The New York Herald Newspaper, January 31, 1875, Page 5

RAPID NSIT. How Shall New Yorkers Overcome the Length of the Island? VARIOUS PLANS PROPOSED. Aik BES ‘Progress of the New Scheme for Raising a Fond by Citizens. VANDERBILT’S POSITION. EEN Statements of Opinion on the Subject by Business Men. It ts vertam that the movement to procure enough money to enable some corporation to be- a the construction of a rapid transit railway Dnda favor among all classes of business men. It 4s conceded on al) sides to be the most sensible action that bas yet been taken to assure the achievement of quick travelling through the city, and men with the most diverse views as to the other means to accomplish this are pressing forward to take part in the new movement. A tour through the business portions of the city yes- terday, during which the writer conversed with a targe wumber of bankers, brokers, merchants and ‘ofeasional men, revealed to him many facts in relation to rapid transit, and indicated that as yet there 1s no unity of a great number of responsible men in favor of any specitic scheme that hus so far been proposed. Every plan, however, finds some earnest advocate. THE MARGINAL RAILWAY and warehouse scheme has at present, as w im yesterday’s HERALD; Pleaders in its favor than any other project; but there are 80 many obstacles in the way of its con- struction that some of the gentlemen most enthn- siastic in its favor date the period of its construc- tion and useful work away into the distant futnre. Said one of these gentlemen to the writer yester- day:—“Wnile I believe that the Marginal Ratlway would be a great actor in increasing the commer- cial prosperity of New York, and wish that its construction could be started immediately, I am Certain that it will remain merely a project for years to come. AS the HKRALD said yesterday, the commercial people of this city must wait until the Dock Commissioners, by finishing the work which is planned for them, shall give the opportunity for our great need—that 1s, the speedy transmission of freight in bulk through the city—to be overcome. Looking at the matter of rapid transit as a citizen who’ wishes to reach bis bome speedily after business, and not merely asa merchant who wishes to save the cost of cartage and of waste on the docks, | see that we must wave rapid trains for passenger trafic alone. What route such trains should follow of course it is the province of professional engineers to determine. Yet I think that their way ought to be along the backbone of the city. if an arrange- ment could ve made with Commodore Vanderbilt which would fix the price of a passage trom Battery to Hariem at, say eight cents, I think that it would be the best plan for a quick transit Tatiway, starting from the formér place, to termi- Bate at the depot ut Forty second street.” WHAT WE NEKD TO SUPPORT A ROAD. ‘The last remurk quoted above conveys tne opin- fon of many earnest mend. It seems to be deter- mined by them that, however useful a railway might be to our citizens which would take them rapidly from one end of the island to the other, it Would not pay.ifit should not acquire a share of the patronage of persons travelling to places dis- tant from the city. ‘Quick transit,” said an intel- gent gentleman to the HERALD reporter yester- Gay, ‘does not mean merely speedy transmission from the jower to the. upper end of this city. You may build a ratiway here that will satisfy you for & while; bot, in order to support it unaided, you will soon have to impose larger iares than poor men ean pay will fail away and the ratiway will become mor. bund. The fact is that to support a quick transit railway here, you will have to draw to it the money expended by outside people in coming Into and in leaving the city. Hence the road SHOULD NOT TERMINATE IN HARLEM, tne questloh idw arises is there Opportunity for # new railway out of town. I can’: see that there is such an opportunity; and I think that no one else can see one, It seems to me that Com- modore Vanderbilt understood all these facts ‘when he procured a charter for an underground railway which he never intended to con- struct, He stands now in the attitude of a dictator. You must do either of three aid Whings— build a tronk railway through the State, | connect your rapid city railway with Commodore Vanderbilt’s Hudson River and Central oad, at Forty-second street, or build a railway to Har. Jem, which will die under the burden of debt.’ COMMODORE VANDERBILT'S POSITION, The tone of these remarks agree with that of | many other statements listened to by the re- | The idea seems to have taken hola of the minds of many people that Commodore Vander- | worter. bilt’s policy in reference to ‘“rdpid transit’? could not be surpassed in the particular of ghrewdness, It i6 said that several weeks ago he biuntly in. formed &@ c@ypmities of citizens that he Rad no inteZtion of making that under- ground railway for which he holds a charter, It is bis argument, and one very powerful, that he has no need jor an underground “railroad; that bis Fourth avenue horse carsconvey passengers, Im a Way very satisfactory to him, to she Grand Central depot. The Commodore is willing, however, as he has informed a committee of the North Side Association, to take part in the construction of a rapid transit railroad, provided at will terminate at the Grand Central depot. THE VARIETY OF PLANS PROPOSED, The Raliroad Committee of the Society of Civil Engineers has not yet Oniehed its report, and will probably not be able to present that voluminous @ocument to the society for a week or more. | The committee's the various schemes that have been put forth, each as the one that would we the question of quick travelling in the wok was to examine metropolis, and to decide as to their applicability | to the purpose for which they were designed. | Other bodies are now concerning themselves with the important subject, one of the latest to take it up being mercial Conference. committee to consider the matter, which wiil probably be present at the meeting in the Cham- | It was in- | ber of Commerce on Monday at noon. correctly stated in the HERALD of yesterday thi this meeting would be distinctively a gathering of | the Ohamber of Commerce, | the = members of The fact is that ciation..are merely who have interested themselves in the project of making speedy travelling here @ possibility, All the rooms of that asso- other gentlemen who sympathize with the project | are invited to attend the meeting. at which the committee to receive subscriptions to the pro. | posed jund will be welcomed, Herewith is presented a plan suggested by a | practical engineer, by which many citizens who have canvassed the matter judge that the vexed problem may be satisfaccorily solved, The accom- panying map and cut will more inily explain the method proposed, CITY HALL TO FORTY-SECOND STREET IN PIFTORN MINUTES, From Forty-second street upward two of the four sunken tracks of the Hudson River Railroad answer the purpose already; question ther + fore remains how to coniinue the road down to the City Hal Lf re 1@ & nove) plan, sate, practicable and con- venient as to location :—Run the road through the centre of the blocks, at a width of 26 feet for two &® greater number of | Then ihe greater part of the patronage | set- | the association known as tue Com- | This body has appointed a | loaned to the gentiemen | ee LEDUC UUOOE | UH i tii 4 ENUE & ENU| E | Be AVENUE f ry Fi Fi a J TOO CULO i | |ADISON. i i ara L Ui | | UOUUE o oO UU u 4 > Hees >— DH. ini D all UNION SQUARE! a Fayette P. [e OR ‘Sth.St- ir VE In. | bridge of | are drawn. METHOD FOR CROSSING STREETS AND BLOCKS. GROSSING THE STREET ' Exevation ) track, thus taking two houses in each block; have the roadbed above the first story, or, say, 20 Lo 24 feet above the street. The road to be built op pillars and arches, ag an uninterrupted about 16,000 feet length, in the old, indestractible manner in which the Romans built their aqueducts and viaducts; the material to be mainly hard bricks and cement, the foundation walls masonry in building stone. on granite footing. Cross the streets with three arches, whose pillars rest on the sidew: close to the gutter, thus causing no obstruction. The pillars to be bound with granite binders, the arches covered with a coat of tar and gravel, and afterward with Portland cement to avoid penetration by water; cast iron pipes to lead the sur ace water through the pillars down to the city sewers. Tnrough each block (according to its length) construct four or six bridge arches, resting on five or seven pillars, the later providea with doors and openings for ventilation, By drawing twelve or sixteen {ncn walls along the neighboring buildings, splendid freproof warehouses or cellars, two in each block, are gained below the track, with large entrance doors’ aud windows trom the sidewalk. The rent realized irom these warehouses or cellars will pay a great part Of the interest on the real estate—acquisi- tion account, Where the neighboring buildings are five or more stories high one or two stories could be built above the road, and leased to tne neighbors to realize addit.onai rent. Start on Chambers street, opposite the new Court House, where the lots of old three story buildings (not occupied yet as store palaces) give ample room for waiting rooms, tracks ana switches. The direction of the line is roughly sketcned in the map herewith. From City Hall to Spring street, and from Tenth to Forty-second street I doubt that a better line could be found, but the part from Spring to Tenth street may allow improvements. As the line has to avoid the heavy descent parallel with Centre street the elevation of the road over Leonard and Franklin streets will be so considerable that it runs over the City Prison (perbaps on an iron bridge) with- out interfering with sald institution. From For- tieth to Forty-second street the line descends | down to the level o! the Grand Central Depot, con- necting with the two tracks on the east-side. Here are named and located on the map five stations that, on account of the accessibility of crossing street cars are easily reached—namely, Canal, Bleecker, Fourteenth, Twenty-third and Thirty-fourth streets. The acquisition of the necessary property through the whole filty-six blocks, including stations and the curves, will prohably not exceed $5,000,000, as many blocks contain old houses oj small value. Haraly a single large institution will be interfered with. In regard to the cost of construction it is dim- cult to approximate the amount belore the plans It will, however, very likely not reach a sum as bigh as that requisite for the ac- guisttion of the real estate, A PROPERTY OWNER'S VIEW OF THE SUBJECT. To THK Epivok OF THE HeRALD:— Mr. Lawson N. Fuller writes a good letter to the HERALD in favor of rapid transit, but he does in- justice both.to himseli and his cause by going out of bis way to atiack ether uptown improvements, Does bir. Fuiler really suppose the cause of rapid transit will gain strength by proposing that the city, after taking out oi the pockets of its peopie over $6,000,000 im assessments ‘for ben- eft. shall now deliberately turn around and say, “We've got the money, put won't give the benetli?’ That seems to be what Mr, Fuller recommends, But why does he aggregate these columne of figures, showing the cust of elty improvements, and seek to appal us with the total at which they foot up? Is It for the purpose of showing how much these works have cost the city! He says 80; and yet Mr. Fuller ought surely to know how utterly delusive and groundicss is this charge. These improvements have cost the city nothing. Itis the property owners that are footing the bills; both the share that is assessed upon them and a!so the share that is supposed to be assessed upon the city at large. More than this, They are not only paying the whole cost of these improvements, but are paying to the city a handsome premium on them besides. Let this be | Made plain, and we shall hear less, I trust, about the cost to the city of uptown improvements, Take, for example, the Boulevard—it illustrates ail the others. It bas cost $6,000,000. One-half Was assessed upon the adjo!ning proparty owners, | and the other half (82,000,000) upon the city at jarge, and constitutes a part of its permanent debt. The interest on this sum 1s $210,000, and must be paid by tax. Who pays that tax? We will see. The Boulevard extends {rom Fiity-ninth street to 165th street, a distance of ninety-six blocks. ‘These blocks, for a distance of 400 feet on each side of the Boulevard, contain thirty-two lots each, ora total of 6,144 lots, These lois, before the Boulevard was projected, were assessed at an average tax ' valuation of $600 each, or $3,686,400, and produced a tax revenue to the city, at 2'; per cent, of $92,100. ‘These samé lots are now assessed at an average valuation of $3,000 each, or $18,432,000, and the owners pay taxes upon them, at 24; per cent, of $460,800, Here is an increase of tuxes oi | $368,640, sufficient to pay not only the original tax revenue of $92,160, but also the whole interest upon the city’s share ol the debt, and then aclean ' surplus of $158,640 besides. Ali this, remember, is paid by these property owners, and yet Mr, Fuller und some newspapers talk about the heavy de- mands made upon the city treasury for uptown improvements, We ought to hear lesa of it, The city pays nothing for these improvements, . It lends its creait merely, but makes each loan to | become, like the ancient seed sown upon good | ground, ylelding fruit—some twenty, some sixty | ratiroad. | ples of arcnitectural { gether the most magnificent avenue of this West aod some a hundred fold. But Mc, Fuller wants to know what earthly rea- son can be assigued why the Boulevard should not be utilized as the route Of a rapid transit steam He bas Oimseli assigned the reason, It has cost too much. It has been assigned to a dif- ferent destiny. 1 cheerfully accord it to the genius of the chiel original piojector of that work that he toresaw the time when that broad thor- oughiare—thronged with brilliant equipages, shaded with its quadruple line of elm trees, and fanked on either hand with the grandest exam- art—snowld become alto ern world. Ali this will quickly disappear when the thundering lucomotive shall gain entrance and it shall,be condemned to a mere railroad street, That project need hardly ve contemplated. What Mr. Fuller wauts rapid (transit which | Shall accommodate generally the upper and lower parts Of the island. Lo this we are ail agreed. But we may butid witout destroying. We may do justice here without doing injustice elsewhere, We must have rapid transit, It 1s the fundameuta; condition upon which all other improvements hinge—upon which all their valine depends, We can neither build @ city nor Ive in it ii we cannot get to it, We are spending more money on bridges and other means for getting out of the city than we have been willing togive to make our own city available, This mast be changed. Wwe must now provide means for gaining access to our ows terrt- tory. Since no new charters can be given, and since the city can no longer aid private capital to Warehouseror Coflar below Track bbl Masonry in Building Stone and Cement” Dulld @ road, 1t becomes necessary now to con- sider whether private capital may not come to the ald of the city. Real estate, abused, insulted, out- raged, must still be patient and put itself again in the breach. 1t will have its reward. The Society of American Engineers are about to report a plan of doub.e-track elevated railways that may be built for $300,000 a mile. Twenty miles o' such road, ten on each side of the city, extending from the Battery to the Harlem River, would cost $6,000,000, Let the city, following many prece- dents, assume one-half of this, and jet real estate, Within a limited district along the lines, recogniz- ing the special benefit it receives, assume by ag- sessment the other half, But let the income of the road be the primary fund for the payment of its interest and cost, and these assessments be drawn upen only for deficiencies, So applied neither tne city Nor the real estate will ever be called upon to pay anything, Yet the roads will have been built, nd the vexed problem of rapid transit wil have been settled, 8. BG ACE IN THE RIVERS. REASONS FOR THE UNUSUAL QUANTITY FLOATING 10E—THE SCENE YESTERDAY. If the statements of the old ligntermen and others who do business upon the waters surround- ing this metropolis can be reited upon, there has been more foatingice inthe rivers which run upon either side of the city and in the bay below this season than there has been for twenty years previousiy, Thisis attributed to the pumerous and extreme weather changes which have pre- vailed, ranging from below the ireezinug point to the temperature of @ mila spring day. During the cold snaps immense masses of ice have been Jormed im the Hudson and Harlem rivers and along the Jersey shore, but to be broken up later and carried to and fro im the East River, especially with the regular ebb and fow of the tide there, Oarried thus onward in tremendous quantities put a few days ago it formed, as will be recollected, a bridge across the narrow portion of the river oposite Fulton ferry and which, ce- mented for the time by the cold, enabled large numbers of persons to cross in salety. This upu- sual spectacle cannot thereiore be regarded as an indication o1 the severity of the season, but is rather to be attributed to tne changes mentioned. During Thursday, when an easterly wind with raim prevailed, the East River was comparatively iree irom ice, walle, at the same time this meteoro- logical condition had the effect of still further breaking up the masses in the Hudson and the Jersey estuaries, and with the change of wina to the west and the setting in of the tide about ten o’clock yesterday inet the river opposite Brookiyn became entirely filled with THE FLOATING ICE CAKES, through which the ferryboats made their way with ditfculty. About one o’clock a solid cake, extend- ing nearly across the river, lay 10 the route of the ferries, but lt gradually moved up with the tide and wus broken In pieces. At four o'clock, when the tide began to ebb, the river was comparatively clear, thoug’ More or less ive lay up against the wharfs on We Brooklyn side. During the evening the enormous masses came floating back with the current, increased by tue contributions from the Hariem Kiver, and were swept down the bay to re- new their journey with the return of the tide. On the North itiver side, where the tremendous volume 01 Water Jrom above resists the flow of the tide, and where the greuter breadth prevents the choking up of the stream, the icc was much less. Large masses of it lay on the New York side, driven there vy the westerly wind. But the comparative mm ¢ yho Weather and the constant move- ment of the ferrsdoats and otuer vessels Kept it so broken as to Teuder &@ passage through it an easy matter, It 1s probable that henceforward the ice will be- come less and legs, as the advance of the season and the height to which the sun has reached will | prevent a more extended formation. Tue princi- | pal injury caused has been to the lghtermen and the small vessels which ply between the city and | the various places in the vicinity, many of which have been compelied to remain at the wharves for not cariby to epcounter the dangers of tue oF Gays ice idelas, THE WEATHER YESTERDAY. The following record will show the changes in the temperature during the past cwenty-four hours, in comparison with the corresponding date of lant year, recorded at Huduut's Pharmacy, Herald Building, New York :— N 1874, 1975, 32 = & he | ry Ls Average temperature for corre: last year... Weekly average goseis Weekly average corresponding date last year CENTRAL 30 1-7 PARK METEOROLOGICAL | OBSERVATORY. ABSTRACT OF REPORT FOR THE WERK ENDING a? 1a. P. M., sanvaRy 30, 1875. BAROMBTER. | | 30.385 | | 789 | M@AD....56.ese sees Sdeee ee bees ceeeeees Maximan at Oh. Om. A. M., January 24...., Minumuu at 9n. P. M., January 2%........, Range.\.. 0. eve ee weeeeeeeeeces THERMOMETER, Mean........ Maximun at 8h. P.M. 2B Minimumat Sb. A. M., January 27.... Range,.... Orit REMARKS. i | | In January 4, snow from 11h. A. M., to Sh, P, M.; ampunt of water. tes see 76 January 8, snow and sleet trom sh. M. to 91. 30m. P. M.; amount of water. 0.26 January {9, snow from 1h, P. M. vo 121 amountof water O14 January 0, snow A. M.; mount of water Total anount Of water for WeeK..........645 1.25 Depth if snow, 54s Inches. i Distane travelled by the wind during the week, | 1,181 mips, | A BOGUS SENSATION. | A PENNSLVANIA STATEMENT MAKER—THE cost OF LBELLING A PRESBYTERIAN PASTOR AND THE dIURCH, — | ' RSTCNESTRR, Pa., Jan. 30, 1975. | Crarie| Williams was tried this week upon the charge d grossly liveiling the pastor and oficers of the Fist Preabyterian churcn in this borough. | ‘The artide charges the pastor with gross immo- | rality, ad that he was being tried before a com- mittee 0) the church, and that although the testi- | mony eltited wus so damagiug as to create fears ‘that the reverend gentleman would be lymched, | there ms o0 doubt but that he would be ac- | quitted, | Wilitans took the stand after the testimony h: been eliiited for the prosecution, and admitte: that he jad written the article and sent it t New Yor paper, in which paper it was publish He also tate t he knew there was not a w oi truth in Nit ement, but that he had written | it for fur and to create @ sensation, The bjI of indictment contained two counts— ne chal ae With libeliiny the pastor and the ona ir libeiting the offcers of the churen, The juy jound him guilty on both counts. MELANCHOLY DEATH IN JERSEY. Mr. Ropert Harper, 8 man well Known through. | out Hudon county, met with a sudden death in | Hoboken yesterday afternoon under melancioly | circamstncea. Being part proprietor of the-| First United Presbyterian chureh and the ad- joining house, on the corner of Seventh and loomfdd streess, he ascended to the roof of the latter biilding to clear it of the snow and ice bigs A undertook , Borat by nore i 1886 an coming entangled in u ladder be fell with it to the ground and i’ stal inju:tes which shortly afterward reaul death. He wus nearly sixty years of remded 4 Hudson City, but did bi Newark street, Hoboken, are as follows | america, $ NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, JANUARY 3], 1875—QUADRUPLE SHEET. FUNERAL OF MRS. MARSHALL 0. ROBERTS. ‘The relatives and friends of this estimable me- tron, whose death occurred in England, whither she had gone for surgical attendance, yesterday crowded to Dr. Booth’s church, corner of Univer- sity place and Tenth street, to pay their respects to the memory of the lady whose name has so long Deen associat with charitable and philsn- thropic works, The liimelse edifice, long before the hour for the services (two o'clock P. i1.), was densely crowded, The floral offerings were of the most elaborate and appropriate character. Under whe pul a Was @ cross, surrounded by a& wreath, both of English immortelies, Below, upon the table and on either end, were two hand- some broken columns of white flowers. Between these was @ beautilul cross of ivies, acrown of While and mixed flowers and un appropriate me- mento in the form of @ wreath. On the extreme Tight of the table stood @ tribute from the Young Ladies’ Christian ‘Ansociation that attracted 6 Reberal attention, basket, surmounted centre of which was of violets, and attached the words, “phe being dead yet speaketh.” Upon the coMa were many rare collections o! wreaths and other designs, including a book of wiite flowers, with the last words of the deceased, "The gales are opening,” in violets, Among the audi- ence were Many Of our leading Merchants, minis- vers, bankers, lawyers and literary men, ‘The services were conducted by Rev. Dr. Booth and the pastor of the deceased lady, Rev, Dr. Tay- lor. ofthe Broadway Tubernacie, The jatter delivered an impressive discourse, 1n which be re- ferred to the many Cbristian graces and charita- ble labora of the deceased. He algo took advan- tage of the occasion to read a letter he bad re- ceived alter the death of Mrs, Roberts, in which Bbe speaks Of the possibility of ber death, breaths B spirit Of resignation to the wilt of the Divine Master, and requested ber pastor to preach a sermon to the women of New York on the impor- tance of Christian work. The services concluded in the church tbe remains were couveyed to the Second Street Cemetery, where they were tn- verred. Tue pallbearers were Charles Abernethy, Judge J. E, Bosworth, Augustus L. Brown, Dr. J. R, Wood, Moses Taylor, Edwards Pierrepont, Wil- ham R. Stewart, Samuel Sloan, Henry G. Stebbins, Cyrus W. Field, William RK, Thom aud Willtam 6. Dodge. consisted of an ivy THE OANAL QUESTION. 4 KEPORT TO BE MADE TO THE BOARD TRADE. The Committee on Canals of the Board of Trade consists of the following gentiemen:—Leander Darling, Waitstill Hastings, Silas B. Dutcher, W. 0, Woodford, G. W. ©. Clarke and Jonn Leng. A meeting was eld yesterday, at two P. M., at No. 23 Parkrow. The gentlemen present agreed on the main features o/ a report which is to be sup mitted to the Board of Trade at their next general meeting, which takes place on Wednesday, Febru- ary 10, Tue report will embrace the submission of evi- dence iu relation to the tutroduction of STEAM ON THE STATE CANALS, and this subject will assume not oniy parens im. portance in view of the State awards for impr.ved canal transportation, but ai8o trom the fact that or prosperity of tne commercial interests of the Km- pire City. The committee have examined the various plans submitted to them, inciuding the submarine cable plan, the towage cable and the independent steam power, as well as the horse power, and their report will recommend the encouragement of the most satisfactory sys- tem of independent steam power, while at sne same time they will recognize the rights and in- terests of those wuo have hitherto managed the horse towage to the best of their ability. The meectiny the published hour was to be considered informal, although the above are the main ideas o: tue re- port which the committee will tormally sign at a mecting on Monday. COLONEL POTTER'S PERIL. THE CLOSING UP OF ELIZABETH'S NOTED ARSON TRIAL—CROS8-EXAMINATION OF THE COLONEL. ple again yesterday to witness the closing scencs for alleged arson—burning his residence and barn at Linden in order to obtain heavy insurance. The and, according to the popular opinion and those who have taken deepest interest in the case, seems to make a strong case for the prosecution. Coionel Potter was placed on the stand yesterday for cross-exXumination. In his direct examination he told a pretty smooth, straightforward story, denying any guilty complicity. The Colonel su’) mitied toa long cross-examination by ihe pro: cution attorneys. He pad been, he said, nine ears in the coscoms service and had been eon- ed with tue New York Seventy-first Voiun- rs. The defendant gave 0 very satisfactory account of his whereabouts previous to the fire, and denied in toto the testimony of the wit- nesses against him. His explanation as to his whereadouts during the fire was nov very clear. Altogether tne accused got through the cross-examination without being tnjared much, if any, in the minds of the jury. The defence rested and to-morrow wiil commence the summing up. ‘The Colonel has decidedly tye beat gf Bs BTy far ag able counsel is conceried- epost in- terest 18 felt in the issue, not only in New Jersey but in New York. DISTRESS IN JERSEY CITY. ‘The destitution among the families of the labor- ing class in Jersey City is on the increase. Of the factories are running on half time. Fully 300 men have been discharged from the ratiroada and factories. There are no seup houses and no district relief committees, and the condition of avenue would be commenced during the coming week, but the work has been postponed. One thousand men will be employed in this work, Which will prove a aang to the laboring classes when it ts commenced. The Overseer of the Poor reports toat the number of applicants for relief bas eo increased that the appropriation for the outdoor poor has already fallen snort. The County Almshouse at Snake Hill 1s so crowded that tem- | porary quarters have been erected to meet the increased demand ior accommodation. An appli- cation will be made to the Board of Aldermen at their next meeting for an adaitional appropria- tion for the poor. fi DESTRUCTION OF A WOOLLEN MILL. BURNING OF THE MILL OF PRESTON & IRWIN — TAREE HUNDRED PERSONS THROWN OUT oF EMPLOYMENT—-L088 $38,000. PHILADPLPHIA, Pa, Jan. 30, 1675. About haif-past six o’ciock this morning tie woollen mill of Messra. Preston & Irwin, at Manay- unk, took fire, and the flames, spreading rapidiy, in consequence of the mfammable material to which they were communicated, spon enveloped the entire structure above the first story. ‘The fire started in the fourth story while a boy was -lighting up the mill, just before the hands were tu start work for the day. some scraps Of wool collected about the gas fix- tor ecame iguited, The alarm was at dijde wa Ke Herore the Fire Departnient had arrivea he upp 1e upper stories were wrapped in flames, and It | was evident that pothing could be done to save the milfl, Abotft an Bear a er te fire bad sta: the roof fel) in with @ crash, carrying with it tie back wall, and many who were around the burn- tug baiidjng barely escaped being injured, Witte Te Arg wae at he very Melght Jafnes Mar- | Tgihe Ne tin, driver of fo. 12, met accident. He had perched himself 1 {uird story windows and was passing npon ie burma, is When Bg Jos and backward and down to thé ground below. He was picked up tnsensible, with his Bead se- vereiy injured, and was conveyed to big home. ch was entirely deBtro; located on the canal bank, between tha’ Schaylkill River, stories Nigh, sixty ieot front and from thirty to forty deep. Messrs. Preston & Irwin employed from 200 to 300 hands, wuo now find themselves without employment. ‘The insurances on buliding, stock and machinery German American, New York, @ serious one of the stream tn ie balance $2,275; Contipental, New York, $2,375; Niagara, New York, $2,375; Republican, New York, $2,375; Hanover, National, rtiord, ‘New York, $2,375; 2,875; Merchants’, Newark, $2,375; Manufacturers’, ewark, $2,575; Insurance Company of North 00; Delaware Trust, $4,750; Pennsyl- 0; Royal, $4,760. Total, $35,000, N vaula, $ BURNING OF A LUNATIC ASYLUM. QueBro, Jan, 20, 1875, The Beautors Female Lunatic asylum, on Mont- morency road, was destroyed by fire last night and three female pationts burnea to death. The remainder, thirty-five in number, were removed | In safety to the asylum occupied by the males. The scenes during the ps tae of the Gre were heartrending und pitiful in the extrem Soaie of ol iy wo the cor- foand | the patients rushed into corners and | refused to be removed, Others fed do ter. @ white wreath, in the | the Governor of the State to his Message has | shown the vital importance of the canals to ine | being held somewhat in advance of | ‘The Elizabeth Court House was packed with peo- | in the important trial of Colonel Henry L. Potter | evidence for the State was all gotten tn on Friday, | Many) the families of these unemployed laborers is most pitiabie, lt was expected | that the construction of the Ruilroad | Snip Canal ruoping parailel to Pavonia | In applying the maicn | ned | It was @ stone building, tour 5 FIFTH WEEK. | THE The Decision Regarding Tilton’s Com- petency as a Witness. A Picture of the Judge and Now He Presides. Society's Lesson from the Brook~ lyn Cause Celebre, To-morrow the fiftn week of the suit of Tilton against Beecher begins, It will be » mo- mentous Monjay, because the Chief Jusuce who presides is to give his decision upon the right of Theodore Tilion to testify hgatnst the defendant, The Chief Justice bas announced that he does not propose to write out an opinion, but merely to give a decision. He is a sterling Judge, sugge: ing old times, when the best citizen goton the Bench by @ sort of Divine right and siowly and ponderously moved turough life, arbitrating, ful- minating, correcting, sentencing. Since the trial came on it may be said that only two persons have made reputations—the prosiding Judge and the witness Moulton. [t had been ex- Pected that Moulton wouid be torn to pieces, and a certain belief exisied that bis peccadilioes ana frailties, as much of temperament as of perform- ance, woald be rutbDlessly delineated, while his testimony would be perforated and shown to be unreliable. Moulton made a brag witness princi- Pally because be was perfectly natural, and re- lated his ordinary character, A rather sharp young man, with a plausible tongue and acer- tain jovial resentment, be managed to baMe the lawyers arrayed against bim and to keep the con- sideration of the audience, the jury and, as it appeared, the Juuge. Had he been prosecuted With less feeling his retorts might have seemed impertinent, but his cross-examipation developed the fact that some of the lawyers most incensed against bim bad been nearly on the “ragged edge’’ like himself—tnat is, mutual friends seek- ing to patch up an nocompromisable case. Frank Mouiton occupies an ambiguous place. With a certain class of impulsive people he is regarded as @ very periect type of CONSISTENT FRIENDSHIP, He is recollected as the schoolmate of Tilton a quarter o! @ century ago, who has maintained in | the midst of selfish business complications a reverence and regard ior that memoravie iriend- sip. The common mind regards him worthily because he chose the smaller of two opponents to betriend. By such critics he is held to have been @ naturally magnanimous, unselfish person, be- Cause it Was so much easier to run into Mr. * Beecber’s camp than to dwell on the barren moor hike Edgar with the banished king. On the other hand, there are persons of amia- bility and bonor who conceive that Mr. Moulton bad no right in any emergency to print the com- muntcations which Mr. Beecher nad intrustea to mM in solemn confidence, much less to make puv- lic the incidental letters of family associates ike | Tnomas Beecher and Bella Hooker. This scandal | has lasted so long that a very larg ortion of society is on the “ragged edge”’ ol cu macy, and; | without much regard tor the evidence as itis de- | veloped, 18 stubbornly maintaining some tormer tneory. In fact, society 18 at war in thie case, and | the condact of the trial it antagonizes a cer- tain class of hair-brained partisana, | JUDGE NBILSON AND THE R&POBTERS. | Judge Netison nas kept, among his other dig- nities. @ general dignity toward the press, not mdividuaiizing any particular reporter or news- | Paper, as some of tue lawyers have done, bu: ap- Pareatly seeking to make the most boyish re- | Porter ieel that be is a part of a court of justice ; aad respousible for his utterances, at least te him- ' geil. In this view of the case the Brooklyn trial is ho demoratization to these rather louse times. | Ad the estates of the realm are gue upon their | good bebavior and disciplined. The press bas | been galivanung tor a gooa while, the Bar has. } been atry, the Bench has been partisan, the press | and the caucus lave bossed the Benco, and at has scemed lor several years as a trial at law was merely a measuring o! forces, | Providence being geuerally on the side of the, | heaviest legal and: soctal artillery. . The Brooklyn® | trial = seereeae & sort oF sere which Was Patent in this State two years ago, The Judge isa | great part of the court, and. ne has that aarelt | woility in his decisions which keeps both sets of lawyers in motion to Know What he May do, For instance, last week he ruled out all the tree love literature, on the theory that 1t was “atrocious’’. tne word “atrocious” 18 the Judge’s—wohiie, mean- time, he rebuked tue plaintif’s counsel ior putting Imputations upon General Tr: Mr. Tracy, = the Judge, ls an honorabii nember of the ars “ => THE JUDGE'S RULINGS. Therefore, when tt is said that the Judge in this case is one of two persons wuo bave made a repa- tation, We mean that be.is the first judge in an ordinary court who nas made Ais ‘judicial rulings. and huinan inclinations @ large part of common morality. He has endeavored, a; arently, to make | lawyers, reporters aud the audience feel their re- ; lauon to @ vast U JortuDate scandai—something not to be made a joke or a sensation, nor to ve used by its partisans for the degradation of third parties; but an uffair where the greatest good of the greatest nuwver will be subserved by absolute, large, considerate justice. Tuis Judge (Nelison) is Somewhat peculiar. He can be alternately familiar and severe. He 1s @ oned, democratie sor: of man, suggesting the fasmened judges ol Jeffersonian times—men Samuel Chase, McKean and Cooper. Toe indiferent. cuer trial like counsel around him are relatives There are several gentlemen in the whose opinion of Liemselves is at least equal to the best opinion among tne specta‘ora, e can be impersonal in tits statement becanse more tian one, two, or periapa three, are covered by 1. The great fact avout the Beecher case is that itis a trialin humanity. It is atest of the rela-~ tion of the sexes, the justice of Individaality, by which We mean the Fight of @ person, male or female, to alter relations concerning the affections: and to resume them. THE INTEREST OF SOCIBTY. The mighty epic of human nature in this tnal is recited buiore us, with freqaent recesses, so tnat we can become partigans of the tale. Mrs. Tilton Feappeared im Court last Friday, indicating that a certain position she had resoived tu take was not abandoned by her. A great constituency of wo- men Is trying dictatorial husbands through Mrs, ‘Tilton, ‘eat constituency Of husbands is tr Ing supposititious interferers with the aomestic r lations through Mr. Beecher. Society, in tact, | trying itself by this drama. We it present in ; the drag and stagnation of busi! and we are paying unas | the Brookiyn The very sensitiveness we have to show as press writers on the subject is @ proof of the interest of | Boclety, the overweening, preponderating passion | of the people in the affair. West of this city every | newspaper is nearly consumed with the details of | the scaudal, Even in Earope the interest 1s all- poverty Mr. Beecher's splendid personality and Mr. Tilton's intimacy with bis segjor’s lame, and the undoubted propriety of Mrs. Tifows geo erai domestic life up to the time when her afféc- tions were dis) ata by her pusbaud, buve cov- ered this itt” a mystety, a subtiety, It a strangeness, interest and cariosity. for the pie? of buman natare, the permanence of the affections, the influence oi third parties on the household reiation, the right to love and be be- loved without authority. Hence the unmarried | ate Shygy ins the provlem of matrimony by this issue. je Married are testing their own infelict- ties by Mr. Tiiton and mr. Beecher. The widows, who can look back to their bymeneal liie with uw | soit, assuaging sympatay of common sense, revive themselves in the issue. Re! reasons out its temptations on the ragged edges, and the true in- attention to such @ social issue ar nal. arduegs of spae tae persons in this matter. | The ’ rity that ine growth of modern hiv. ‘ are nd individuality bas very greatly disturved tue oid-fasmioned inter-reliance between man and wife, amd WoO are ali using Mr, Beecner’s trial tw kuow what we may come fo, KOW TO BENEFIT BY TH 1LRSSON. Viewed in the light ot these broad vonsidera- tons, the mere predisposition of Beecnerites or Tiltouites, Plymouth charch or the Woodbull school, is ow. Human society requires ver; | occasionally such awful tests to re-examine iteel e age, race, move on by auch lights and shipwrecks as the present scandal, Let us, then, | be good tempered, keep the intellectual part of ourselves uppermost and trust to » good judge, | AQ average jury and square counsel to reason usa. As to the verdict it might be @ contempt of Court to prognosticate it. The defence has not et begun, and it may overturn the re | formance of the prosecution. This- belief, a prevails among those who datly watob the 1al—that the jury is meither pure nor ductile; shatit isa jury, gene! unac_ quainted with she scandal 10 tts inten and earnest to get re iS, ae Bega re- fore, if one person Is ocence and i the other not sure of his theory, there is manic ahead, FIRE IN FORDHAM. A barn belonging to Moses Devoe, on the Ford. ham Landing road, wes destroyed by fire test night, One horse was consumed the t barn was if im ‘The loss ls estimated at $1,000, The No ng fea vet Seen tesigued. sured jor $500 in the ance Company, for the burn’