The New York herald., 1872-12-25


Fires I'm New York and Elsewhsre-
The Corrugated Iron-Coated Tindez
| Boxes. Ns
| within the last two days would indicate some
thing cyclonio in the era of conAagratons.
The fire yesterday evening in Centre street.
which it is yet feared has caused sacrifice of
life, is only one Of series which have occurred
in the city within the past twenty-four hours
Barnum's museum, menagerie and circus on
Fourteenth street, which succeeded yesterday
morning not only in burning itself but the
buildings on either side of it, is the very latest
example Of the criminal folly Of permitting the
erection OF corrugated iron structures in cities
like New York or Brooklyn. After the Bos-
ton fire Mansard roofs were anathema, be-
cause they were generally wooden tinder boxes
perched invitingly six stories high. The cor
rugated iron shells are, when touched
with spark, simply blast furnaces
for self-destruction and the burning
of buildings in their vicinity. On
Sunday morning it was appropriately church
that was consumed {; yesterday morning it was
q circus four months ago it was slaughter
house. The association of ideas may not be
pleasant but extremes will meet in such cases.
Now, whether church. circus or slaughter
pen, the argument against this class of build
ings, which has no advantage that the public
is bound to respect, is the same. Human lives
are more valuable than property, whether in
pew rents, circus seat, sales or executions of
beasts for food at so much head Alimenta-
ton for the spirit, the emotions or the body
can, we are inclined to believe, be furnished
without taking such large risks in favor Of .
general conAagration. This age is rightly
called one of luxury and sumptuousness. One
Of its most crying evils is that this penchant for
the magnificent leads many weak heads to the
arcana of cheap limitations. Itmay be imitation
emeralds in lady's jewelry or imitation
diamonds in politicians shirt front The
budding dandy may not think it proper to
wait for o real gold chain, so he hastens to
adorn his vest with an imitation. The elo-
quent divine and the enterprising circus man
cannot wait season to erect substantial
ediiiices SO they rush into showiness and cor
| rugated iron lest the public should lose
sermon or show. Custom, with its slavish-
ness, rather applauds this bad taste, as fashion
makes outrageous lines and substances in
ladies' dresses and tresses tolerable. Only
when it impinges on the public safety can this
passion for cheap imitation be met 1t would,
perhaps, be unparalleled to ask a clergyman
or Snowman to gauge the precise length
of time which the public might wait
without detriment for dedication sermon
or grand opening. The only limitation
to be made in either case may be based upon
the idea that it would be better to wait till
Doomsday than drink in either the service or
the performance in wooden fire cages built in
the heart of crowded city, with red hot fur
naces under the flooring. Better trudge to a.
pair of canvas tents in the wilds of Harlem,
where the peroration or the lofty tumbling
might securely work their way into our souls
or sensations than battle with either in New
York, within o corrugated trap If the evil
was ended with the destruction Of Mr.. Tai
mage's Tabernacle and Mr.. Barnum's circus
we might have some COMPILATION. Such, how
ever is not the case The Rev. Mr.. Hepworth.
who, since his departure from the stone
church Of the Messiah, has been ministeriSg
Congregationalist consolation at Steinway Hall,
is now fastening the construction of cor
rugated church near the Union depot at Forty
second street This is not bAng done with
view to ultimately burning down Vanderbilts
depot, as might at first be supposed, but
simply to have as quickly and cheaply as pos
sible a church of his own to preach in. We
would respectfully call back Mr.. Hepworth
from an ecstatic valuation Of the good his SER
mons will achieve in the souls Of uptown sim
ners and ask him to minister yet little longer
in some substantial edifce anywhere while a
new, if more costly, design is being put into
brick or stone. As for the Snowman, we have
little hope that simple appeal would prevent
him from preparing s'with indomitable
energy" to be burned out q fourth time
lions, yaks, giraffes and all. If the appeal is
useless in both cases we must sternly turn to
whatever law can do to call them to them
selves. Here, unfortunately, the outlook is
not very encouraging, either.
In the HERALD of Sunday last an article
appeared entitled "Blunders in Buildings"
1t consisted Of series of interviews with
persons whose responsibility and expe-
rience in the matter of pronouncing
upon what is safe or unsafe in buildings.
The first of these persons was Mr..
Macgregor, Superintendent Sf Buildings
whose duty it is to pass upon the manner of
construction or materials used in the erection,
alteration or repair of any building in the city
Of New York 1t was melancholy interview
On the subject of corrugated iron buildings
that is, wooden structures, papered, as it were,
with iron-he confessed that he dis
approved them. In defence of his allow
ING such buildings to 90 nm in