Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-12-31
LETTER FROM NEW YORK.
Special Correspondence.
NEW YORK, Dec. "a, 1877

llSu oAAioucutS Tue IL uoeL dsLVu va "AlOA
plot has ever since been the occasion of
an annual holiday in that country, the
results might have been hardly more
terrible than those of the catastrophe
which startled New York on Thursday |
evening. Shortly before Eve o'clock on
that day an immense five story brick |
factory on Barclay street. occupied by
one of the largest confectionery manu-
featuring firms in the country, was filled
from roof to basement with light and
the hum of industry Nearly two hum
| dred operatives were hard at work upon
holiday orders, and all was cheerful and
orderly activity. Suddenly, without
warning. there came an explosion that
stunned passing pedestrians and broke
windows and extinguished lights for
hundreds of feet around. The whole
front wall of the factory rose Thirty feet
into the air, and in another minute
vast mass of iron. brick, machinery,
men, women and children crashed down
together in shapeless and horrible confu-
sion. Almost simultaneously with the
fall of the building, the tons of sugar
which it contained. and which were
scattered in its fall caught fire and
wrapped the ruins in inextinguishable
fame. The scene for the next two
hours was as imposing as it was terrible.
The efforts of the fremen were rendered
I'of little avail by the blistering heat
which forced them to confne their at
tention, after the first few minutes when
with gallant recklessness, they succeed
ed in saving few lives, to preventing
as far as possible the spread of the fire.
The flames from the sugar-saturated
rubbish mounted high into the air and
illumlned the sky for miles around turn
ing to sickly faintness the light of the
moon which had just risen. Fears were
at one time entertained that the conf1a-
grafton would become general but the
timely aid of the wind which by a rare
and lucky chance was for instead of
against the fire brigade, enabled the
latter to get control after 100000
worth of property had been destroyed.
The cause of this shocking disaster
remains an impenetrable mystery. The
loss of life has not yet been accurately
ascertained owing to the difficulty of
thoroughly examining the hot rubbish
but is variously estimated at from five
to twenty. Beside those killed outright
almost as many more were burned,
scalded or MANNED in all horrible forms.
An immediate investigation will be had.
r In the course of the Vanderbilt will
trial this week. the testimony ola prom
] inent architect was introduced by the
: contestants to show that the Commodore
desired to build. and expressed his in
a tention to build, "the tallest monument
{ in the world" to the name of Washing
ton. He caused witness to prepare
several sketches for such structure to
be erected in Central Park, and was
particular to inquire the exact heights
of the Cologne Cathedral. the Pyramid
of Cheops and St. Peters in Rome, tc
T" make sure that his proposed monument
should overtop them all. He was told
J. that 1t would have to be 600 feet high
and would cost him about S750000
n which price did not seem to trouble him
IF in the least.
This testimony was adduced to prove
P. the Commodore insane though just how
le the insanity comes in, it is difficult for
J. the ordinary mind to perceive. 1t i:
only pity that he changed his mind
n and failed to carry out this grand
~ scheme.
r. Some of our prominent churches have
been having novel experience for the
two weeks. Mr.. E. P. Kimball as YOU
> readers have doubtless heard by thii
time is a gentleman who devotes hi
time. talents and energies to lifting thu
- load of debt from churches by a process
: which may be most accurately described
- as ''main force" He has worked east
ward from San Francisco doing an ex
traordlnary work at various places oil
Nv the way and came to this city full of
" strange kind of momentum which ha
"a produced some marvellous effects. notabl,
in the case of DR.. Tyng's church of tn
IS. Holy Trinity (episcopal,) which labor
a under debt of $25O.OOO which threat
K ened its very existence. One mont
ago Mr. Kimball attempted to raise tn
ut debt of an uptown Presbyterian churc
1t amounting to $4,000 and did it i
an two Sundays work Thus encouraged
,st he undertook the great work at d.
Tyng's on Sunday morning the l6tt
ub A large congregation was present n
IN. warning having been given of the pr'
posed operations of this colossal begga
~ who went at it at once, from 1926 tt
o'clock, bullied them into subscribin
~ 100000 toward the object in viey
Several meetings have since been hel'
- but believe the whole amount is nj
yet made up.
Thia xuorh 70 onrions and cratic ON