The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1913-09-26
OLD FORT COTTON
low New York's Famous Aquari-
um at the Battery.
ONCE NAMED CASTLE GARDEN.
The Historic Building In Its Day Has
Heard the Elo9uenee Of Daniel Web
ster, the Fiery oratory Of kossuth
and the Divine Voice Of Jenny Lind.

lum Il had changed from fort 10 reccp-
ton hall, from chief amusement place
Of the city to gateway Of the promised
land. Long before It became the home
Of the fnny tribe the building resound-
ed with shouts for Lafayette, Andrew
Jackson, Tyler, Van Buren. It heard
the eloquence 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 n 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 IL was the filling
In OF this stretch that made the aqua
rum n part OF the mainland. The rea-
son for building IL on an island away
from the main shore was disclosed In
n government order TO Colonel iona
than williams, who had charge Of the
construction OF the proposed fort This
order said To construct the fortificatlon
so that the guns could be trained on
both the North and East rivers.
IA foundation should be 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 I'm 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 TO command the en-
trance 10 the North aud East rivers II
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 It's cree.
ton, when the military headquarters
was transferred 10 Governors Island,
the federal authorities ceded Fort Col-
tomas the present aquarium was then
caled-back 10 the city. Throughout
the war OF 1912 not one shot had been
cred at an enemy from this fort, nor
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
Ii was then that the former fort be
came n place OF amusement and re
ceived the name of Castle Garden. a
name which II retained for three quar-
ters of n century. Two years after the
shifting OF soldiers TO Governors ISL
and Castle Garden was the scene OF a
great reception given 10 General La.
fayette when he visited America In
1924 It was also the scene of "A great
memorial service when he died ten
years later.
II was there that Samuel II. IL.
Morse. inventor of the telegraph, first
demonstrated the possibility OF control
ing an electric current I'm 1885. During
those early years, too, IL was the
scene of the receptions given to Amerl-
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 Webstcr's greatest ora
tions were delivered there.
Castle Garden was widely proclaimed
as the first real home OF opera III
! America. The great auditorium. now
occupied 10y 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-hcst known of all-Jenny
! Lind. whom all the thcatergoing public
/ OF the United States and Europe wor
SHIPPED. The first night in 1850 thai
tbc Swedish Nightingale appeared at
| Castle Garden. under the management
OF l. II BarnGm. the choice seats sold
for several hundred dollars. Her tre
mendous popularity was made even
greater when she gave 10 local char
tiles the $4,000 which composed bel
share OF the box office receipts.
The next year Louis Kossuth the
famous Hungarian patriot, came from
England 10 the United states and made
sn address To a vast and enthusiastic
ihrong I'm Castle Garden.
This was one Of the last great rcccp
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 1870
when the immigration Office was re
moved TO Ellis island. Il served as The
gateway through which 100000 o
people entered TO work out their dcs
tinies I'm the new world. I'm 1896 IL bC
came the aquarium.-New York sun.