New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-19

We, II front Of The rsiDg 10 lie m4.a ssh,.
dsm.gs sss dore. Tne p'psrs ari soOis ,s,,
bju-ed. ..-
No. :. on the opposite side, oc,si ed Ly.l, c..l
tie Board Of Sopervisors sas ~; ii r.i c.Y
no. beicc wet s, 81. ~
No. 5. frs. aoor, occupied ~ ne cess e,.,.p
Of Coun-i,men, wss much wet, sd ,hs s,,,.
consisting Of proceedings OF the B1ari, b,ssa -
and in u,snuscrip,-wes more or less uiu,,. 80
destroyed. SINE OF them W. p'oSas5 s,,..
revI;rted but the loss is no. seriols.
Nc. 10, Office OF The Clerk Of Gonna Pa.
rot jSmsged e1:ep: slightly b ~s.sr. u.
are sn safe.
Nc. II, the Cry Library, temporary c...-.,,
NJ Valentine, Clerk of the Comnoa C.us -
bis flee in Ne. s lie b,ing repsirsi, WAS 70. a-
st all. Ire floor was slightly wet. bu, g. b,A,
docun. eL.s remain unsoiled.
The documents f.ed in the clerks ofi;e. as ~.
er.l Courts, which are established ia "a. c. n.
fortunately escsped sny serious injury, .aeass q a.
them were considerably dsnssea by vs,.r. nj
Clerks effcs Of the Superior C,u-., si.u...a a..
second story, 1st opposite the Governors R,,n =.
suffered most. A large mass Of juignE: px al
records of naturalization, extending bs,s iary xa,,
or more, which were deposited N sossNoaisu,.
dia,ely above, we've pretty well dreresei va vss
bu. can be rendered serviceab.e BY eIy=s. Fen.
nately, they sre no, Of very great im?o',.a's,
one OF the deputy clerks Of this ofbos vs nis
pr.ssed yesterday with the belief ths. iisbcla,
would take ire in the evening from some s:cask q.
r,c,.d with the illumination or fireworks, Srlsta
home with hin the most important Ps?ers Sssak
charge. The flies is az present Lsooessisa ae
count of the buried timbsrs and rubbish G. alLs.Sx
block up the stairway, but It s exp c.ei ;.u tss,u
can be IT sumed there by tomorrow or -s rs,, s,r
Apsrt of the County Clerks Of,cs W.; ,s.xdh
the ws.er. which csme through TIE ce.i.ry. .-in,
floor and desks were flooded. For.uns.s,y. rcu
the valuable documents on file were ica-ea. s.A h,
ness gees on as usual. The Clerks cfios Of re cu,
of Common Pleas, which is Just under tie Gs,u.r,
Room. suffered some slight ujGy ron vxer, BAT az
sufficient TO prevent business from procsslst I. uoa.
The Common Pleas Court Rooms above ss&> ne ssa
somewhat damsged by water. They ws,e aadssvds
the customary Summer repairs, aad co.fs oti Ia.
ments Of importance.
Room No. 3. the regular Office os the Clsl eA
Common Council, which is row undergoing rsrSa
not even wet.
Mr.. Taylor and family occupy No. 9. Iass recss
were wet, but the furniture was not Injured. Tsyns
psred 10 remove il, but fouJd il unnecessary.
4 mass Of ruins fell down from tie upper sa,y spsu
the II, ,iu stairs, which is being removed to-isy
On the second floor, the damage wss cyrf.si slrox
exclusively to the Governors Room
The rooms of the Aldermen ard Cou-elns, Cen.
mon Pleas Nsturaliza alton Office and the Ofiss Oi ~
Clerk Of the Superior Court, were 10. damaged ri.
ously. Indeed, the two former we're ros We; .ss&
ter were wet, but the pspers are sa.e. ID,
In the front garrett story the ruin is conpl.e. Tie
rear garret story is also burned but the room iced t
storage by the Clerk Of tie Supsrio, Cou,. and The
Natural zation Office, and containing tte jSagmest
record Of the Court since 1928 was saved. Aawp
pers, however are missirg, aud others srs solti.
HISTORY OF TIE CITY HML.
We extract the following description rd ha~t
of the City Hall from Valentines City NAsuS hs
1856
"The present City Hall is the most prorusli ~
important building 10 New York. Situated ~ Henas
with spacious and noble area sround & awnw
great advantage in every direction, sEd forns 70 ~
eve of the stranger ore of the hSadsomsst srsctue
n the United States, and, perhaps Of ts siss % M
world.
Europe.
1.-The building is of square form, tvs s.rsa ID
hight beside basement story. II hast Gy.og & sscs
end projecting from the front, and in the crssr TIE
roof is elevated, TO form an attic story. los vho'e
length Of the building is 2l6 feet the e.esdh io5 ssd
the hight 81 feet Including the attic n0ry Il 10 81
feet in hight. The front ard both ends above the
basement story, built Of native wtI.s mxbls fsorp
Stockbrdgs, Mass; and the rest Of he building q
constructed Of brown freestone. The roof Is covered
with copper and there is b.lustreds Of nsre: en-
tirely around the top. Rising from the made Of ne
roof IS a cupola, on which is plac cd coosss hgun o.
Justice holding in her right hand, whch rests on hex
forehead, balance, and in her lefe two.d 2os'ak
10 the ground.
"There are four entrances TO the bulldog one
front, one in rear, and one in each en-. ins uoay
which s the principal, is or the tt story, 70 GEt
there is access by flight OF tTeive EHoe ~,
rising from which are sixteen columns, suFPorsuS
portco immediately over the entrance Also eomesss
OF arble. In the center of the res- of tae o0S
there is a projected pedinent Tbs entrencs y.
quarter is also on the first story, by gnt OF ~
stone steps.
The first story, including the port is Of pens'
the second Of the Cornthsn, the attic Of the Fs'e!
and the cupola of the Composite order.
" The foundation stone Of this noble caaaisg y. 4.
laid on the 9th September, 1903 during the
OF Edward Livingston, ESQ.,, and st time wesa =.
yellow fever prevailed In the city. j, vss baisneo
1872 and the expense, exclusive O. he idrnEs's
amounted to halt million Of dollars
Ihis Is the third City Hall erected IL ssw'i on
The following may be found an interesting dsscnps''
Of the buildings used for City Halls in olien :ne';
In the year lGi2, the authorities csGe to the coa
cusion to build City Tavern. The baldiag ws
erected near high-wster mark on the prssen: sorto
west corner Of Pearl and Coenties alley. Af:sr "
organization Of the City Msgis.rsey, ir l6S', w
building was ceded to the city for the p1rp,sss o.
City Hal, and was used as such Until the yeAf 1853
Its principal use was for the sit.ings OF the Besgo
masters and Schepens and for the Prison. The cbsa
Der occupied for the mag strates was me s,ush -
OF the second story, the prison. ben
in the rear, on the outer eide OF tae EOusc fsciag
yard which extended TO Hoogh Stfss.. Upon y
roof was cupols, in which was hGog q tel. IN 20
year l6J6, which was rupg for the s.ssn bling o. ID
magistrates, and also on occasions o. pa6lcs ION
prOclamations. The beu-ringer. for q number o. ycS