The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1863-07-24
The Great Riot in New York.

l.
Tuesday, the second day of the riot in
New YORK, was hardly less horrible than the
list. 1t would undoubtedly have been more
So :, the Efforts made by the police and the
m..,.lI, had not checked the mob and made
them more cautious in their movements
Wherever they were resoluteiv attacked thev
we're DISPERSED but collected again wherever
there was chance for mischief. The tele-
,raph corrections east and vest were all de-
,,yoyel. Some operators on ,hc eastern line
hal been working their instruments in car,
Two aides from Harlem, bat were dispersed,
.lgo'tocl Tuesday morning, by the mob,
an,. driven OH During the forenoon a gun
~a4Iactory on 22d street was broken into,
DIV. >eyggal thousand carbineS seized The
NoytlT Iron works were visited and threat
ta,u win demolltion unless work was stop
pet. Ia he ship yards and iron works gen
era..y work was suspended by order of the
mob.
At the bridge over the Harlem railroad
tunnel, large heap of Belgian paving stones
was collected and placed in position to top
pie over on the cars if they passed beneath
At this time a lain was momentarily expect
ed, but fortunatei y it did not come, intima-
ton OF the danger having been transmitted
along the Hne. The bridge was not burned,
on tuesday as reported. An attempt was
made to set il on fire, but it was 50 wet from
recent rain it would not burn. Anxious to
do something that was mischevous, the riot
ers set fire to a planning mill near by, and
some other small buildings Some seven or
eight buildings in different parts of the city
were sacked and burned during the day and
evening, and many other like attempts were
defeated by the police and soldiers.
In the sixth avenue the rails have been
torn up mere or less, particularly between
twenty-elgth and twenty-nlnth streets. Here
the mob seem to have vented all its anger
y fine block of fve-story buildings on Broad
way, owned by Mr.. Greer, built OF brick viii
broEn stone fronts, rs heap OF ruins Boys
and women principally, but men here and
there were the punderers helping themselves
Htc:ay without molestation to whatever
they could find. The loss has been very ex-
tc0SNe. There were seven stores in the
block. At night the Times and Tribune
UiIc's Wclc barricaded with bundles of pa
per- and protected by heavy police force
while all hands inside were armed. During
the evening Chauncey Burr, the treasonable
peace >pouter was harangulng the crowd in
thr street. During the day the crowd pass
ed McCiel!an's house and saluted it with
cheers instead of paving stones.
The Murder of Col. O'Brien.
Early Tuesday forenoon a mob went to the
house Of of COL F. H. O'B.ien of the 1lth
New York volunteers, who had rendered his
services ard those of his command to sup
press the riot. They warned his family to
leave and then gutted the house. y force
Of 800 police, under inspector Carpenter
reached the scene, and at the order to charge
a most furious onset was made on the rioters
driving them into the houses, the officer:
chasing them all over the building and into
the streets, where they were scattered by
most vigorous use of clubs. The police me
a detachment of the lth New York under
Col. O'Bren, when they formed Junction
and marched to the scene of the disturbance
At,er the detachment of military had sue
ceeded in dispensing the mob, they fell bacl
s'n,e distance from the colonel, who wen
forward near the crowd, having his swor(
and 4 revolver in his hands He was imme
diatrly set upon and SC 1readfuly maltreatet
tn. nc expired in short time. His bod
Icy On the side walk fer some time, and SOM
Of the crowd amused themselves by frin:
pistol saots at his head after which tn,
body vas strung up to the nearest lamp post
Il was afterwards taken down and throwl
mo the street, and remained there up to
O'clock in the evening.
Inrnins Of the Orphan Asylum for Color
ed Children.
The Orphan Asylum for colored children
wa, visited by the mob about O'clock
This institution is situated on fifth avenue
ant the building, with the grounds and gar
Gems adjoining, extended from forty third t
tort! fourth street. Hundreds, and perhap
thousands of the rioters, the majority Q
"Lom were women and children entered tn
premises and in the most excited and VIC
lent manner they ranSacked and plundere
the building from cellar to garret. The build
ing was located in the most pleasant an(
healthy portion Of the city. 1t was purely
charitable institution. In it there are on al
average SIX hundred or eight hundred home
less co!ored orphans. The building was
large four story one, with two wings of thre
stories each.
When it became evident that the Grove
'eSi9ned to destroy it, flag of truce appear
ed On the walk opposite, and the principal
Of NE establishment made an appeal to tn
excited populace, but in vain.
Here It was that Chief Engineer Decke
showed himself one of the bravest amor
N" brave. After the entire building hat
't"' ransackel and every article deeme
worth carrying away had been taken-an
as 4AcIuded even the little garments fo
ne orphans, which were contributed by tn
'eAevoenl LADIES Of this ci;y-lhe premise
we're fired on the first iioor. Mr.. Decke
cd al. he could 10 prevent the flames iror
se.Ng kindled, but when he was overpowe,
90 oy superior numbers, with his own hand
~ scattered the brands, and etfectually eS
tnSr!Stei the flames \ second attemr
was made. ard this time in three ditferer
parts @. lie house. Again he succeeded
WIN the AID OF half dozen of his men,
Ghsarng the incendiaries. The mob becam
hIShIy exasperated at his conduct, an
threatened TO take his life if he repeated tn
act On the front steps of the building h
Stood up amid an infuriated and half drunl
en- mob Of two thousand, and begged
u.-m to DO nothing so disgraceful to human
II! as TO burn benevolent institution, whic
Aa'. Tor It's object nothing but good H
SAD It would be a lasting disgrace to thel
ana to the city of New York.
hese remarks seemed to have no goc
efiect upon them, and meantime the prem:s
were again fred-this time in all parts
lAe house. Mr.. Decker, with his few bra,