Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-03-05
ETHAN ALIENS DUNGEON
Vaults Hallowed by Sufferings of
Revolutionary Martyrs Reach
ed by Workmen.
Task of Tearing Down Historic Old
Prison and Hall OF Records in New
York City Gigantic
One.

shortly before tho minute hand OF the
city clock pointed to the noon hour
four brawny lahorcrs separated them
selves from tho busy mass Of men that
were raHing the Han of Records and be-
gun TO pry up tho marble flooring of the
building. and. as the brick and mortars
of the arches underneath fell. under the
blows Of piCkaX and Crowbar. into the
collar of that historic old structure. for
the first time in the 147 years it has been
standing there a CLEAN of sunlight shot
down through the dust and lit up the
dungeons beneath, says the Brooklyn
Eagle.
10 those who werc standing by when
tho first beam Of light struck the cobble
floor of that Crcwsome place there was
something significant in the fact that it
was on the day celebrated as Washing
toms birthday that the bright sun was
allowed to dispcl the sombcrness of the
spot hallowed by the suffcrings of Ameri
can patriots and that this sunlight was
Streaming through a hole just under the
place whore so many suffered rlartyrdom.
for tho marble flooring taken away by
the laborerS was Just under the iron
ring set in the ceiling above. through
which the hanSman's rope was run to
scrve its Infamous work.
As the dust subsidized the main dungeon
became brighter ana some beams of light
even sifted in TO the gloomy corner where
Ethan Allen. tn" hero of Ticondcroga,
was confined. and there could be dimy
seen tho spot where tradition says he
tried TO dig through the foundation to
liberty
Although tho razing of the main part OF
tho building has been no light task for
the contracting firm, the John H. Parker
company the hardest part remains and
that is the moving of these huge mar
bic columns. These pillars, L. in number,
tatn have ranitol and bqGe and
sections beside, SO there are in all "a
pieces to be taken down and moved. The
sections weigh from six tons down to
three tons and it will be necessary to
zig big derrick nearby, 50 that each sec
tion can be lifted off. after being dowclcd
md placed on a big six horse truck. The
sections will then be carried to one of
the corporation yards to be disposed OF
as tho city sees fit.
1t is said that the columns will be used
in the construction of the monument on
Fort Greene to the prison ship martyrs
The pilastcrs consist of eight inch pieces
of marble and there are so pieces includ-
ing the caps and bases. There arc also
-FOUR flights of marble steps on the north
and south ends of the building. The ell
tire first floor is paxed with gray mica.
five inches in thickness and 20 inches
square. This material came from the
marble Quarries at Haddam, Conn. and
was the only kind of material used for
Davements and floors during the period
of construction OF the old Hall of Rec
ords.
The bricks used in tie original build
Ing came from across the water and the
cobbles used for the flooring of the dun
icons were taken across the river from
Long Island.
The destruction OF the old HALL of Rec
ords was ordered by Il decision of JUS
tce Leventritt of the Supreme Court on
october 10. 1902. When il was announced
that the old landmark was to be torn
down to make way for the subway con-
Struction because it was feared that the
roof of the subway would not support
the building there was cry of indigna-
ton from nearly every historical society
in tho city. IT was pleaded by those who
wished to save the structure that it was
something more than \ mass of brick and
masonry; that there was in its history a
something that stirred the patriotic pulse
of every New Yorker and of every Amcr-
can. wherever he might live and to whom
the venerable pile. with its history of suf-
forinC and martyrdom, furnished a lesson
thrilling ana imperishable. of self-saori
Zee and heroism.
II was to the lovers Of American inStitu-
tons that the societies interested in tho
saving of the Hall of Records appealed
Tor aid in creating a public opinion that
should rescue the structure from the
hands of the wreckers. Resolutions were
introduced i'm the board of aldermen the
mayor was bcsegod in his office. each al
derman was buttonholed ON mis- way to
The weekly meetings, but it did not avail,
and about Il days ago the actual work
OF tearing down the building began. For
some years past the structure had been
used as the iiall of Records, but few
hundred feet away new and magnificent
IIall of Records is being built and tho
fate of the old ono was settled. All of the
records were first taken away from the
IL.