New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-07-14
BahNrM,s.

The destruction OF no public building in this
city could baye eau I'D so much excitement and
so much regret a. shat of Barnums Museum.
The collection OF cujosities was very large, and
though many Of them may not have had much
intrinsic or memorial value, considerable
portion was certainly Of great worth
for any Museum. I'ut aside from this, pleas
ant memories clustered about the place, which
for so many years hes been tho chief resort for
Amusement TO the common people who capnot
often afford to treat themselves to a night at
the more expensive theaters, while to the
children Of tho city Darnum's has been
Ia fountain Of delight, ever oiicr-
ing new 0ttIbctions as captivating
and as implicitly believed in ns the Arabian
Nights Entertainments. 1hcatcr, Menagerie
and Museum, it., amused, instructed and
astonished. If its thousands and tens OF thou
sands Of annual visitors were bewildercd some
times with Woolly Horse, What is 1t OF
Mermaid, they found repose and certainty in a
Giraffe, Whale OF a Rhinoceros. If wax eiii-
gics ofpirates and marderer made them shudder
lest those dreadful figures should start out OF
their class cases ana repeat their horrid deeds,
they wcro reassufed by tho presence Of the
mildest and most amiable OF giants, and
the latest Of mortal women, whose dead weight
alone could crush al the wax figures into their
original cakes. II was source Of unfailing
interest TO all country visitors, and New.
York to many Of them was Only the place
that held Barnum's Museum. II was the first
thing-oflen the o,sy thing-they visited when
they came among US and nothing that could
have been ccutriged, ont of our present re-.
sources, could have offered so many attractions
unless some more Ingenious Snowman had un.
dcrtakcn to rival Barnum's collection
of wa1en criminals by putting i'll n cage
the live Boards of the Common Council.
We mourn its loss, but not rs without consola.
tion. Barnum's siusellm is gone, but Barnum
himself, happily, dii not share tho fate OF hl'
rsttlcsnokcS and his. ct last, mos,pnhappy Fam
ilv. There are fshes in the seas and beasts
in the forests; bids still fly in the air aud
strange creatures sim roam in the dcs.
erts; giants AIS piguics still wander
up and down the earth; the Oldest man, the
latest woman apd smallest baby are still liy.
ing, and Barnum vii find them. Or even ii
mono Of these things or creatures existed, we
could trust TO Barnum TO make them out Of
hand. The Museum, then, is only temporary
loss, and much as We sympathizc with the pro-.
pricton the public may trust TO his
well-hnown ability and energy to soon renew n
place Of amusement which was a source of so
much innocent pleasure, and had in il 20 many
elements of solid excellence.
In one respect this fire, we trust, will be a
lesson which it VIII 10 well If we learn at no
greater cost II was unusually destructive for
one occurring in broad daylight Why The
Fire Department worked with great zeal and de-
termination, and lid all men could do TO stay
the progress OF the flames, but their
efforts were paralyzed for the want
Of water. Months ago we predicted
that some such calamity as this might befall
US in the lower part Of the city OF any time
from tLl- thuHc. A. - gus. ~ tbuC'lff vi Cll-
cumstances-a stormy night--cold weather-a
high wind-undes which such conAagraton,
in such place. might hayo spread to dis.
aStrous extent. The simple truth is, the lower
part of the city is not supplied with
water, and until we have larger mains for its
sole use, We are exposed to fires which no cx-
ertions can prevent from spreading. 1t will be
well five accept this warning and provide a
remedy before sono more appalling disaster
shall teach us that frcmen and fire-engincs are
helpless without water. r.f.sLf