mblingly emerged from the
cellar.

The General quietly removed his cigar and asked:

"Where's the Committee?"

"They--they--is--up ter Inwood, sir."

The boy's teeth chattered so that he could hardly speak.

"What the deuce are they doing there?"

"Dunno, sir. They told me as to tell you, sir, that they wuz a Committee
of Safety, and that's wot they wanted, sir."

"Wanted what?"

"S-s-afety, sir!"

"And they deputized you to tell me that, eh?"

"Ye-yes, sir."

"And you looked for me down in the cellar?"

"N-no, sir. I wanted safety, too, sir. Oh, Lordy!"

This last interjection was elicited by seeing the upper part of the
_Tribune_ tall tower suddenly fly off, and land on the roof of the _Sun_
building.

A sort of a sphinx-like smile overspread the general's features.

He looked around for the messenger-boy, but that youth was making
extraordinary speed up Broadway.

The general leisurely proceeded up that thoroughfare--occasionally
stopping, as a shot went crashing into some near building, to note the
effect.

On arriving at Union Square, he met a cavalry squad looking for him, and
mounting the horse of one of the men, he proceeded with this escort to
the upper end of the island, which was now densely packed with people.

The projectiles from the heavy guns of the great ironclad were now
falling in the lower part of the city with terrible effect. The Western
Union building was shattered from cellar to roof; the City Hall was on
fire; so also was St. Paul's Church and the _Herald_ building. The
last-mentioned conflagration was put out by the editors and compositors
of that journal--the entire _Herald_ staff being then in the underground
press-rooms, busily preparing and working off _extras_ giving the latest
details of the bombardment.

The Morse Building was completely demolished by two Krupp shells, and
not an edifice in Wall Street, except the sub-Treasury, had escaped
total ruin.

The result of the conference of the Safety Committee was the dispatching
of a messenger to Sandy Hook, informing General Hancock of the
condition of affairs, and asking him to request an armistice for
parley.

The "Ideal," bearing a white flag, was at once dispatched to the Spanish
flag-ship, and shortly after the firing ceased.

The Spanish admiral refused to alter the terms already proposed, except
that, in view of the injury already inflicted on the city and the
probable increased difficulty of collecting