The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1913-09-05
OLD FORT COTTON
Now New York's Famous Aquari-
um at the Battery.
ONCE NAMED CASTLE GARDEN.

The Historic Building In Its Day Has
Heard the Eloquence Of Daniel Web
ster, the Fiery Oratory of Kossuth
and tho Divine Voice of jenny Lind
Before New York's famous old build
Ing at the Battery became the Aquar-
ium it had changed from fort to recep-
ton hall, from chief amusement place
Of the city TO gateway OF the promised
land. Long before it became the home
of the 6nny tribe the building resound-
ed with shouts for Lafayette, Andrew
Jackson, Tyler, Van Buren,. 1t heard
the eloquence of Daniel Webster, the
fiery oratory Of Louis kossuth, the
Hungarian patriot, and the divine
voice Of Jenny Lind, the Swedish
aightingale.
When the building was new it stood
on a little island separated from the
mainland by some 200 feet OF water,
and was reached by crossing a draw
bridge A great part Of Battery park
was then water, and 1t was the filing
In OF this stretch that made the aqua
rum a part of the mainland. The rea-
son for building 1t on an island away
from the main shore was disclosed In
a government order to Colonel Jona-
than Williams, who had charge of the
construction OF the proposed fort. This
order said to construct the fortl1cation
so that the guns could be trained on
both the North and East rivers.
T., 4, a
the bastion Of the old Battery, where
the Flagstaff is placed. extending forty
or fifty feet from the present, and
upon this foundation battery should
be constructed in such manner that
the run on the right win take In the
North river, while that upon the left
viii range along the courtine Of the old
Battery"
Such were the orders the govern
ment gave Colonel Williams. But
Colonel Williams said II was impos-
sible for guns to command the en-
trance to the North and East rivers if
they were placed at the old Battery
Two hundred feet out from the shore
was the least distance at which that
result could be accomplished. and some
time afterward the secretary OF war
authorized the colonels plan for the
forts construction
| In 1922 eleven years after its erec-
ton, when the military headquarters
was transferred to Governors island,
the federal authorities ceded Fort Col.
ton as the present aquarium was then
called-back 10 the city Throughout
the war OF 1912 not one shot had been
fired Mt an enemy from this fort, nor
I has one been fred since The en-
brasures for the thirty and thirty-two
Founders that were never used against
an enemy can still be seen in the nine
! foot outer wall
1t was then that the former fort be
came place Of amusement and re-
! ceived the name Of Castle Garden, a
name which it retained for three quar-
ters of century Two years after the
| shifting Of soldiers TO Governors ISL
and Castle Garden was the scene Of a
great reception given to General La
fayette when he visited America in
1924 It was also the scene OF great
| memorial service when he died ten
years later
1t was there that Samuel #. B.
Morse, inventor of the telegraph, first
demonstrated the possibility of control
ing an electric current in 1885 During
those early years, too it was the
scene of the receptions given to Ameri.
can presidents when they visited New
York Jackson. Tyler and Van Buren
were received there, and later on the
Prince Of Wales. There also many
great political meetings were held,
Some of Daniel Webster's s greatest ora
tions were delivered there
Castle Garden was widely proclaimed
as the first real home of opera In
America The great auditorium, now
occupied by fish ordinary and extra.
ordinary, was then packed nightly
with people who gathered to hear those
famous artists Of the middle nineteenth
century; Malibran, Sontag. Mario
Grisi, the members of Julien's orches-
ira and-best known Of all-Jenny
Lind, whom all the theatergoing public
VI llG Oullth SldAto anu A@hAPBG WV
shipped The first night in 1850 tha'
the Swedish Nightingale appeared al
Castle Garden, under the management
of P. T. Barnum, the choice seats sold
for several hundred dollars. Her ire
mendous popularity was made ever
greater when she gave to local char
ities the $4,000 which composed hel
share of the box office receipts.
The next year Louis Kossuth, the
famous Hungarian patriot came from
England to the United States and made
an address to a vast and enthusiastic
throng In Castle Garden.
This was one of the last great recep
tions held In the historic old building
Four years later it was converted int
an immigrant station for the port 0
New York and from then until 1890
when the immigration office was re
moved to Ellis island, 1t served as th'
gateway through which 100000 o
people entered to work out their des
TIMES in the new world In 1896 1t be
came the aquarium.-New York Sun.
The Far Horizon,