New-York tribune., 1876-07-10
THE STORY OF THE DISASTER.

kt, =.
that there was work for the remen. rapid run down
TO the Bowling Green revealed the fact that Castle Car
de one of the few historic and famous buildings lett 10
New-York. was wrapped in flames. The pine boar's
which formed the roof and Of which the outer
buildings were constructed. bla1cd up Ike
so much tinder aad IN less tan f7e minutes
after the fire was discovered a communication between
the lower and upper portion OF building was cut of
by the falling OF the stairs As the flames broke
out upon the roof. their rsteamer Havemcyer. which
WAS at no great distance from the building was SIG
nailed and moving rapidly 10 the spot the first to
have a hose playing upon the flames Tho Johh
Fuller, also a tre-steamor, came to her as-
sistance without loss OF tne and soon tho
engines of the Fire Department began TO pour
in their streams upOn blazing pile. second and
third alarm were quickly sounded and met with prompt
response but the fire burned with such fierce intensity
that all hope Of saving the main structure was soon
abandoned and the attention OF the femen was conceh
traed upon protecting the outer buildings not aS |e' III
cluded in the c0nlagration.
At t~ the emigrants " no occupied tho building, Gazod
bv the unwonted din and cowed by the swift flames.
hudded together and seemed hardly 10 comprehend the
nature the calamity which had bctIlen tleni h't
they soCn perceived the extent OF the danger which
threatened their property and lives 1bey then made
rush fer their baggage, and worked energehcally In
transferring II 10 a place OF safety In the mean time
the railway officials and prominent among these Nicholas
Muller the emiant par-6 agent of the Lrle road
had begun the work OF saYing the uggage from dcsruc
ton The first hung back and seemed reiuctdh'
10 venture into the driving smoke ana cnders' Dut
at Length. urged fU,w ward by Mr. Muller, tEcy
entered MO the work with spirit AMI abored with right
good Will. The transportation barge Inspector was
placed alongside the pier and bags boxes trunks and
every variety Of luggage were rapidly thrown on board
whenever tine flames, bone BY some sudden breeze,
movpG periously the workers The boat dropped
length down the per, and there the labor OF saw
age continued At time during the progress OF
this work t,roe officers the First Police Precinct were
left in situation Of imminent peril. They had been
busily engaged in assisting In transferring baggage 10
the transport aud TCturnin; from tie darkness
OF the interior whore they had gone to So
cure some Ot tGe Cmigrants' property they
found that the transport had SWING clear OF the pier and
left tLeln surrounded three sides by wall OF fire. and
Oh the fourth waters - the bay fortunat" change
of the wind laft passage clear for instant and raG
rush relieved them from their dangerous position. Th's"
officers Ohal,cy, Montgomery, and SclGdIn did good
service The wind was not high, yet The farciacion
Of TIE atmosphere Caused by the intense heat
caused rush OF air iU'o tie vortex OF sccrhing
flame. aad burning Goals borne n con
siderable distance and fel into ne water. tAe
concrete Tagging OF be park and sD upon the aud
yellow crr So which fired u various places M Illus
tra;ion OF the intense heat 81 bow ci this fame I'M
PEELED by the wind, noticed IN the charrci skeleton
OF heavy track. which d-shing wave OF I'm had
almost to the The building buried with great rap
ily and in less than thirty the granite heart Of
the Did fort around which clustered the EriSy additions
OF II 5dcfn convenience, revealed and, though 4 "o
in the couter the hottest fires, STOOD unscathcd
The waterfront OF the Battery scene Of great
activity during the conf,granon. lrnumerabia cran
cru!scd about Hlled win spectators, whi'e rowboats
padded back and forth and picked mp such property rs
was Coating IN the water The police boat Seneca was at
hand 20 render assistance. aud the steamer Seth Low.
crowded witt people on pleasure excursion. moved
close up TO the burning building and gave Ler pssenges
a near Wow Of the coniagraiion. The floating baia-
house at the B4tery being dangerously heated hy iae
flames ard exposed to peril from the constant ianE "f
ignitod Goals kept wet b. water from hose and
Ey this means cscapel any serious injury The flags
with which was decorated srcK IN Irescno' OF
tie fcrce enemy they presented an niaInmahe sur
face 10 the fire. The dock ~ the cast extremity Of the
Garden caught fire ana blazed with considerable yicor
but was only slightly burned The park crowded Win
people anxious behold the spectaco but they were
kept a safe distance by the two baita!ons of police
from the Fire, Precinct. under the command Of Capt
Petty. Inspector McDermott was also present. Tho
remen worked with zeal and promptnoss secured con
troll OF the fire in 3 hor me and Kept IL within certain
bonnds No eriOus casualties occurred though several
minor accidents took place. william Kline of Hook ana
Ladder No had his ankle badly wrenchcd by hoHcn
bones were broken, and he carried TO place OF
safety. Capt Patton OF Hook and Ladder No. II was
overcome y the heat aud lis exerpns, but st con;in
ued TO direct his after ho unable 10 lead
them.
In half an the fro had passed its hercest point
end in hour aud half only smDldered sulCnly,
while smoke cut by occasional geam Of flame, rolled
from the circular granite building, which the fire had not
been strong enough to lay low, from vast furnace
chimney. The outer buildings, known the Inforna-
ton Bureau, the Wsitingroom. and the Hospitn were
saved. The other wooden cdfces were burned to tho
1Ound. II not possible 10 obtain accurate l!st OF
the losses, but II Is known that the books Of Mr. Forrest,
President OF the Emgrant Commission. burned,
~ also the books Of Superintendent
jackson. Both these gentlemen were absent
from town. The InatrOn, Mrs. Essllngor. whore
room was on the upper floor lost all her furniture and
household goods The jantor Mr. levers who also bad
n room on the upper oor lost everything The Western
Union and Atlantis and Pacific Companies had telegraph
offices in the building. both Of which were destroyed
Several safes solhe OF them containing large sums of
money ana valuable books, lie buried under The fallen
tmbcrs. About GOO pieces OF baggage are missing,
and most ~ these supposed 10 have been burned.
These pieces belonged TO what is called the old baggage
and consisted OF trGnk3 and packages that had lain
in the bsggaSeroom for time unclaimed. when
te fire occurred there In the building about 200
cnigrns On Saturday large number landed at Castle
from tho stenmer Celtic and the steamer Oder
also ght many III ALL 229 emigrants came into the
building last Saturday. number Of MeDnonites came
the oder. Most OF The property OF the eians was
saved large portion Of 1t piled up In The Battery
Park in the rear Of the burning building, while that
placed on board OF the transport taken TO Pier No g.
where guarded by detachment OF police from the
First Precinct.
STATEMENT OF THE PATRoIMAN on DUTY.
Officer Theodore Freude, who had been specially de-
tailed for duty Castle Garden stated that hG had been
at that place for 81 years His duty was to patrol the
building and see that everything was right and that
Iat
to guard against fire or other calames to the emgrants
last evening at O'Clock he patroled the building