New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-01-09
NrxyyOpK DAILY TRIBUNE. MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 1854.

s,ound Such is the history Of the late fire. 1t had
already worked its way into the bowels OF the building
before II was confronted by eur fremen
Tn witnessing the manner in which the fremen ex
tinsuished it, preserving the circumJacen1 ouhulnss
from destruction, though frequently ignised tro 'ne
shower and spray of sparks which for threo mortar
hours Lit upon them-in seeing how these devoted
leoious of peace, remained under the topping aai
earth-shakinC walls up to the moment OF their maj
lesp-we were reminded of courage sublime as that
which historian or bard has sung-whch has made
uyths of heros and named capitals after captains No
frloru hoKe could present exalted bravery, or
more mechanical skill. While true and tawdry &C
commits Of battles are welt upon by the rising genera
n As induces of aheroic age gene by, it Is not re-
NAKED that battles in peace eyeled against, and not
Cor destruction are fought every day, and neither an
,nlist nor Wrist deems them worthy OF mention
The loss Of Metropolitan Hall is at present irrePara-
HE. No building in the City for moment completes
with it in size and splendor conOned WITH the pest 10
cation Ii was equally good for music or deela"a''On
for arts or philanthropy. 1t was when III u"
night of remarkable brlancy, and witha harmonious
and carried out the great Greek idea tha the eye and
ear require Simultaneous nurture from the muses. Inc
building of Metropolitan Hall grew originally out oil
the excitement attending the Jenny Lind fever An
enthusiast named TrPler, advanced heavy sum- ana
built it, and becoming bankrupt thereby mortgage
forecssed upon his work and his enthusiasm ana Dc
WAS runed-the late owner en- oylng the results vi
course the little that is done for Art Ia this Cy' IS
done BY such enthusiasts or it would not nave the
mean existence accorded to it, It's chord alone that
"Lr,sks by night to show that still it lives could not
nreexst TO break and there would be nothing TO dis
tract for a moment public attention from triumphant
Fthiopian mnsrelsy consecrated to caIcaturng what
among generous civilized people should be too humble
to ridcue-namely the socially and politically helpless
negro AS no artistic building is as rule put up ex-
ccpt on the centpercent principle-and enthusiasm Is
a rare thing connected with capital--we have no ex-
pectatons that new music hall will be erected IN the
place of the one just destroyed. On this considera-
ton, the destruction Of Metropolitan Hall must DO
considered terrible blow to Art, from which 1t may
take many years to recover andthereoro, the flaming
ruins have a sadness peculiarly their own AS
for Lafarges Hotel it was literally regal palace AS
a marble structure it had a peculiar beauty. IAo
splendor of its furniture may be judged when we state
that the carpets alone, unfortunately destroyed,
cost upward of $4,000. The entire furniture cost
$4,000
The frequent fires that we have had recently press
heavily on the insurance companies. Dividends are
cut down. or postponed and according to the statistics
of reckesness have not got through the worst part
of the frewiner yet Il dgracefu that there should
be so many fires among US. Such destruction Of
property-of the blood and sweat and labor of reemen
seems more like drunken New.Zealanders than civil
lied beings We find no parallel to it in European
TaL Dar far laa.
tons do not 90 back further than 1885, in regard to the
fire statistics ofthat city, but from that this
period of nine years city million with the
suburbs included of fifteen hundred thousand inhab-
ants with houses thicky strewn in narrow streets,
varying generally from five to ten stores-conaining
not only French. but large proportion of people from
other parts of tie world there has been only fire
of any magnitude Compare that with the houses aud
streets destroyed-the millions on millions swept
awsy-tbe lives of fremen duty lost in this City.
We should blush at the parallel The truths this City
needs to be enlightened as to the true relations
of to his neghbOr in regard to the care which he
takes of his property guarding it against fire and not
subectng that around to the contamination of death
through flames We need a Board of City Architects.
whose business shall be to look over the Builders
plans of every house. private public and see that
the walls are of the proper thickness, the economic
arrangements such security and health require, and
the cOmbustible materials used in the building few
as possible. The license which has gro up in the
construction of edces in this City should BIO checked
and crushed by policy of local administration alike
due to the claims of industry which cannot support
fiery mael,rOm to swallow large per centage Of its
wages and to the requirements Ofndivdual and general
security municipal growth and national repute.