The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-11
THE CASTLE GARDEN FIRE.
Looking amer the InsursD oes Preparatory
TO Heeonst ruction.


The interior Of Castle Garden IA seen
yesterday morning was a mass OF black raftere.
twisted tin roofing, and smouldering luggage.
Two or three large beams yet rested on the sup
porting columns, but beyond this no trace OF
the roof or upper wood work remained. Tho
baggage room was destroyed with the excep-
tion Of small part OF lite north eide. About
seventy i've trut ks and boxes, chiefly from the
ate imsnips Celtic aud Oder, were destroyed.
Here and there lay pictures, bibles. albums.
china. and In fact, every article Of home lie,
and blowing about over all were toe content- OF
numerous feather beds. The pier sheds, bridge,
burned. The buildings a whole were insured
Tor t2OOO. The insurance on Ia rgace was
taking the sffidavits Of Immigrants who pre-
sen ed baggage checks, and claimed their bag
x &c rs burned.
Mavor wickbsm. Commissioner OK officio. and
Commissioners st irr nd Manager, visited the
ruinse rv vest, rday morning, and -ubeeouent-
" they consulted with representatives Of the
insurance companies IN regard to settling the
In aurance.
Quarters have been prepared for the immi-
grams IN the surrounding buildings, aud they
have been made as com Portable "a possible. 10
addition I" tie dscomfot produced by the fire
the emigr mt oficias mad their nds full yester-
dav, LIB more Immigrants having arrived. The
ttiy OF Greater Landed 40, the Spain 1b2, and
the Idaho 78l. a whom go ore Mormons. The
Custom House ofloers established their desks
under the sheds on the wharf. ADD transacted
business ma usual.
ION mole, connected with the Battery by
bridge" said writer IN 1910, "is situated Cas-
tie Garden. originally Intended for FORTH alton
and used for that purpose until 1ss3, when 1t was
cedei bv the United States to the corpor ton
~ this city, since which time IL has been used
for pl &C Of public amusement or recreation.
On the top OF the walls walk, covered by an
awning, has been constructed, aud thence hue
view OF the hat6or md ITS adjacent scenery 10
obtained opt IN within the walls over 10000 persons
works are occastonal'y given"
such Is the succinct yet vague account OF the
origin of Cistle Garden, structure that escaped
the f,te OF the olu Red Fort at the foot OF Hu
bert street. OF Fort Gansevoort. and Of other
frowned upon the Hudson. These circular forts
were demolished sucressively until all that re
main for our generation are Castle William on
den on the Battery.
ofhe Battery. thirty odd years ago, was the
only recognized promen de. Broadway, below
wall street, wss lineo with hotels; grouping
around the circle Of the Bowling Green were the
~ nslons OF well-to do merchants; state street.
IRON ing the Battery, was the abode of the
wealth Of the city. ID lily. after tea-that Ia to
say, two hours before sunset-the mothers, sis-
tiers, and wives and daughters Of the men Of
wealth who dwelt in the neigh borhood poured
IN steady stream within the Bat err gates, md
until long err the fall OF the evening snsd. a,
they promenaded along the sea wall fronting the
harbor, or drank Juleps within the castle.
Ihe castle. Invested OF LIS mameDt, became IN
hands 81 the muncipality and at length II was
made the pl &c IN which the city welcomed dts
Nlsltors To our ehOrs p. and IN II the
head OF the municipality In 1894 erasped To 9
hand Of LAFAYETTE. landing In an eight Dared
b rec from the Cadmus, hnd enthusiastically
proclaimed him to be the guest Of the natInn."
And nom the c iste's sally port It eight o cock
IN the morning Of the 4th OF November, 1895,
hled the honorable the corporation, the Society
OF heCincinnati, he reverend clerxy OF all de.
Nominations, the officers Of the army and the
n Wy, the COn-uls OF foreign powers, the Judges
OF all courts, and strangers OF distinction. en-
bhrked In the steamer w shingtOn thereon to
head the adua,ic procession In cummemoration
81 the completion II the Ere can !. to SANDY
Hook, arrived t whi,h point toe learned DR..
samuel ). Mitchell delivered a lon. Grafton after
ontp 'utng into the bosom OF t1e Atlantic a
bucketful OF IN waters Of l. Ike Erie and several
yiais Of water from the Elbe, tho Nile, an the
Jord u. Ia Castle q r1en also the city Gov
eminent received President Andrew jackson,
who, Gcc Hmptnied by vi President Van
Duren. can Q on visit to this city after o
conclusion Of the Black Hawk war. and here
also were Father Mathew ami Kossuth received,
a. d subseq entiy In Castle G 4rden the great
MhyG made hts areat speech to the military
ana theieoi 20 ped a rich harvest OF cola, one
COMPANY alone contributing one thousand DOL
iais. At Icing h Castle Garden became "a colossal
crncert hall. md was tue scene OF Jenny lands
American debW and was the temporary abode
II Italian opera. But soon after the time OF
Jenny Lind and Mario and Grisi the tide II
population moved northward and surrendered
the Battery region 10 trade, aud the Castle was
handed over to immigIants.