The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-20
ANOTHER TERRIBLE CONFEDERATION.
TIE REV CITY HALL in RUINS.
Eogs oC Over One Hundred Thousand
Icilars Worth OF Property.
The LAW LIBRARY SAVED.
HISTORY vi TUE BUILDINGS,
&c, &c. &c.


Gro with vhi;h city hiss been visited rhare seems
to be special fatality at he present tims resting upon
the metropolis for sooner y tbs record Of one con
fssratcn compile cd than another takos piAce en- b.
fore the smoke died away the ruins OF Aerop,
ltau ball. the pab, buildings OF tia Pa.k ara clothed
In fsme.
Ahoa. four o'clock yesterday afternoon the new City
Ral was discovered 10 bs sse and the aarn was i'm
rie,Atsly sounded throughout ths city The origin Of
the ERE from the haea il the upper stories OF to
hndiug in hs Commissioners Of Central Psrk Comra.
room, over tie Superior Court Whom two Or
three of the reserved force OF poles rom the Ch''fs
office Asst arrived the spot, the arc vas beakioy
through the cslrg the Superior Isdrt room Ia the
southeast eorasr and also coming through tns esvss
Of tbs buiiirg. Toe spot taea burning was not mora
than ten eel square but tbs woodwork was 50 dry that
the flames ier.tsd like cash Of powder, and soon
yelopea the entire court room.
During the Hrs the from the top OF tho City Hall
vas truly grand, Within tAe space o. hsE hour from
tie te OF the frst dcoyey Of Toe flames the eatire
roof Of the City Hall wai in blaze Bong Of vooi
the along it with gure.isuy quicsneas soon
the Park crowded With fire companaa and spsoo,s
From Broadway on ons side 10 Park ths Other
ard between lho bursing building and tbs City d.li
iLelf there dense mass Of hunan beings. hsa
dreds rushed for the roof Of tae City Hall from wbisr
view could DC Rad Of TIA entire ans Thoasands Wno
made their way to the Of conaagrsoa expected
find the City Hall itself Ere, the store 0, Hsssrs.
7. Stewart Co. Fom distance, the City Hall cos1
seemed to be eryelopad in the volumes Of flame anl
smoke which led to the above copjeotures The ssmos
phere being very dense, tho sm,ke srugglei upward
through with great difficulty and strony wind carried
it In clouds over the City Hall before ,scsndsd This
blroed from the roof downwards. First the entire
blazing beyond .hs effective control of the FIRE
men, account Of its height and extent the Length of
it beiag about three hundred feet. Then the flames
wrapped the story below add when it had extended to
the frst story from the basement, the fremen
exalted to reach it with their streams and compel 1t
to yield to their Efforts. The are proof building
lately erected the east end this range OF buildings
not al ell damaged The poles stationed each
window Of this building with buckets of water and BIZ
theeAid Of strong wind blowing from 1t they
tabled 70 keep the fl Ames from entering It,
The fremep untirne Ia thsr iabors until the
flames were subdued AT about six O'Clock they gained
the mastery the "dsvouring elem emit aad fore
O'Clock 1t had done It's work, and only rosj
up its dense clouds Of black emoks from the lderny
pile Anorg the fremen from the distant districts
hand coing all that could be done to property
noticed James Mcleod, foreman of the Harlem
Hook and Ladder Company Psrceiyin the flames bs
Wrapping Themselves apparently sround the belfry and
clock of the City Hall, the connsgraion was known
y
member OF the department.
The lice also deserve much credit, for their active
ard valuable assistance Tie reserved force the Chiefs
oce nstar ty the spot, and great amount OF
the property saved by their exsrtons. 1t ID well
worthy OF remark that the Caisf Dr. Matsell although
lsborDs under serious injury OK hs ancls recsved ~
the late burning Of the Metropolitan Hail. psroaay
on the ground rendering every assistance within his
power. 1t not till the flames s1bGued that h
yielded TO the solicitations OF the Mayor and Recorder
leave the Are, fesripg his exposure mgh. aggrava his
present injuries ara lead 10 serious result.
PUBLIC DOCUMENTS SAVED.
As as perceived that the entrs 0. saa
ings would probably fall the entire force OF police, AMI
the fremen who could be spared from their engine,
were Immediately 1t work, sayinS al the papers and
public d. comments pc ssible.
TX Alderman Peck, the newly elected Tax Commissioner
tie rst in his Office AID all the books Of his depart
men together with the public papers, removed to
the Conptrcler's office, and thus preserved
The books and valuable documents Of the Untso States
Marshall carried into the building OF tbs Curt
OF Session ., and also saved.
The papers the Counsel OF the Corporation also
taken from the off, before the fro had reached them
Most Of the public offices in the bsssmen. damaged
OILY BY water and the valuable papers, being in safes
preserved. We win give The offices In each story,
BASEMENT.
The Commissioners Of Repairs and Supplss-Damaged
by water; books and papers saved.
Collector OF Asssesment-Books and papers preserved
Attorney to the Cooperation lin tsis Off, there was
valuable library, which saved from the Are.
The Receiwrof Taxes Tax Commissonsrs tbs Coroner
Office, the City Inspector and Comm ssionsrs OF EmgrA.
iop complete the public Offices in the basement, and
were aequsy fortunate with tn. above In the preserva
tcn Of their books and papers They we're ALL however,
flooded with water, and viii he compelled to seek new
locality fr the future We have received the following
from ths
COMMISSIONERS OF EMIGRATION.
Ing tic " the New n q 10 s " s a
Canal street. the Once heretofore the wing
Mr. WALSH, Chief Clerk
FIRST STORY.
Tie Law Iibrary.-Tso volumes were mostly saved
though not without damage from their tumbllps
about.
Tie Counsel to the Corporation III. ch,mbers Of the
Supreme Court the Offices OF tbs United States District
Attorney, the United States Marshal and the United
States Commissioner complete tae oc u on this story
The office OF the United States Ds:r.c. Attorney was
the middle Of the range where the ere burned through
to the basement We understsna hat al his pspeir,
however we're preserved, together with HIS vslusbls
brary.
SECOND STORY.
Tho second story, through the entire length Of the
building Occupied court rooms On the west end
towards Broadway the Superior Court and ChAmbr
next occupying the centre Of the range tbs Court
Oyer and Terminer and Supreme Court and ths
end was the United stAes Courts Aal the o. s. Court,
ClsfkG Office All OF these court rooms were entirely de-
stro,ec. Most OF them had lately been ased up api
Furnished BY the city At : heavy expense.
At the time o! the Are the Superior Court had aiourns
ard Judge Hoffman hsd been gone about twenty niausss
r. D. Livingston, clerk Of the general term aud Mr..
Bennett, were in the court room when the alarm was
given When tho FIRE began to they ordered the
book TO be broken open aud the Library and Tho
Judges private papers removed into an adjoining
room, and thence carried 10 place Of safety. Mr..
Augustus CAson and Er a X. Lawrence, Jr, assisted
materially in saving the pro, ery Of tbs supsro. Court