Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-10-11
The Burning OF 81 PatrIck's Ca
thedlrmI in New York.

tFrom theNew York Herald, OF SundayJ
The fire at C. g. Gunther & Sons was un-
fortunately not confined to their building.
as the sparks from 1t alighted on the roof
OF the st. Patrlck's Cathedral, on Mott and
Mulberry streets, near Prince. Owing to
the difficulty the firemen experienced In
reaching the locality the flames quickly
spread, and in a very short period the roof
was one mass of flame, illuminating the.
surrounding streets, and casting a dazzling
glare on the buildings in the immediate
vicinity. The flames ran along the roof,
encircling it with halo of light, and thence
descended to the lower part OF the building.
The sight was then terribly magnificent In
the extreme. The interior of the church
was in mass of roaring flame; the beau
tiful stained glass windows shone with un-
natural brilliancy as If some great festival
was being held within; altar, organ pipes,
paintings, and all the pomp and splendor
of the cathedral of the American metropo-
lis were lighted up with an illumination
such as never before was dreamed OF there,
and ever and anon the crash OF falling tim
bers, and the fierce roar of the conflagra-
tion, mingled with the Kissing water poured
on it from the steam engines, and the cries
of the tiremen as they struggled to obtain
an entrance. The cross on the wall 'front.'
ing Mulberry street seemed like the cross
that beckoned Constantine on to victory,
or that of st. Peters during Holy Week.
The flames played around it beneath 1t
and above it, wreatbing 1t with fiery halo.
and revealing distinctly every line and
carving on it. -....-t
The wooden towers on Mott street soon
fell in; the flames caught new life from
their reck, and leaped higher than ever.
Showers of sparks filled the air, and drifted
along the streets like falling stars, making
the vast crowd shrink back as the blazing
fragments fell at their feet. Writhing like
serpents between the pipes of the organ,
playing along its keys in mockery of the
fate to which they were subjected, the
flames reduced to mass of cinders one of
the noblest institutions in New York.
Again they danced above the grand high
altar, and it crumbed beneath them. So
unusual was the origin and so sudden the
destruction, that but few people but those
in the immediate vicinity knew of the fire.
A few individuals connected with the
church. observing the fire, climbed up
narrow stairway in the belfry, which al
lowed the ascent of but one at a time on the
roof, and at the risk OF their lives attempted
to extinguish the incipient c0nflagration
with buckets of water. Their efforts were
of no avail. Halt an hour afterward a apor-
tiOn OF the fire department arrived upon
the scene, but the roof was then a mass OF
flames, and it was apparent that the de-
struction of the old Cathedral of the Prov
ince of New York was inevitable.
Great efforts were made by the clergy,
teachers and officers of the church, aided
by the Pensioners, to save the sacred yes
sells and vestments. These were of consid-
cradle value, being worth not less than
$4,000. One set of vestments saved we're
brought from Paris by the Archbishop, and
were worth about $4,000. To the Catholics
OF this city, this old church was endeared
by many sacred memories, not the least OF
which is the circumstance of its containing
the remains of the late lamented ArchbiSh- |
op Hughes. Besides this, it contained the |
remains of the Right Rev. Drs. COncanen,
Conolly and Dubois. Great efforts were
made BY the department to preserve the
tOmbs of these departed prelates, and it was
hoped their efforts would be successful
Many fine fresooes, works of American and
foreign artists, were necessarily destroyed,
and very fine painting of the Crucitixion,
by an American artist. The pulpit is said
to have been one of the finest in America,
and the sacristy, 1t is said, would hold
more clergymen than that of any church
in the United States. The church itself. it
Is esIluhIeui WOulu sOdI doOuU OhiOO Ohouo-
and people.
HISTORY OF THE CHURCH..
st. Patrick's Cathedral was built in the
year 1911 by Bishop Dubois, being the sec
ond church erected in this city. Archbish-
op Hughes made considerable additions to
il in 1888. 1t was one of the old landmarks
of New York, and endeared by many rec
ollections. Besides containing the remains
of three bishops and one archbishop, in it
has been witnessed the conservation of
many others. There were very many splen-
did frescoes and paintinOs bV American