The New York herald., 1876-07-10
Bitter Experiences of the Newly
Arrived Immigrants,
LIVES AND PROPERTY ENDANGERED.
Unhappy Termination to a Pros
porous Voyage.
HISTORY OF THE EDIFICE.

scment showed consideration whatever for the
building which has in the course OF many years, been
the temporary home OF millions who have poured INTO
this country from every quarter OF the globe IL is
hard any similarly worthless edihce whose
destruction would 1.-THE OF the glcd feelings
which will be evoked from one end OF the United States
to the other as Of its reaches those who
were sheltered beneath its root But gone it
most certainly is. If there very
serious side to the disaster. 1t would be absolutely
ludcroys The IRE did Its work as though in sport.
Beyond tho confusion attendant upon removing the
Immigrants effects from the burning building there
we're none of the horrors which usually attend fires.
Darkness was wanting TO make the destruction any
hing of spectacle The afternoon was not and
bright. crowds were promenading tine Battery walks
or seeking shelter from The sun under the scanty
foliage wreath of white smoke-a Clean thin, lam
bent namc--shous OF ''fhe Garden is on hre!"-the
rapid rush OF engines and the disciplined dash of he
fremen--twenty- five minutes Of
GIGANTIC BONFIRE,
and Castle Garden had already rcceded into the realm
OF history. Some buildings in their destruction be-
have with an approach to hrmness and dignity; they
almost themselves to be battling with their grim
enemy. Besides, they have consideration enough TO
rive the ircmen a chance Castle Garden did nothing
OF tho sort 1t seemed quite aware that tho job was
hand at once II behaved like a scli-convicted
criminal pleaded guilty to ligneous plethora and
perennial dry and WIS a once wiped out Al seven
O'Clock the portion OF the building looked as If II
bad been burned thousand years ago, aud The cugnos
were merely playing upon the blackcned. charred
beams to prevent spontaneous combustion. Even tho
excitement usual upon such occasions was wanting.
Tho ncighboring streets were filed vita htc children
playing Crowds throngcd Broadway, walking uncon-
cernedy in y direction opposite the smoking mass.
The Gordon OF policemen drawn around the Battery
Park had great trouble with the hall isiess crowds
which looked on composedy while the bonfire
burning Altogether the end OF Castle Garden, remark
able as an cdlncc chiefly for what 1t ought to have
been but was not, was ndccorously hasty and I'M
dramatic
Thus lar the ludcrous side Of the burning 1t had
serious sie too 1t took the fire twenty five minutes
to reduce the structure ashes, the walls alone
being let standing II had just received one hundred
and twenty immigrants from the steamer Celtic Most
them could neither speak nor understand word oil
English They were OF course totally unacquaintcd
with the place How II that twenty -1vc minutes had
alleu in middle OF the night? Ii good that this
Is a mere query. From what is SAID below of the Diff
guilty experienced in managing in broad daylight, the
poor people who had but just arrived from beyond the
seas 1t IS easy conJure up the horrors that might
,aski
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE
The Ore began in the wooden covering Of the balcony
vhch skirts the top of the building and ovcrlooks the
circular enclosure smoke was seen putting through
4 broken portion OF the ceiling, and man, who was
sitting close by, called attention TO IT. He ran to pro-
cure aid before his return the ceiling than
half way round the circle had iaien and the wood
work was in flames la the meantime the mmigrant
ran peil-mel from the gallery to the main
Goor and rushed as fast they could to
escape IRON the building. Though but q few
moments elapsed between tho time OF tho
,larm and the general connagraton. all who
within escaped without injury. From the following
,tory related by two boys named Luke o'Hara and
James Hcaly the fire must have had considerable
hcadway before It was discovered by any one within
the building
rHE
1--WE we're gong out a and hadn't got fairly
started spied smoke coming of the roof of
the top story the side facing up the river We
pulled right back holcrcd like everything, and
round to the front side soon could We
nearly kicked IN tho front door when the walchman
come and let us In We hocrcd fire again and in
side where tho crowd None of 'em knowed there
was any fire till we told EN- but they found
Il out they ike everything and got hustled
The FIRE was IN progress till made 1t known, then
all was confusion and hurried out with the
rest OF tho crowd"
Tho wind was blowing from the north, and striking
srst the very point where the FIRE broke out carrie
the flames rapidly both sides roof
10 the SOUTH where they met and completed circle OF
Ore. The slender support afforded the dome soon
carried away, and It crashed in burning as it fell The
burning timber dropping down within started too fire
below and the whole interior became cracking burn
ing mass, throwing out dense volumes OF smoke TIE
nrcmen arrived shortly after the alarm sounded,
but there was little lett Tor them to do, so
fast we're the flames, but to give thclr attention
10 the buildings and sheds outside the main
structure They worked like beavers and saved some
of them The Custom house and the barge Office,
facing and close on tho watcr's edge, burned
Several cases Of valuable goods from the steamers
Oder and Celtic destroyed, aud asoa large colec-
lion OF valuable articles belonging to the passengers
and held for apprascmcnt as excessive baggage.
while dragging them out on the wharf, In an effort 10
20, them on board tug lying the wharf, the aro
from above drove the rrscucrs on
PROGRESS
Before the matron could all her goods aud in
less than ten minutes after the discovery OF the dc
the nauos mad reached tho dome Of the building.
swept through the Offices of the Commissioners OF Emi.
grafton destroying all their books and records
0reproof safes swircd through the rotunda, swallow
lpr UP The balcony circles, the sleeping rooms OF the
immigrants, consumed the Offices OF the telegraph
companies the posi- Office station, the Offices OF the
Ere Pennsylvania and New York Central and Harlem
RIVER railway companies, turned The immense audi
,sriun within The brown stone walls Of the old fort
tuto a sccthing furnace OF Ore, and were bursting
through tho partitions into the baggage rooms, Gus
.om House department and the transportation Offices
rhe.nrcmon promptly at work and fought sp'cn-
a,dl, in the faco OF the great heat Captain Patton, o
Hook and Ladder No H. was sunsuuck but refused to
l..ve his post william Kline OF No hook and lad
der fel ON the root OF The garden aud was seriously
tuurrd Another fireman overcome by the heat
and sent to the hospital Al SIX p NJ the roof OF the
main building Tell with terrific crash, and Tor atime
seemed as II the IRE under control, bat In few