The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-09-19
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 Eloquenee of Daniel Web
ster, the Fiery oratory of kossuth
and the Divine Voice Of Jenny Lind.

ster, the Fiery Oratory Of kossuth
and the 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 10 gateway of the promised
land Long before ii became the home
of the finny tribe the building resound-
ed with shouts for Lafayette. Andrew
Jackson. Tyler. Van Buren,. 1t heard
the eloquencc of Daniel Webster, the
fiery oratory of Louis kossuth, the
Hungarian patriot and the divine
voice of Jenny Lind, the Swedish
Nightingale
When the building was new it stood
on q little island separated from the
mainland by some 200 feet of water,
and was reached by crossing Il draw
bridge. a great part Of Battery park
was then water, and it was the filling
In OF this stretch that made the aqua
rum u part of the mainland. The rea-
son for building il on an island away
from the main shore was disclosed In
government order TO Colonel Jona-
than Williams who had charge of the
construction of the proposed fort. This
order said to construct the fertilization
so that the guns could be trained on
both the North and East rivers.
"A foundation should he made around
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 will take in the
North river. while that upon the left
will range along the courtine of the old
Battery"
Such were the orders the govern.
ment gave Colonel Williams. But
Colonel Williams said it was impos-
sible for guns 10 command the en-
trance to the North and East rivers If
they were placed ut 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 1890. eleven years after its cree
ton, when the military headquarters
was transferred 10 Governors island,
the federal authorities coded Fort Col
tomas the present aquarium was then
called-back To the city Throughout
the war OF 1912 not one shot had been
fred at an enemy from this fort, nor
has one been fired since. The EN-.
brasures for the thirty and thirty-two
Founders that were never used against
an enomy can still be seen in the nine
foot outer wall.
1t was then that the former fort be
came a place of amusement and re-
ceived the name of Castle Garden, a
name which it retained for three quar-
tiers OF century. Two years after the
shifting of soldiers to Governors isl
and Castle Garden was the scene of q
great reception given TO General La
fayette when he visited America in
1924. 1t was also the scene of great
memorial service when he died ten
years later.
1t was there that Samuel f. Is.
Morse, inventor of the telegraph first
demonstrated the possibility of controls
ing an electric current in 1880. During
those early years. too, 1t was the
scene of the receptions given to Amer
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 greatest ora
tons were delivered there.
Castle Garden was widely proclaimed
MS 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 orcbes
ira and-best known of all-Jcnny
Lind. whom all the theatergolng public
OF the United States and Europe wor
shiped. The first night in 1850 tina
the Swedish Nightingale appeared a
Castle Garden, under the management
of l.. II. Barnum, the choice seats SOLD
for several hundred dollars. Her ire
mendous popularity was made evei
greater when she gave to local char
tiles the $4,000 which composed he
share of the box Office receipts.
The next year Louis Kossuth. th'
famous Hungarian patriot. came iron
England to the United States and mad'
an address to n vast and enthusiastic
throng in Castle Garden.
This was one OF the last great recep
tions held i'm the historic old building
-Four years later IL was converted Int
an immigrant station for the port o
New York and from then until 1890
when the immigration Office was re
moved to Ellis island. II served as tn
gateway through which 100000 o
people entered to work out their DIES