Year: 1872

the Hotels and Bulletin Boards-A


Sabbath of Constern alton and Alarm


The Unprecedented Demand for Extras


Containing the --latest News.


The reception Of the first news in this city
created the greatest excitement which was largely
intensified when later intelligence more than con-
lrmed the first dispatches. The street ganatns
who are always on the lookout for an opportunity
to turn penny, early learned of the fire. and long
before daylight vacated their cellars and garrets
and besieged


THE PRESS ROOMS OF THE HERALD
and other journals. by daylight these swift-footed
messengers had penetrated every nook and corner
of the city, crying, 'Here's yer HERALD; Boston In
ashes; great loss Of life ~ Staid fathers, who had
retired to rest early and are accustomed to arise
with the first flicker Of daylight through their
Venetian blinds, hurried to their doors and eagerly
snatched the Journals not waiting for their accus-
toned newsman to bring them their great morning
feast, the NEW YORK HERALD. Men Of leisure, who
had spent the evening at clubs and the fashionable
resorts and retired with aching heads to sleep on
the effects of the previous nights carousals lazy
turned over on their blankets rubbed their blood
shot eyes and raising their windows called for the
papers, and probably more persons en- deshdbAle
eagerly perused the journals than on any previous
occasion.


The result, as matter Of course were late break
fasts and muttered curses on the part OF the
grabbed boarding house widow who could not get
her hash-consumers down to breakfast until every
line OF the startling details had been devoured,
and consequently late attendance upon


PLACES OF PUBLIC WORSHIP.


Indeed, hundreds who had before on previous Sab
baths resorted to the churches to listen to the eo-
quent dissertations OF their popular clergyman for
once gave him the cut direct, and, instead OF de.
voutlly vending their way to their plush-covercd
pews, hurried down town to the newspaper
Offices in anticipation OF later particulars.


BY eleven O'Clock the bulletin boards had a large
number OF readers and the lobbies OF the hotels
presented an appearance OF life and activity sell
dom equalled at so early an hour, II ever. on the
sabbath. Persons who had friends In the strlck-
ened city, without waiting Tor their steaks, swal-
lowed their coffee hurriedy and repaired to the
telegraph Offices to communicate with them by
means OF electricity, and the look OF anxiety that
was visible on their countenances clearly showed
that such catastrophe as that which has fallen
upon the Hub thrills the hearts Of thousands In
sister cities The Western Union Telegraph had
but two of1ces open-their main one, at the cor
ner Of Liberty street, and at


AT THE FIFTH AVENUE HOTEL.
At the latter place centred the anxious uptown
residents, who clamored about the Office for the
latest advices. Three operators were on duty, and
they had as much as they could do TO receive the
hundreds of messages that terrorstricken mer-
chants forced In upon them through the wicket
The excitement was so great and the opportunities
OF the hundreds, who as early as ten O'Clock filed
every nook Of the main floor, so annoying that the
operators resorted to bulletins. which were dis
played In the reading room as fast they were re-
ceived


THE BULLETIN BOARD


became at once the centre OF anxious eyamipa.
ton, and excited men clbowed each other rudely
In VAIN endeavor to get up to the dispatches.
Scores we're forced away disappointed, as many
were so intent upon seeing the latest news that
they took up their positions in front Of II and could
not be induced to vacate for the accommodation OF
others equally anxious to learn the extent OF the
destructive element that was sweeping across the