The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-02-18
MONDAY FEBRUARY 1s-wITH SUPPLEMENT-

rwenty-shird street were beginning to feel the In
tense heat By order OF the nremen every shutter
closed, and IL became necessary TO throw streams
Of water upon tho fronts OF the houses 10 keep
them rsm burning. As Il was the door
OF every house from No. 2ll TO No. 233 was
bstered that the paint OF In sheets. At twenty
minutes past eight there must have been fully i've
thousand spectators blocking up the. and
nues from which good view Of the conAagration
could bs had, and It was AZ much the police could
do to keep them NJ safe distance. The people re-
siding in Twenty street. too on the north s,de
almost the length Of the entire block had abandoned
their houses. taking out with them whatever they
thought Of most value
FALLING WALLS
So great was the excitement when the sasteriy wall
fell In upon the church and Wild the rumors that
passed from mouth to mouth in the vast crowds
that surgcd nom Twenty third street 10 and far down
tho avenues, that panc among residents Of
Twenty-hrst street seemed imminent But the good
advice OF the hremen ~ the residents of Twenty
second street, on the north side, was well given;
for II certainly dos look ut one time - though
the houses in the OF the arory could not escape
destruction. Even a. II was they had q narrow ss-
CAPE II not from nre At least IRON being buried be.
meath the walls OF the huge Twenty street
building; for lew minutes alter the eastsrly wall
had fallen in upon the Presbyterian Church
about seventy 6ve feet Of the wall toppisd
over II was u miracle that II did not do dsm-
age than Il did. Portions Of 1t crashed into the
OF No. 1885, knocking to spinters articles OF furniture
In the back sitting room. and all the rooms Of
the buildings from No. 1877 to No 34l suffered moro
or less from the bricks and falling debris
Almost ~ the same time abou. one-half OF the
wall Of the armory fronting on Twenty-thmd
s,rest-tbat half nearest Seventh avenue--fel into
the street. the moro westerly half taking the opposite
direction ana plunging the lake Of flames in It's
rear The extreme westerly wall aave way At tho
same moment, and, ~ emulating the destruction Of
It's fellow on the eastward, crashed down upon
the little Scotch Presbyterian Church. which was
sfterward laid open TO the havoc OF the raging
flames. A more sublime spectacle was probably never
Witnessed fire than that which the walls to the
front and and on the sides Of the build
ing In falling opened out TO the view
AZ they began to topple cry OF horror went
up from the lockers for the great tall front ~ 1t
slowly toppled forward solid mass appeared AZ
though II would crash into she houses opposite But
II ala not IL only half over whom It broke
In the middle aud plunged into the street In q
million rragmenta The roar that followed the
fail OF this wall and the others was ike
that OF thunder, and for . few seconds there was
darkness Of night where everything few seconds
this only lasted Tor an instant The smoke and dust
cleared up quickly ana the burning interior Of the
great building was revealed 10 Wow.
xl0HTY FURNACE.
Divested OF its aspects OF terror. the spectacle
minded one forciDy Of grand transformation scene
The great beams OF the building that yet remained
and here there In those portions Of the wills that
still stood from tho first floor TO the second rod
and blowing. and from many OF them the iron
Orders hung In fantastic shapes, some Of
tnem twisted and caught one upon another.
In places they formed species OF network, and up
through them all the flames shot hundred high
In colors OF red, blue and orange. on the lower floor
in the middle OF the building that part occupied by
a reading room for young women these words stood
out on the vall:-
SUFFER- LIrTLI CHILDREN g
COME
UNTO Me.