The Colfax chronicle. (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1876-1877, 1877-04-07
abe Colfax Cbrunitls.
SATURDAY, APRIL I, 1877.
Our New York Letter.
New York, March 16, 20.

NEW York, March 16, '76.
ydi,er CHRONICLE
The week has been pretty well
s,lsa With interest and excitement.
The peacefui outcome of the long
crisis in Washington, the impos-
inc ceremonies of presidential
inauguration held at time and
under circumstances which render
"a them the most impressive in
half A life time,. the initial strug-
gles Of our new and strangely con-
ditioned administration-all these
events, though transporting outside
of New York, are of as vital and
intense interest to the city as
though the City Hall were the
National Capitol, while besides
this grand train of occurrences,
we have had enough local happen
ings to keep our eyes and ears
well occupied.
On Thursday night fire broke
out in the large building on the
corner of Bond street and Broad
way, owned and occupied by Rob-
bins L. Appleton, agents of tho
Waltham Watch Co, and by the
next morning it was level with the
ground. The completeness of its
destruction was, Queerly enough,
the result of the thoroughness of
its protection; the building being
closed so firmly with bolts, bars
and shutters that it was almost as
hard to get into rs an iron safe.
The fremsn were thus kept out
for SO long q time when at last
their streams could be brought to
bear the flames had acquired ire
sistible Roadway. The building
burned was a regular Aladdin's
palace, q sort of q mine of gold,
silver and precious stones, being
occupied from roof to cellar by
ten firms dealing in watches and
lewelry. Over forty iron safes full
Of these valuables were exposed to
the fiery furnace, and many of
them are yet too hot to be opened
to see what proportion of the
$2,OOO,000 which their contents
represented has got to be replaced
BY the insurance companies. Rob-
bins 4 Appleton and the Gorham
oliver Company had the most at
stake IN this disaster, but are not
only well insured but are too large
hrms to be seriously affected by
occurrence in any case.
Our next largest sensation is
the panic at the immense Church
OF St Xavier on Thursday night,
which lacked not much of repeat
1,1,g the Brooklyn Catastrophe.
Four thousand persons packed in
ICE church whose pastor was
drawing a highly colored picture
OF the pains and horrors of the
lower regions. when a woman over
come with nervousness and fear
Mlnted away, thereby alarming
some person in her neighborhood,
more excitable than logical, iuto
e,ying Fire !" The effect was
electrical. The audience already
". alfOught mp into high pitch by
tae discourse, and having the
brooklyn Theatre wildly in mind,
eaueht the infection of terror and
y. ~ an instant the attentive quiet of
Ias pace was changed into such q
aanaemonium as only similar cir
s " can create. All thought
a spiritual things were suddenly
S%sslpated, and the instinct of the
ior us own preservation ruled
supreme. Apell-mell rnsh for the
S So9r 81 was made, despite the splen-
S S.a. EFFORTS of the officiating clergy
n n.as, 70 prevent and afterwards to
qaeli the disturbance. Whatever
!. 10y 10 thought of their dactrines,
~ = can rarely be said of the Catho-
A. A. priests that they fail of their
, su.y IN an emergency. While the
,Sa lait was at its highest one of |
, ,.en called to the choir to 60 on |
s s.'n mo music, while others per- |
W. aed the rites of benediction at |
m MIC ai'af IN SO calm and regular |
sa aner as would have treasured |
ny audience not thoroughly |
a rra'c stricken. Others still min |
s Ssu. with the crowds sand by COM
sonua. entreaty and persuasion |
n aSSnt 10 check the fatal stamneda