Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1858-08-19
10. / 8 D 8.
BY TELEGRAPH.
Partial Burning of the City Hall in


New YORK, Aug. IS, 1858. The City Hall
was partially burned al midnight last night
The fire commenced as early as 10 o'clock, on
the roof and was thought to have been eXtin-
gushed, but at u the flames burst out afresh,
and in five minutes had communicated to the
tower. The bell ringer tried hard, from his
stand in the Hall to ring the bell, but after
a few feeble stokes was obliged to flee from
his post. He attempted to work the bell by
hand, but could get no sound that alarmed
the immediate neighborhood. In few min
utes the east face of the clock cracked, and
with a considerable explosion the flames burst
out. Two minutes after, the front face of the
clock fell out, and, from the appearances, it
was too hot for the bell ringer to stay near the
bell, which hung in the cupola, in the rear of
the large tower, and at some distance from it.
Up to this time scarcely dozen fremen had
assembled to the roof of the building, and
single engine only, was on the ground.
Not a bell was ringing. The central alarm
failing, there was only the Telegraph to com
municate the news to the distant or even the
nearest stations. At ten minutes TO one, the
first stroke of the engines brakes were heard,
by which time the flames were heard bursting
out of all sides of the Tower and from the
central window of the upper story of the main
building The stream was directed into this
window.
AS the flames climbed up to the top of the
cupola, the red hot hands of the clock and
long bolt that had helped support it, fell At
one o clock the statue of Justice stood sur
rounded aud wrapt like martyr in flames,
The balance, minute after, whired around
and fell. The falling of the clock was not
noticed in the confusion. By this time rope
had been fixed to the bell. clapper, and gen.
eral alarm was sounded, which in a few min
utes was responded to by the arrival of sew
eral engines. The illumination at this time
paled all that the preceding evening had seen.
The ornamental heads that surrounded the
columns around the towers scowled in the
light, and nothing but the skeleton of the
whole structure remained
At l 40 a rocket from the roof of the City
Hall. shot up, but twisting, turned off and
exploded. Several Roman candles went off
at still later hour, giving evidence that
fireworks had been left carelessly, after the
illumination. AT 1.35 the greater part of
OF the tower fell in. The gided eagle on the
pole in front, and corner of the bell tower,
were now all that remained on fire above the
roof At two o'clock the whole upper story
OF the main building was on fire, and the
flames had burst out again under the bell
tower.
The fire waa extnguished at an early hour
this morning, and was, through the exertions
OF the fremen, confined to the upper orna-
mentation and the highest floor, which was
an unused story of the building. So far as
could be ascertained, the records had not been
injured. The furniture on the second floor,
and the newly finished decorations IN the
rooms Of the Aldermen and Counclmen, and
the furniture, including Washington's writ
ingjdesk, and some of the paintings in the
Governors room, were considerably injured
by water.