National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-01-02
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NEIT FORH'S UELCUME no 1879.


New York Tines
Eleven thirty, of December 81, 1873. Old
Trinity is lighted, aud the moon, sinking in th e
west, throws the broad shadow of the church
across Broadway. A light mantle Of snow rests
upon the graves in the churchyard, and the
tombs of sandstone rise black against tho white
background. Before tho railing of the church,
pccring through st the light streaming from
the stained windows, Is a thropg of men, wo-
men. and children. Up aud down tho street
this crowd extends. aud across tho street to
the opposite side. They watch tho hands Of
| the clock as II slowly moves toward the minute
that win denote the passing away of 1873 and
| the incoming o. 1879.
! This was the scene at Trinity Church when
n reporter of the Times climbed the stairway
to tho bclrry in search Of Mr.. Thirwall, the
| ringer of the chimes. Up in the belhy lie was
| found walking back and forth in the little
| square room, waiting imraliently for the mo
mont when his last task for the year should
/ begin. A curious room is that in which tho
ringer of Trinity chimes is housed. Four
| walls of stone, with four quartcr-ioil windows,
| too high for purposes of observation except TO.
ward the sky, q rough stairway leading stecply
to the chimes above, and dust, thick and an
! Client in all the CrevCcs. The ringers music
was arranged on o shelf over the handles that
controlled the chimes and six candles blarod
from the shelf. Against post was the pro.
| grainme OF music for tho occasion, arranged
by Mr., Thirlwall, and approved by Rev. DIR.
Dix. the rector.
Eleven forty-ive of December 81. The
Chime.ringer drew OF his coat, and while tho
boys aud men outside were tuning their tin
horns and tho sounds Of singing bands were
heard family rising from the street, the
chimer rang the changes on eight bells. Tho
reporter seeking for n good point OF observa-
ton, ventured TO climb to the floor above the
chimes, through narrow passages and up mar
rover stairways, backer than the night with
out, to the landing, from which a parapet is
reached. Hero was found point of observa.
ton indeed. Tho view obtained included
the city and tho rivers, with Brooklyn and
Jersey City and Hobolien, the lights of the
streets the red End green signals of the ferry.
boats and landings, and over the whole
scene the moon shone with rare brilliancy.
. In Broadway the crowd was dense Just about
the church, while in the clear spaces beyond
the throng. weird shadows followed the men
, who moved about under the gaslight. At the
moment the bells rang out there was an in.
/. crease in the noise from the neighbor! s
T streets. A moaning chorus of the horns arose
g As the minute hand of the clock approached
- the hour this atrOcious chorus increased. The
noise of thousands of feet upon the pavement
was lost in this crescendo OF inharmonious
5 sounds Two or three welcoming hymns had
!: been played, and then there was pause in
" the ringing. The minute and the hour hand
. almost touched. The sound Of the horns hat
= almost ceased. The clock rang out the warn
j. ing chime, and then the deepest bell, thu
+, marker Of the hours, sounded the first stroke
# Of twelve. 1t was the signal for letting pan
!. demonium loose. From every side arose thu
shrieks of whistles the ringing of bells, tin
;, firing of guns and pistols, and from below, /,
u all tho streets and alleys, q dcmoniac bias
:, from countless horns, so vast and resonant tina
I. II swallowed up all other sounds. In Churcl
street. where the trains of the elevated rail
?, road had just stopped running, the engine
" were standing, resting after II day of putting
of filling, aud backing When the worst G
&c tho roaring welcome of sound had bee
heard, an engineer seemed TO have thought G
7 his whistle. single blast was blown fror
q. the shrill pipe, and then there followed
scream loud enough to fear that IL would startl
N the dead in the vaults beside the old churCl
rs The crowd outside, gathering fresh breath iC
=, another blast of welcome to the New Yea
cs swelled the chorus of uncarthly sounds Fror
lie every side there rolled these sounds of we
I'd come, until the noise seemed TO come frOl
miles away. II lasted FOR u few moments Onl.
an and then died away. The chimes rang on
"The Blue Bells of Scotland" and 5000 peOpl
I'd listened. Then the programme Of fifteen Joy
II full songs was continued, lasting for nearly a
al hour. As the familiar sounds Of " Home, SweC
81. Home, fell upon the throng IL began to moy
It's away. The tin horns were brought agai
er, into use with renewed vigor on III
OF part of the boys and men who bic
ICE them. Waylarers were stunned with Il
his din made by organized bands of men, wi
rs marched along, blowing as they marched an
EFT making the air to quake with the volume
ls' outrageous sounds that they produced. III
bands Of serenadcrs resumed their singing, m
ne the boys took up the chorus of many iimilii
re- airs with zest that denoted the fullest syn
rai ptthy with the New Years reioicngs.