The herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1835-1837, 1837-03-15

WsDSEsDAY. MARCH is. 1891.


splendid buildings, scarcely finished, came tumblng
de~a TO the shaking the solid earth tor seye-
raj blocks around as If IL had been young earth
guake-and certifying all the people in the several
particularly the sinners OF the Courier
Office.
But TO the particulars In the morning new pile
IN Fulton street, came crashing cracking, smashing,
dashlng MO The street. "My God" said the passers
by-"Oh cricSee !" said the boys. At ten o'clock
a, night another pile close by followed the example
OF lis neighbour and before yesterdays sun gded the
thousand spires of Manhattan Island The splendid
Banking House in Wall street. that was to outive the
pyramids OF Egypt, and bid defiance TO the element
Of lire, came umbling, mmblng crumblng STUN
bling into Exchange and Wall streets Here lay the
granite columns smashed in twain there were strewed
the blocks around there were the bricks and mortar
scattered in all dirccons-a confusion-a ruin
all ignorance-a folly.
On Monday, through the dag, groups collected
around the runs in Fulton street, but crowds on
crowds came TO view the splendid, beautiful, romantic
RUNS OF Josephs eternal banking house in Wall street
Upto late hour AT night curiosity alive and
active.
BY miraculous interposton of Providence, human
life has been sacrificed TO the folly and ignorance
OF the architects. Had the Banking House fallen in
the day time instead of midnight, many human beings
would have been hurried into eternity.
The Josephs Bank was TO be built fire proof The
stories were formed by throwing brick arches from
wall to wall But to save ROOM these stories formed Of
brick arches were tikown fa as 10 throw the
pressure OF the arch the outside walls, which
only brick in thickness, with granite facing This
too much for the winter built miserably con-
structed wall 10 bear. For many days previous to the
fall the blocks Of granite opened their jaws and
showed signs Of uneasness. The mastery builders
filled up these gaps with mortar and thought that all
safe like the ostrich in the deserts of Arabia, who
thinks, that by hiding its head in bush, its whole
body long legs and ALL perfectly secure from
tack.
These singular events have created mixed feelings
z OF Indignation and surprise in the city, Only few
weeks ago. several of scientific Builders and Ar
ch,ects hevery Palladlos Of the age issued cerh-
cate that al was safe in Josephs' Banking House
that il was durable the eternal monuments of the
Nllctkat nothing could touch or bulge it, over
whem it, but the day ojudgment and even them was
doubtful whether it wosld not survive that universal
conhagraton, and peer unframed out of the ~ wreck
ofma,tcr' and ruin of worlds the Monday follow
ing This Certificate like the famous certificates and
adavs testfyng to the character and circulation Of
the Courier and Enquirer, par mobile fratrum, set
every body's mind in Wall street at perfect ease
Some shrewd builders, however, with more brains
than Observation-Disclosures Of good work than Of good
dnners-and possessing a better taste in mortar
than in champagne hesitated TO give full faith 10 these
conclusive certificate gvcrs that the Josephs Bank
inc House would stand its pins till the day OF
Judgment. No one needed them. They were with
out influence. They did did swell and strut the
Mechanics Exchange. They did not ridein their car
rages as the great Architects of the day did. They
were simple modest intelligent men, and therefore
trash amongst the nabobs Of Wall street and there
abouts.
But the truth has at last come out. We learn from
UNREASONABLE authority, that the very result-thc
exact ruin-was predicted which has taken place
Who are these budcrsl Who are these certificate
makers! The men who come before the world with
such statements, and such evidences Of their truth,
deserve the general indignation of the whole commu
nity Is i not time have reform in system Of
building! What miserable sheds the modern built
houses when compared with th- anelent! We boast
of our science our skill, taste, grandeur, and
our civilization in this age. Where is it? Not in
our architecture. Look at the remains Of ancen,
buildings and do not be surprised that they i'm
measurably superior 10 any thing modern. Whers we
went 10 grammar school, in our YOUTH there was an
old ruin, called Gengery Castle, every story ofwhich
was formed by an arch like the stories of Josephs
Bank. Pieces Of the arches still remained, jutting
out from the wall-frm, understandable and mmove-
able They had stood for ages, superior TO the ec-
ments | remember, in my eagernc.s for the roman
tic climbing over these ruined walls, hanging on the
tongues Of he broken arches, and threading my way
up the gloomy spiral stone stair All the old
buildings of Europe are formed Of similar durable ma
terials. Perhaps taste for the picturesque and
romantic seized the minds and characterized
tersed the genius of the architects of day If So
they have certainly succeeded to a miraclein produ-
chg in Wall street ugly a of ruins as
could lie gazed upon by Dr. Syntax in his search for
the picturesque Let the certificate makers have n
certificate OF their exquisite taste in producing the
newest and freshest ruins Of either hemisphere Of
any age.
Look out for more such pcluesquenoss-look ost
for crash among some other Of the new buildings
now going up over town. We would as soon 90 into
the Of Babel, the day before the confusion Of
tongues, "a we would enter a modern new build New
York palace
IL Mr.. Webster makes a great speech on the