill Iho lIoii.sc ofConimoriH, Ottawa, on the Twonly-rirst day of January, in the thii'ty-HCventh year of the reign of Oui" Sovereign Lady, Victoria, before J. T. C. Beaubien, EHquiro, one of the Coronera of Our waid Liuly the Queen, for the City of Ottawa and County of Carloton siforeHaid, to enquire into the cause or origin of a certain fire which occurred in the said City of Ottawa, in the said thirty-seventh year of the reign of Our Sovereign Lady, Victoria, at or about the hour of half-past seven o'clock, in the evening of the IGth instant, whereby the building situate on the Gov- ernment Grounds, in the said City of Ottawa, and Icnown as the Offices of the Inter- colonial and Pacific Eailways, was consumed, upon the oath of William Cousons, foreman; John H. P. Gibson, Timothy Eajotte, Eichard Stockdale, Hector McLean, William Bishop, William J. Topley, Joseph E. Esmonde, Alexander Duff, Timothy Kavanagh, Charles McCarron, Henry Hodges, Laughlin McQuarrio, good and law- ful men of the said City of Ottawa, duly chosen from among the householders resident in the vicinity of the said fire, and who being then and there duly sworn and charged to enquire for Oui* said Lady the Queen, into the cause or origin of the said fire, and whether it was kindled by design, or was the result of negligence, or accident, do upon their oath say, That this jury arc of opinion from the evidence before them, that the fire which occurred on the night of the 16th of January, 1874 " ilie build- ing occupied as offices of the Intercolonial and Pacific Eailways, was occasioned by some means unknown to this jm-y. The following facts are prominent features in evidence, viz: That the fire in the gi-ate in the room occupied by Messrs. Caj.To, Secretan and Forrest, and designated as room No. 8. on the plan submitted by Mr. Fleming, Chief Engineer, was quite low, in fact almost out ; it docs not clearly appear that the fire could have originated from that grate, although the fire occurred in that room; that the supervision of the building which contained very valuable documents was altogether defective, in fact the evidence proves that no one seems to have had supervision, that there was no provision against fire, that it was quite pos- sible for an incendiary to have obtained access, for the purpose of carrying out his nefarious design, and that this jury are fully convinced that the Department of Public Works is decidedly deserving of censure for culpable negligence. That in the opinion of this Jury, from evidence before us, all the Public Buildings within our T knowledge in this city aro in the Htimo danf^orous condition. That ovidonco hafl been f'ivoTi showin;? an im]>roi)or use oC the iiKics in the Dei)}Ulmontal liuiidings for pur- poHCH foroign to the <)i'i<4inal intention tor which they wore conHtructed, and alf^o in icf'erenco to entire ab.senceofash pits, roHiilting in the awhcH being carolcsnly thrown about to tlie groat danger of fire; and thirt Jury recommend that all Public BuildingH on Parliament Square ho placed under ono siiporviHion, and that the party in charge bo hold roHponsiblo for firoa occuring therein. JAC(iUKS TIIELESPIIORE CLEOPIIASE BEAUBIEN, Coroner. WILLIAM COUSRNS, Foreman. JOHN H. P. GIBSON, TIMOTHY RAJOTTE, R. STOCK DALE, KECTOR McLEAN, WILLIAM BISHOP, WM. J. TOPLEY, JOS. R. ESMONDE, A. DUFF, TIMOTHY KAVANAGH, CHARLES McCARRON, HENRY HODGES, L. McQUARRIE. ' DOMINION OF CANADA, ) COUNTV OF CaRLE'''OV, C Citi/ of Ottaioa, to kU, : ) InformntionH of WitnoHsoss Hovorivlly tnlton and acknowlo material in connection willi tlio huildiiiLr; to my knowlcdi^o thorn was no precaution ai^ainst fire, Huch as liuckotH of water, or beyond the mere ordinary precautions ; there was an oniinary tire in the room on that jiarlicular evening; never saw any openin^^H in the rtooi" otiier tiian those which I have mentionc; to ]>iit tlio fire out, and had returned from the Post Office; the Police came up to the buildinj^ destroyed after I told them ; saw them working at the hose ; this was after I had tokl them; they were taking them out and fixing them so as to play on the tire; I have brothers and sisters; I was not ])laying outside the door tliat evening; od not know if any sti-angers entered the building that evening; Mr. Fleming wont out a few minutes before; I know tlie uslieil it into the staple ajid made the door fast ; I then went out into the ])assago by the dooi- leading into the same, and out of it by tlie main entrance dooi" ; I, from being in the liabit of closing the door, closed it that evening; my mother gave me the instructions about always closing the door; I liave been in the Inxbit of closing it f(U' about a ycai- ; I i-ecollect fastening it that eveiung, and going out of the door of the main entrance ; there wa.s a small tiro in the kitchen stove that evening ; I had been in the house about three hours, after coming from school, before I discovered the tire ; the rii-e in our stove was not at all a lai'ge iii'o from the time of my coming from school, and the discovery of the tire; I distinctly saw the floor of room No. 8 bm-ning ; I have not been in- structed as to the manner in which I should answer questions liere ; I did not dis- cover any ])articular smell when I first went u[)stairs. such as coal oil ; 1 do not tliink there was any tar on the premises ; thei'c Avas a coal oil lamp in Mr. Fleming's room ; the coal oil was kept in our apartments. LOLTbS DESLAUElWiS. Taken upon oath and and acknowledged this twenty-sixth day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundi-ed and seven ty-foui-, befbi'e me, J. T. 0. BEAUBIKN, Coroner. I, IIoRATro F. Forrest, of the City of Ottawa, in the said County of Carleton, Civil Fngiiicer, l)eing sworn, saith: I li\e in the City of OUawa, at No. G5 Sparks sti'oet; I am employed on the Engineering .Staff of the Canadian Pacific Railway; according to the ])lan now pro- duced 1 was in room No. 8; 1 was in the office on the 10th instant; I left about ten minutes af'tei- four ; Mi-. CaiTC and Mr. Secrelan were em])loyed in the same i"oom ; I was in the ofUee for about five minutes after Mr. Secretan left ; the room was heated by a grate ; we liad a fire on that day ; for about an hour previous to my leaving the fire was very low, if not etioii there was no fender, but an ash pan immediately under tho ^rate; f distinctly remember being annoyed that day with tho messenirer for not fjivii.^- us a sufficiency of coal ; there was a stove pi- "" which entered our room from Mr. Mortimer's room and passed into tho chimney; i presume there was a fire in the stove durint!; tiiat day ; T eannot say as to whether thoro was any protection in the partition aiyainst fire; to the best of my knowleds^e there were no matches in the room; it wf)nld be necessary for coals to fall two feet, or over tho hearthstone, t-^ cause fire ; T remember an occasion when a coal fell off the grate and rolled on the floor; T cannot say whether it was a live coal or not; in my opinion it wC'Uld bo almost impossible for coals pressed down in the grate to fall out over the stone and on the floor ; on this occasion T do not think it would bo possible for a coal to fall out of the grate on the floor, as the fire was nearly if not quite out; in my opinion tho fire could not origiruite from the grate as left by me that evening; there was very little waste pa]ier lying around ; there was some tracing paper at a distance from the fire ; T have been occasioned a very heavy loss by the fire ; without exception all the clerks have lost more or less by it. HOEATIO F. FOEREST. Taken upon oath and acknowledged this twenty-sixth day of January, in tho year of our Loi-d one thousand eight hundred and seventy-four, before me, J. T. C. BEAUBIEN, Coroner. I, Louts Eesskrtir. of the City of Ottawa, in the said County v-)f Carletou. Mes- senger, in the em]>loy of the G-overnment. being sworn, saith : T am the Messenger in connection with the Intercolonial and Canadian Tacifio Eailwavs Offices ; T have been messenger in that Department for about four years ; my duties have always been in connection Avith the offices in the building lately des- troyed ; my duties were to go with messages, light the fires, and supply coal and wood ; T always lighted the fires in the mornings ; T did not put out the fires at night ; I do not know whose duty it was to extinixirlsh them ; T never received any orders to do so ; my hours were from about eight to four-thirty ; T remember the fire of the Ifith instant ; T was in room N'o. 8 that day; the last time I was in it was about half-]iast three that evening ; Mr. Secretan and Mr. Forrest were in the room then ; I noticed the fire-place then, and I am positive I saw a fire in the grate at the time ; it was a very t^iir fire ; soft coal was used ; T have occasionally diRCOvercd a slatey substance on the grate when cleaning it ; there were two bars out of it, one out of the top, and one out of the bottom ; tho top bar has been out since last winter ; tho lower bar came off this winter ; T recognise the grate now shown to me as tho one which was in room T^o. 8; the under bar was broken off about the middle of Decem- ber last; I lighted the fires with shavings and kindling wood ; I kept those materials in room No. 11, known na the lumber room ; I did not keep any kindling wood in room No. 8 ; I used matches to light the fires ; kept them in my pocket ; there was a stovepipe which came from Mr. Mortimer's room into room No. 8; the stovenioos were now ; they were put up last fall ; I do not know what manner of protection against fire was used in the wall ; I did not notice any pape^ on the floor that eve- ning ; I did not see any person smoking in the room ctiat evening ; some of the 11 , think a r that ho [VH to tho y for tho \ connoc- est of my Ibo to the incler the Br for not Dom from fire in tho ion in the los in the hstone, t'> led on the , w(Mild ho stone and to fall out pinion tho . was very ancc from seption all aEST. ai-y, in tho )roner. leton, Mes- ian Tacific Vmr yearw ; r lately dos- y coal and the fives at peivod any iber the fire s in it was in the room crate at the liscovcrod a ^f it, one out winter; tho e as tho ono e of Decem- •so materials ing wood in I ; there was stoveniiies )f protection )r that ove- some of the i Clorks were in the hahit of smoking in that room ; a pipe was generally used ; there was not a waste paper 1)asket in that room ; waste paper was kept in a hox in the lumber I'oom ; I applied to Mr. Bni-ne, Mr. Fleming's Secretary, when any thing was out of order; I did not report to Mr. Biirpe the bad state of that gi*ato ; *I have no particular roasion as to why T did not, in fact no encouragement was shown when an application was made; I have noticed that portion of tlio floor of tho room which is opposite the grate ; it was an old and a very rickety floor; there was a eracV in it about six inches fi-om the stonework or hearth ; it was about ei.i'hteen inches from the grate; T believe tho stone extended from tho grate outwai'ds about twelve inches; there was no bvick work in connection with the hearth, excepting immorjiatoly umlor the grate; there were other cracks in the floor and opposite the grate though smaller; T do not know whelhor the clei'ks u^od the cracks habitually for the purposes of a spittoon; T have always attended around tho offices, and have often been in No. 8 during the day; I have often gone there in the moi'ning and lighted the fires with coals that remained on the gratefrom the previous evening; it had been on the fire and was partly burnt; the fender was an ordinary one, similar to tho ono now produced; I have often seen coals lying around the grate; tho stone extended three or four inches outside tho fender when it was in its proper place ; 1 have seen the wooden moulding which surrounded it scorched by the coals which had fallen from the grate; tho moulding was about one-fourth of an inch above tho hearth-stone and about one-half of an inch above tho floor; during cold days tho clerks would keep on large fires; I have discovered fired coals in tlm grate of room 8 in the morning, generally between 8 and 9 o'clock; I have found it so this winter, since the grate was broken in the bottom; I have also found fire in other rooms in tho morning; I have never told any person in reference to the fii'o being there in the morning; I do not know whether the clerks worked late on the evenings pre- vious to the finding of tho fire in the grate; I did not tell any person about tho coal dropping on the floor; Friday, the IGth instant, was a very cold day; I always kept a sufficiency of coal in tho rooms; I gave them the usual amount on that day; I arrived at the fire when the buiMing was nearly destroyed; I have no kncvledgo as to the origin of the fire; I live on Augusta Street; I did not notice any strangers in tho building that day; I did not seo any cigar stumps lying on the floor that morning, owing to the rooms having been swept before I came; I entered by Mr. Deslaurier's door; the south-east door was not fiistened on that evening when I left; I have not noticed any strangers around the building, exco])ting en- quirers for Mr. Fleming; I am not awiire of any tar being used in or about tho premises; at one time thej'o were two latch keys for the door of tho main entrance; a Mr. Steers had one, the other was broken; Mr. Fleming could not get in when the main entrance door was locked, unless ho wont by Mr. Deslaurier's apartments; the spring latch was fastened back during the day; I do not know who was charged with the locking of the doors; an individual could not secrete himself in the lumher room without being seen; it contained some old boxes and other old material ; there was no place in the building where an individual could secrete himself; the only access to the garret was through a small hole in the ceiling; there was a ladder from the ground on the outside to the top of the building; that ladder could not be used as a means of access to the building; there were double windows on the building; I did not examine the windows on that day; it was not possiblf) for a ])erBon to got into room 8 from the model house roof; there was a window on the model-room, and also one in room 8. LOUIS BESSEEER. Taken upon oath and acknowledged this Twenty-sixth Day of Januar}', in year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Seventy-four, befi)re me, J. T. C. BEAUBIEN, Coroner. the 12 I, Isidore Deslaurieii, of tho City of Ottawa, in tho said County of Carloton, me88onfi;or in tho .service of the Government, hoinj^ 'inly wworn, saith : I am Chief MosHcn^cr of the JJepartmont of Public Workw ; I am the person who occupied a portion of tho lower storey of the building destroyed by tii'o, as a dwelling; I occupied four rooms, Nos. 13, 14, 15 and 16, according to the plan filed and marked "A;" 1 remember the evening of the KJth instant; 1 was sitting in the Post Office waiting for the mail, when my son Louis came in and told me to huriy homo, that he had seen a blaze in one oi" the rooms ujistairs ; I at once wont home ; I. saw my wife and went upstairs, and saw the smoke Avas very dense ; J told my wile not to bo alai'med, as I thought it was some of tho pipes which had become disconnected; I then requested a candle, got it, and went upstairs again ; I penetrated as far as the door of No. 8; I could not distinguish anything, not even tlie candle, so dense was tho smoke ; I then came down stairs to room No. 16, and told my wife and children to alarm the police ; I also went out to give the alarm ; I ran from my kitchen door to tho door of the lumber room ; I will not say positively that it Avas not locked, as I used a great deal of force when I came in contact with it ; I ran against it with full force ; I then went upstaii-s and opened tho window over the front porch ; this window Avas in tho passage ; I then tried to get as far as Mr. Fleming's room on my hands and knees ; I succeeded ; I Avent as far as my private stairs ; my wife Avas at the bottom of them ; she told me there Avas a bucket of water at the top of them, and I had better use it ; I took tho water as far as Mr. Carre's i*oom and threw it in ; I heard a fizzing noise, Avhich the Avater made as it came in contact Avith the fire; I then came down to ni}^ own Ivitchen and told my wile that she had better get herself and the children out as quickly as possible ; at the same time I tokl one of my boys to go and tell all tho police he could see that tho house was on fire; about this time about (! loot scpuire of my ceiling fell in ; it fell on about the middle of the floor ; I had a punchon of about 80 gallons of Avater in my kitche!i; I threw about a dozen buckets at tho fire ; I then . M a small hand pum]) ami used it as long as the Avater lasted; betAveen times I vvouid run out and call out an alarm ; Peter Connolly and tAVO Dominion Police came into the room Avlien I Avas throwing up the Avater; I did my utmost to extinguish the five ; the policemen assisted in trying to extinguish it by getting out the liose ; I had frequently been in room No. 8 ; a grate and a small iron fender Avero used in that room ; the fender Avas similar to the one noAV produced ; there Avas a cement hearthstone of about 18 nches in Avidth, Avith a batting of Avood around it, immediately in front of the grate ; there was also cement laid on bricks immediately under the grate; I luu^e been in the habit of going into Nos. 3 and 4 and tho passage upstairs, and 12 downstairs; I also Avont into No. 8 to examine the fire ; this was on my regular rounds to examine the fires, and generally between 7 and 12 o'clock ; I have found fires in some of the grates, but not any of any account; I have often seen fire in No. 8 in the cA'oning ; there was a board iioor of that room; there Avas no carpet ; the floor was veiy old ; I have often swept the room and found Avhen done that I had no dust to lift up, as it went through the cracks in the floor; from Avhat I saw I belioA^e the fire originated in room No. 8 ; I lose by the fire to tho extent of about $600 ; I did not have any insurance ; any person could have opened the south east door, as I opened it that evening ; I am of the opinion that it was my duty to see that tho doors were locked ; I Avas never told that 1 had to close and lock them ; I did it as much for my OAvn security as otherwise ; I did not see any strangers aroimd the building that OA'ening ; I Avas aAvare of there being maps in the building, though as to Aviiat extent or the natui-e of them I am ignorant ; the bolt used to lock the south cast door Avas about 8 inches long and about f of an inch thick ; a staple fastened Avith four scrcAV nails to the door frame secured the door ; I tried the door of the main entrance that evening and found it was locked ; I have on several different occasions requested that the building be supplied Avith water, on account of my ai^prehensions as to fire ; I spoke to Mr. Hutchinson about bringing up a water pipe to the building destroyed by fire, from some of the other buildings ; ho said he suppoi^ed it would not be much trouble to do so, but did not think tho 1ft !arloton, son who ivolling; marked ist Office mo, that saw my not to bo cctod ; I xr as the enso was children hen door )ckod, aa t it with ch ; this n on my [e was at lom, and ' it in ; I le fire ; I it herself my boys tliis time s floor ; I t a dozen ihe water lolly and er ; I did n^uish it i\ a Mmall yrodiiced ; ^ of wood on bricks 3 and 4 imine the )ctwcen 7 account ; uit room ; uid found the floor ; ire to the e opened t was my ) and lock see any 11 IS in the the bolt ich thick ; ; I tried I have on water, on bringing luildiiigs ; think the Government would do it, as thoy intended pulling the building down ; T nlso spoko to Mr. Hudson in referonce to it; ho told mo ho had no authority in the matter; I also mentioned the matter to Mr. 8co(t, C!hief Architor't of the l)omini(>n; he thought it advisable to have water brought to the building, and said he would see nbout it; there were no steps taken to prevent ifVe ; my wife could iiave heard any iicrson, had they attempted it. forcing the south east door, if it were locked ; the window between zoom No. H and the model room was bolted at (ho top and at the bottom ; there was not a double sash on the window ; it was pos.siblo fc" a ])erson to entev room No. S from the mode! room, if the window was not locked, and he had the assistance of a small ladder; 1 did not notict; any iiegligtiiu-e f)n the part of any pc'son in tiying to extinguish the tire; tire fenders were used in three rooms; the Dominion Police had nothing to do, either directly or indirectly, with the interior of that building. ISIDOEE DESLAUEIEE. Taken upon oath iind acknowledged this Twonty-si.xth Day of .Tanuar}- in tho year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight JIundred and Seventy-four, before me, J. T. C. liEAUBIEN, Coroner. I, Isidore Boslrurior, being i-ecalled, saith : I never was told by Mr. Fleming, 01' any other porscm in authority, that there were valuable papers and other valuable proj>erly on the ])remises; 1 am satisfied that I lost property at the fire, which I would have saved ha shanties were on iire; I was afterwards told it was the lEou.^e of Commons; i. then hustened to the place vnd ascertained the coi'rect place; the j)ipes which w iio from Mr. Mortimer s room were inferior pipes; 1 have no knowledge as to tV precautions in the wall against tire; I am alosor by the firo. HENEY CAERE. 4 Taken upon oath and acknowledged this Twenty-sixth Day of Januaiy in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Seventy-four, before me, J, T. C. BEAUBIEN, Coroner. I, James Pearoe, of the City of Ottawa, in the County of Carloton, aforesaid, Dominion Policeman, being sworn, saith : 1 am a member of the Dominion Police Force ; the detail now shown to me is the one which was used on the IGth instant; four was my number ; according to this detail I would be at the Western block between (! and 7 that evening examining the doors and windows ; 1 was there then ; there was an alarm offii-e given me that evening by two of Mr. Deslaurier's children; when I received the alarm I went towartls the building, and when at the corner of the West l)lock J met Mrs. Deslaurier with some of her children ; 1 told her to go or send word to the jiolico in the East block ; 1 then went to the House of Commons, believing 1 could get tlie hose better from it than the other building, as it was nearer the tire; when 1 came to Mr. Cardinal's J found it locked ; 1 knocked at it ; Mr. (Cardinal opened it ; I requested him to either got the hose out or get some of the tiremen to got them out, as there was a tii'o in Mr Deslaurier's house ; he told me I had better go down to the boiler house and see the tiremen ; I went and saw two of them ; 1 asked to assist me in getting the hose out, \t the same time tolling them of the fire; they told me they could not leave the boilei-s, a« they wore firing up at the time ; I asked them if thei"e were any other firemen in the building ; they told me there was another fireman, but he had gone to examine the pipes and tanks; I then came back to Mr. Cardinal's room with the inteiition of returning to the West block ; I there met Mi*. Eitzsim- mons, the night watchman ; I asked him if he would show me where the hose were, and if he could assist mo in getting thorn out; he tc'-l me he could not give any hose without an order ; I said 1 did not have an order, but must get them somehow ; I then left the building with the intention of going to the West block to got out the hose there ; when 1 had gotten outside I met Mr. Macdonald, Sorgoantrat-Arms ; ho was running towards the door from which I came ; I asked him if he could get the hose ; I understood him to say, yes ; I returned with him to the building ; he told the men there, Mr. Eitzsimmons, David Long, a fireman, and Mr. Cardinell, to get the hose out ; the tireman said the hose had been taken down to the other building at the fire on the previous evening ; I then wont to the Western block and assisted in getting out the hose there ; I remained there during the firo at the window in the water closet through which the hose passed ; I went up after the City Brigade left ; I did not see any hose coming from the House of Commons ; there was a. plentiful Bupnly of water coming from the West block ; there is a Sergeant in connection with the Dominion Police Eorce ; the Superintendent is Detective O'Neill; I have been surprised on duty ; we are regularly instructed in fire duty once a jnonth ; I can toll the number of any hydrant in the dark ; with the exception of one or two new members I think all c do tlie same ; they (the new hands) are being instructed in u fll, lhi»iitch I liavo novor soon niiy hoso on it ; thort) is a voiy liif^o ([uantity of lio^o ill tlu* |{iiil(liii,i^s, tlioui^h in a voiy had state of repair; thoro aro sonio good Iwmo, which are kopt for tho attics ; tho force of water Ihroiiifh tho hose fi-om llio Wost Hloclc was strong, wiioroa-i tliat from tho iloiiso ol ('((Munons was oxlronioly woal< and of iittio or no account ; a largo nunihor of tiio roonivi in tho DoparlincMital Midldings aro kept locked l»y tho dorks; 1 have no keys whicli will unlock those doors, and in caso I want Ihoni open I will have to force thoni ; thor(Miro not any ash |)its for either of tho Buildings; 1 have rocoinniendeil their consti'iiction to the MojiimI of Works ; they have not Iteen coii- Htructod ; hot ashos Jiave heon and now aro taken out of tho Huililing.s oadi eve- ning, and aro allowed to blow around anil croato great danger ; 1 received a verbal answer to my re|iort from tlie lion. Mr. L:ingevin, thi'U iSlinister of I'ulilic Works, to tlio otlect that the necessary jtits woidd bo made ; i have also reported this fact to Col. Bernard ; I recommended in that re])ort that the management of tho Firo Do|)artmont bo loft ontii-ely in my charge; 1 have no jiower to ontorce tho repairing of any tiro ajiparatus; after llio tire in tho tosting-room, mentioned by the lawt witness, had taken j)laco, I sent in a report of the fact to the (iovernment, and in that report I askeil that a wire bo made to connect all the Pidilic liiuldings and Police Oruai'tl Itoom, and as each of tlio buildings had powerful telegraphic batteries, tho exj)onse would bo tritiing ; I also requested in that report that the spirit-testing room, and forgo in tho attic, bo removed; I believe tho oil-testing room was re- moved; 1 onco saw a large barrel of higliwinos in tho spirit-testing room ; 1 beliovo that tho i^rescnt cost would be very little exceeded, if tho House of Commons were also placed under my immediate supervision, allowing me the same brigade which is at px'e.sont In attendance on tho buildings. E. J. O'NEILL. Taken upon oath and acknowledged this Twonty-.sevonth Day of January in the year of oui' Lord Ono Thousand Eight Hundred and Seventy-four, before mo, J. T. C. BEAUBIEN, Coronor. I, Thomas Puuneau, of tho City of Ottawa, in tho said County of Carloton, Gentleman, being sworn, saith : I am Superintendent of tho Board of Public Works' shop ; I remember the fire on tho 16th instant ; I first saw it between 7 and 8 o'clock ; I was at the " Queen's Hotel " when I heard the first alarm ; I went to tho firo immediately ; when passing along tho outside I saw a firo iipstairs in room No. 8 ; I wont into Doslaurier's apart- ments and requested a lantern for the purposo of going upstairs ; on seeing it was impossible to go upstairs I went to tho Western block ; I there got a lamp from some man and went back to tho firo ; I entered by the main entrance, and went upstairs with two or three other men, but was compelled to return on account of tho densenoss of the smoke ; at this time tho rooms wore all on fire; oncoming downstairs I entered room No. 9 ; I directed the gentlemen with me to open the window ; I als(/ directed thom to take tho paper in that room out. by the window ; after that I wont outside; I then tried with the assistance of others to extinguish the flames ; I do not know anything as to tho origin of the fire ; every person I saw worked diligently to extinguish it ; I am not in possession of tho name of the gentleman who informed mo of the firo ; the door of the main entrance wjvs open when I wont to it ; it might have been five or six minutes after my arrival. THOMAS PRUNEAU. lill'^0 17 Taken m)on oath ami arknowlcd^'od this twcnty-sovonth day of January, in tho year ol'our Lord ono tlioiiwand night hundrnd and Hovonty-tbiir, boibro mo. J. T. C. BEAUBIEN, Coroner. I, Petbb Connolly, of (ho City of Ottawa, in (h^ waid County of C&rleton, MoNHoiigcr in tho Morvico of Iho (tovornnjoul, boing wwoni, Haith : I w >H tie of Lho tirHt porHonH ut tlio tiro on tho l«th instant; from what I «aw ofiti' ' it origifiiiliHl ill room No. H; i did all I coidd (<» »>xfiiigui>h it ; 1 did not wiit , M.y nogligunco ; my inijtroMKion is tho door of room No. 8 was c-loscd, though a might have boon oponod ; 1 did not boo any llaino ; I havo no knowlodgo at) to itH origin. P. CONNOLLY. Takon uj)un oath and acknowlodgod this twonty-sovonth day of .lanuary, in the year of our Lord ono thousand oight hundrod and sovonty-four, hutbro mo, J. T. C. BEAUBiEN, Coroner. I, L. Napoleon FftRTiER, of tho City of Ottawa, in tho naid County of Carloton, Civil Service Clerk, being sworn, saitti : I am employed in tho Department of Public Works; Mrs. Doslaurior told mo of the fire on the 16th instant; at that time I was about ;{0 yards I'rom tho Western block ;„Hho,roquobtod mo to intbrm tho Police that hor dwelling house was on fire ; 1 told them the Pacific Bailway Offices were on tiro; they imniodiatoly went out, I volunteered to have tho City alarm bell rung, and did so; 1 immodiatoly wont back, to the Western block ; 1 saw there throo Dominion Policemen getting' out tho hose and assisted them ; after they had been passed through the water closet window, 1 ■wont around to the rear of tho building and saw lour men working at the hose with Ml". Pruneau; when 1 got there the tii'c had extended into three rooms; I did not Bee any idle persons around. LUCIEN N. FOETIEK. Taken upon oath and acknowledged this twenty-seventh day of January, in the year of oui- Lord ono thousand eight hundred and soveuty-tbur, boibro me. J. T. C. BEAUBIEN, Coroner. I, Thomas Steers, of the City of Ottawa, in the County of Carloton, Accoun- tant, being sworn, tjaith : 1 had an office (No. 9) according to the plan now produced, in the building de- stroyed by tiro on the IGth instant; i entered the building by the main entrance door, and turned immediately into my office, which is on the left of the passage ; I did not have a key for the main entrance door ; 1 left the building that evening about a quarter past four o'clock ; i have nc knowledge as to the origin of the fire. Taken before mo upon oath and acknowledged this 30th Day of January, THOMAS STEEES. is 30th Day of Jam J. T. C. BEAUBIEN, Coroner. ••■^ I 18 I, John Bowes, of the City of "Oiiawa, in the County of Carleton, Architect, being sworn, saith : 1 believe the plan now ])roclucecl and marked " A " representH the building burned on the 16th instant ; i had an office in the woeden onilding attached, and which contained the model of the Library; my office waa in two rooms encircling the model room ; there was one window looking from 8 into the model room ; I had control over the model room; I could not say whether that window was fastened that evening ; communications were sometimes held through it; I could go into Mr. Fleming's offices from my own without passing outside the building by going through two doors on the ground floor ; I did not have any keys for either of these doors ; 1 have always made a practice of locking my office doors, and am positive I locked them that evenijig ; J am not aware of any person having du- plicate keys for my office doors ; 1 cannot say whether the doors between my ■ rooms and Mr. Deslaurier's apartments were open on the evening of the fire ; they were used by the care-taker when lighting the fires ; a person might possibly con- ceal himself in the loft over the model room, but such a thing is not at all probable; there wcj'c single French windows on my rooms ; there was a stovepij)© wliich came through the floor of room No. 3 from the room below ; a castiron safet}' pipe was used in this floor for the pipe to pass through ; some of the windows Wire fastened with bolts, and some with buttons ; there was no tar on the premises ; there were no precautions taken to extinguish fires in my offices. JOHN BOWES. Taken upon oath and acknowledged this 30th day of January, A. D., 1874, be- fore me, J. T. C. BEAUBJ EN, Coroner. ■ ,, I, James H. Kowan, of the City of Ottawa, in the County of Carleton, Civil Engineer, being sworn, saith : I left the building on the night of the tire between five and half-past five ; I have not any knowledge either directly or indirectly as to the cause or origin of the fire ; I was in rooms Nos. 4 and 8 a few mimites before 4 o'clock ; I remember looking at the fire in room No. 8 ; my recollection of that fire is, that it was quite low at that time. JAMES H. EOWAN. 1874. Taken before me upon oath and acknowledged this 30th day of January, A.D., " J. T. C. BEAUBIEN, Coroner. I, Thomas Burpe, of the City of Ottawa, in the County of Carleton, "Private 8ecretary," being sworn, saith : 1 was in the ofllcos of the Intercolonial and Pacific Eailways that day, 16th; I loft about halt-past five thai evening ; i am aware of the place being burned ; 1 have no knowledge eitlier directly or indirectly as to the cause of the fire ; 1 cannot give any information which would lead to its origin ; I left Mi'. Fleming in the office that eveiung ; 1 fancy that the principal maps were in ''ooms 3 and 7. ' - THOMAS E. BUEPE. 1874. Taken upon oath and acknowledged before me this 30th day of January, A.D., ,.t -.!-> J. T. C. BEAUBIEN, Coroner. (^p I, John A. Wills, of tho City of Ottawa, in the County of Carleton, Encjinoer, being sworn, Baith : I am Government Engineer of the Parliament Ruildinga ; T remember the evening of tho fire ; T attached the hose to a hydrant opposite tho back door on that evening; there was a full y)resr)ure of water from tho tanks of tlio Parliament Buildings; it continued until the hose were removed ; with tho exception of a few lengths of hose all the hose used were in connection with the Buildings; they wore in poor repair; we have a donkey engine which wo use for tilling tho boilers, and for the purpose of throwing water to the attic ; we did not use it that evening at the fire, the reason being, wo have not got hose strong enough to s^and tho pressure ; I believe we ought to have hose strong enough to stand it; I have no knowledge of tho hose of tho West and East block ; I have a branch of hose on each hydrant, and about 300 feet over ; I think wo have a sufficiency ; T wnr, not in the Building when they came to get the hose to use at tho fire ; I have two assistants. J. A. WILLS. 1874. Taken before me upon oath and acknowledged this 30th day of January, A.D, J. T. C. BEAUBIEN, Coroner. I, William Young, of the City of Ottawa, in the County of Carleton, Chief Superintendent of the City Fire Brigade, being sworn, saith : I remember the evening of tho fire ; when I arrived at it the fire was coming from room No. 8 into Deslaurier's apartments ; there were very few people there then ; the fire in my opinion must have been burning some time ; my Fire Brigade was present that evening ; T cannot say Avhether there was any neglect used in extinguishing the fire ; T am of the opinion that the building was not burned in consequence of any neglect on the part of the Ottawa City Fire Company; that in consequence of tho place of the ^^c not being kno^,n the City Brigade were delayed about 25 minutes ; my men did their best to save the property ; I am aware of the fire facilities in the Public Buildings ; I do not consider the facilities for extinguishing fire in the attics sutficient for tho purpose of saving them in case of fire ; and also I am not aware of any ])arting walls coming through the roofs of tho Buildings ; on the evening of the fire it took two run of hose "from the Parliament Buildings" to supply the "Ottawa" hand engine ; T. do not believe th'it the hose in connection with the Parliament Buildings are sufficient to stand ordinary fire pressure for fire duty. >'i ;■ .-' ■■• ".-, '■:,. r.^ ,, A, V, ,■ ' ■ • WILLIAM YOUNG. me. Taken upon oath and acknowledged this 2nd day of February, A.D., 1874, before J. T. 0. BEAUBIEN, Coroner. I, J. P. PiM, of the City of Ottawa, in the County of Carleton, Civil Engineer, being sworn, saith : I remember the fire on the evening of the 16th of .January last; I heard the first alarm of fire between 7 and h past 7 ; when I arrived at it the fire appeared in No. 8 and Mr. Deslaurier's kitchen ; I tried to enter at the main entrance, but found it locked; I did not notice any stairs on fire. J. P. PIM. Taken upon oath and acknowledged this 2nd day of February, A. I ' , 1874, be- fore me, J. T. C. BEAUBIBN, Coroner. «0 I, ToTTssiENT Trudeau, of the'City of Ottawa, in the County of Carleton, Deputy of the Minister of Public Works, beincj sworn, saith : Mr. Doslaurier was care-taker of tlio bnil(iinf>; dostroyed by fire on the Ifith of January last ; the building; was under the direction of the Department of Public Works ; T am aware of Oeslaurior bein^jf appointed to take care of the building ; I do not recollect of my attention bcini^ called to the advisability of water be in c^ brouLcht to the buildinii:; T understand that the Superintendent of Police has charge of the fires of the Departmental "Buildinffs ; I have known Mr. Deslaurier for about ten years, and din-int; that tim'^ have found him one ol the most faithful servants in the employ of the Department. T. TEUDEAU. Taken upon oath and acknowledged this 2nd day of February, A. D., 1874, be- fore me, J. T. C. BEAUBIEN, Coroner. T, William Steil Petteorew, of the City of Ottawa, in the County of Car- leton, Civil Service Clerk, being sworn, saith : I i-emember the fire of the 16th of January last; I understood there was a fire by hearing the city alarm bell ; I arrived at it about 12 or 15 minutes after hearing the alarm, and tried to enter the building by the main entrance door, but found it locked ; T remained at the door for about a minute, and then went around to the western side of the building; I entered it through a window which, I think, was situated in room No. 15, and which T found open ; there were two or three persons inside ; I am not in possession of their names ; T saw the fire in the rear part of the building on the lower storey ; the sill of the window through which I entered was about .S^^ feet from the ground ; T cannot say in what manner the parties who were in the building entered ; after T heard the alarm it might have been twelve or fifteen minutes before I arrived at the fire ; I was about a minute at the main entrance door before I went around to the window through which I gained an entrance ; the first alarm T heard was the City Hall bell ; at the time of my ar- rival, T noticed about seven or eight persons including those in the building on sotith and west side ; I believe there could not have been many persons on the ea.rt side on account of the quantity of smoke which was issuing on that side ; when I was inside the building T saw the stairs at the north end on fire ; the persons inside were endeavoring to save the property ; I discovered the stairs to be on fire almost immediately on entering the building ; from the time that I first heard the alarm to the discovery of the fire on the stairs was about fifteen mintites , I did uot go near the eastern side of the building; T made my exit on the M'est side ; T am positive the window by which T entered was open ; previous to my first leaving the building, T was in for about five or seven minutes ; I did not re- cognise any of the parties whom I saw at the beginning of the fire ; we saved all Wfc possibly could from the lower ofl[ices ; the smoke in the rooms through which I passed was pretty dense ; there did not appear to be any connection between the fire on the stairs and that in the back part of the house ; I perceived a great deal of flame and smoke from the fire in the roar, and more flame and less smoke from the fire on the stairs. W. S. PETTEGREW. 1874. Taken before me upon oath and acknowledged this 2nd day of Fobniary, A. D. J. T. 0. BBAUBIEN, Coroner. 21 I, E. C. Douglass, of tho City of Ottawa, in the County of Carleton, Civil Engineer, being sworn, saith : I remenibor tho fire of the Uth January last; when T had prnceeded as far m tho J^.astern block. T perceived a tire in two of tho upstair windows ; when I had gotten to the building I went into Deslaurier's kitchen and saw the ceiling which was on tire falling; T did not go near Deslaurier's stairs; I would judge' it to be al)out 10 feet from tho door when I saw the embers falling ; I went into Deslaurier's parlor room No. 13, and then through to the north west side of tho building; I am under the impression it was room No. U; there was a window open in this room through which furniture was being thrown ; T returned and went out by tho kitchen door to the porch on tho south east corner, through which I went and into room No. 11, and across the passage into room No. 9, and gave papers and other articles which were in the room to Mr. Pettegrew and several other gentlemen who were on the outside; I think all the papers in this room were taken out; to the best of my recollection I did not notice any fire on the back stairs or model house. . . E. C. DOUGLASS. Taken upon oath and acknowledged this 2nd day of February, A.D., 1874, before J. T. C. BEAUBIEN, Coroner. me.