The New York herald., 1872-07-25

;ide, nothing could be seen but great masses OF
lame beching from the windows, while the dense
ISS%9s .Ss %Sss Rsa would sometimes dim the bright
Sn the east SIDE Of the building :. ..s end wau
still remained partly standing enough 'I% burned ned
OOkns Ys s lights W,n '0Hs shs men Ss seen n
around around TBS WIS bne Of the most singular spec:
by IT sszea upon 1t until the wood work Of
the %inaoTa had been consumed and the lights
%em' " 90 OUT The wall still continues to stand but it
~ 80 WEEK and frai that 1t Is liable to topple over
at any moment,
Great numbers OF adventurous women, undaunted
IRE yas sottsst and had t not been for the vs l
, ,sr Sc OF the police, VINO gently drew them back
yaey might have have ssasred for their Tashness.
nose which berstea was even more efhoacious
than the police in Keeping the curious people back,
0s 1t scattered torrents OF water all around
Nste.y drenchns those VINO came within its range.
=, fhe police, though exposed togreat temptation,
would be well worthy OF imitation by their brethren
on this s,sie al the water Some efthe workmen eae
ment forced them back. and they were reluctantly
c0mpened to abandon themto their fate. The ex-
brav EcCary were deep and sncere % aud sSe 'ue ats
mos a.imrattOn was expressed for his undalnted
vaior "He died at his post IKE man, said one,
- nd mis- life was of Infinitely more value than II
rie5entre Erie Railroad had vanished outof exist
enoe."
ON THE RIVER
The river hssrarely presented a more beautiful
ana picturesque spectacle. The reflection OF the
5.,S sn exenaedS the shipping and IN the bright
stood out in bold relief like sentnels OF the night.
For miles each way every craft was visible, even
climbing the masts OF the vessels that lay at an
chor to catoha view OF the confagration. On the
brilliantly Illuminated and coald be distinctly
discerned for miles. The moon came out
vicinity OF the fire were obscured by the smoke As
the flames died away the river again assumed its
usual state, the reflection upon its surface gradu
over it, The watchers on either side lett for their
homes, after feastng their eyes until they were
wearied, upon the splendid panorama.
ON THE FERRYBoATs.
There was lively time on all the ferryboats
was e as s to ns ss %
street boats. Which run right into the scene
OF the disaster, were the most crowded, with
gineer one Of the boats whose locomotive was
In the shops being repaired, said that the shops.
any he had seen in the course of his long expert
ence. There was no mode of egress from them but
ing had the slightest chance Of being rescued that
they contained. He said his old engine had served
him many long day, and that it was shame to
The ferryboats were crowded with passengers
until the fire exhausted itself and died away
The excitement among the wOrkingmen was
most intense. Hundreds OF them loitered around
| the burning ruins until the last gmmer of the
flame was about extinguished. All sympathized
with one another over the extraordinary event.
| Men and women hurried to and fro, some bearing
night lanterns, others vending their way through
| lanes and alleys, and over the locomotive tracks,
on which the trains ran with unaDated eXactness.
Wives congratulated their husbands and children
fawned upon and leaned on the arms OF their pa
rents while the fiery glare shone around their in
1antile figures.
their resignation TO fate OF doomed idleness for
some weeks TO come, but not without some pitiful
which the nights forebodngs were likely to bring
upon them. The faces OF pale mechanics
were iurrowed ,. with thoughtful wrinkles and
vent to their feelings over the loss of their tools
and apparatus. Some who reached the terrific
scene only at the eleventh hour seemed struck
with amazement ut the
SUDDEN DISAPPEARANCE OF THE WORKSHOPS
Upwards OF eleven hundred hands were en-
ployed on the premises, which it is estimated
Of nese of sre nUw Syr oqcsa ys to aks S
COMPULSORY VACATION
which will, doubtless, be an unenviable one: Car
penters, blackSmiths, engineers, fremen. brake
men, night and day watchmen, and aborers Of
sundry enployments, are to be counted among the
sustainers of helpless families "A holiday to.
morrow, boys,". seemed to be the watch
Vn% wOTd among the aespans Of toll
whole two weeks picnic" was the ready response.
There, where the skeleton of that there engine is
buried beneath the wall. I suppose | can hardly
ever again l. can them my own" said @ @Swarthy,
got the worst OF 1t any way, but it
is well the whole city wasn't In confagratiOn."
Such were the frequent expressions of the inter-
ested bystanders, who were almost all once EN-.
pioyes in the now Oblitcrated workshops. They
seemed to notice with fresh enthusiasm every new
burst Of flame, and TO utter forth their striking but
hopeless remarks with renewed bitterness. Some
poured forth their
MALEDIcrIONs UPON THE FIRE-F1ENp
and some times attempted to question its origin and
widespread progress. Others blamed the company
shrugged their shoulders in mood of affected in
difference. and said they thought ut would be
None of ali attempted from the commencement
when their assistance was lent to eXtinguish the
nre, to penetrate into the middle or lower part of
torrents of flame. For the wOrkmcn indeed, the
fire OF last night was sad and bitter catastrophe
consequences would be to them. Crowds
stih fingered around the burning embers and
mass Of heated fragments until almost daybreak
In few minutes however, 1t was asceruaned that
the burning buildings were the machine shops Of
the Erie Railroad, and while feeling of relief was
experienced by all that the noble steamship had
escaped uniniured, the sure and more ap-
palllng disaster struck terror and dismay
IRON the road. In the uptown parts of the city IL
was supposed, from the iurid light in the heavens
that the whole Jersey shore had caught and that
the city was being burned up; but the names went
down as suddenly as they had burst out, and the
alarmsts were somewhat treasured. Considerable
excitement, however, prevailed until the flames
were finally extinguishcd.
THE EXCITEMENT IN NEW YORK.
When the fire first broke out the excitement on
this side of the river was intense and the widest
prevailed to the extent of injury and oca
tion OF the disaster. The contiguity OF the flames
to the docks o! the White Star line led many to
believe that this point was the one that under
fire, and it was also rumored that the new
steamship Oceanic had been caught by the de-
vOurng element and was being rapidly consumed.
In the meantime the names grew brighter and
brighter, and shot higher and higher, and still no
one could exactly tell what was the matter.
MIDNIGHT WALK OVER THE RUINS.
At II L. VI. IA HERALD reporter went over the
ground and amid the scene of the catastrophe.
The picture OF desoat0n was awful in the extreme.
Nothing could be seen but ruined walls, broken en-
gines and dsmantled machinery, while the smOul-
were still playing upon the fragments OF wall that
were standing but the work was almost unneces-
sary, as the ruin was so complete there was
NOTHING LEFT TO BuRN.
The machinery that the shops contained was