"The Grand Crescendo may be pronounced to be, without exception, the greatest mechanical improvement ever introduced into the organ. I will explain only that there is a flat bar of iron placed behind the Pedals, having a set of studs at short distances, by which the foot easily slides the bar to the right or left. The motion is communicated to the slides one after another, in every department of the organ, so that the player can with the utmost ease, swell out the tone from the softest stop to the full power of the whole instrument and vice-versa; while yet not one of the drawstop handles is shifted. No other contrivance than this can produce the same effect."

PLYMOUTH CHURCH.—Among the recent improvements in this church, is the addition of a very fine organ in the Sunday School-room, made by Stewart [sic] of New York. The Pedal Organ has just been completed, and Mr. Zundell [sic] (one of the best organists in the country), is to play to-night, and we notice, by the advertisement in another column, that there will be also singing by the choir of the church.

PLYMOUTH CHURCH ORGAN.—The trial of the new organ at the Plymouth church last night called out some two thousand people who sat quietly while the keys were touched by several of the most skillful organists in this and the neighboring city. The organ is a large one; the case being 17 feet 6 inches wide, 15 feet deep and 28 feet high. It has three rows of keys, two octaves of pedals, 46 registers and 34 stops. Its tones are remarkably full and sweet, and its keys, under the hands of the masters who controlled them, were made to develope a melody more rich than any that we recollect to have heard from a similar instrument. This organ was built for the church by William R. [sic] Simmons & Co. of Boston and cost between three and four thousand dollars. It is regarded by all who have witnessed its performance as a very superior instrument, and by many as having no equal in this or the neighboring city.

"... We now come to the last, though by no the least, organ in the (Jersey) city. It is the one situated in the Church of the Immaculata (Roman Catholic) and has the honor of having been the predecessor of the large organ in Plymouth Church, Brooklyn. It did duty for a number of years in that place, under the hands of John  Zundel, the well-known organist. It was purchased for this place about three years ago at a cost of $2,800, and was at that price a decided bargain. It was built in Boston by Mr. B.D. Simmons & Co., and is an evidence of careful workmanship in all that related to the pipes, wood-work, etc. It has three banks of keys, and the following stops on them: [see below]

" The compass of the Great and Choir organ is 4 1/2 octaves from C to f; that of the Swell 3 1/2 octaves, C to f (the lower octave and a half acting [sic] by coupling on the Choir); and that of the Pedals 2 octaves, C to C. On the Great the Eolina and Flute only go to 8 foot C [should be 4' C], the Clarabella to middle C, and the piccolo [?] to g above, 8 foot C. On the Choir, The Cremona goes only to second f from [the] bottom. All the rest are through stops. This makes the total number of pipes about 1,879.
 
"The lowest B flat of the open diapason on the "Great" is the centre fron pipe, being about thirteen feet high. The organ is about twenty-three feet high, twenty broad and twelve deep. The workmanship is excellent. The pipes, both metal and wood, are of the best materials, and the voicing is very even. The largest pedal pipes speaks with a promptness and accuracy of intonation that is seldom heard. The tone of the instrument is, however, not as pleasing as that of the [Jersey City] Tabernacle organ. It is good, but lacks brilliancy, and the sixteen-foot stops seems in the full organ to predominate too much, causing a heavy, muffled and dragging quality of tone. But it is to be remembered that the Church of the Immaculata is a very large building, and that the organ is none too powerful for it. In a somewhat smaller building the tone would probably be more brilliant and telling. ..."

THE FIRE AT Rev. Mr. Beecher's Church.—The fire at the Plymouth church in Cranberry street which we briefly announced on going to press on Saturday did not prove so disastrous as we then had reason to anticipate. The fire department, prevented by the dense smoke from gaining admission into the building, had no other recourse than to deluge the interior with water, which was successful in preventing further damage by fire, though the organ, upholstery, and other appointments of the edifice were completely soaked. On the cleaning up of the smoke and vapor a large hole was discovered in the floor over the furnace, through which the flames had extended to the organ gallery and melted off some of the front pipes of the instrument. The organ belonged to Mr. Labagh, of New York, and was fully insured. It will have to be taken apart to repair damage. The damage to the building is estimated at about $4,000, which was insured in two offices—the Franklin at Philadelphia, and the Equitable of New York. It will be some weeks before the building is again ready for public worship. Yesterday morning Rev. Mr. Beecher officiated in Rev. Dr. Cox's church, and in the evening in the Pilgrim church. Due notice will be given of the arrangements for further services when completed.