Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-01-07
THE FIRE AT THE CAPITOL.

THE FIRE AT THE CAPITOL.
The following. copied from the Boston Daily
Advertiser, is doubtless from the pen of MIR
EVERETT, of Massachusetts, who has been already
stated to- be the first person who discovered the
unusual light caused by the fire. 1t presents some
interesting particulars OF perhaps as narrow and as
fortunate an escape from conilagration as ever oc
cured: war mr..
Extract from letter dated at Washington, Decem-
Der %, 1925.
" Anunpleasant occurrence tool: place here last
night. threatening very disastrous result, but
which happily passed off without any seriois con-
sequences. On returning from MIR. Senator john
s'on's last evening, with my wife, at eleven o'clock
we perceived, when at the foot OF Capitol Hill, a
b,igh, light from of the windows OF the
Capitol. Having occasionally perceived a light IN
som. of the Offices of the Capitol, at a late hour,
supposed, at first, that the present appearance
was that of lamp, or OF fire, inperiectly ex-
inguishcd, in some OF the hre-places. on more
attentive examination, ! that the light came
from the Library, which knew was regularly shut
up at z o'clock p. NJ, and that it was strongest
in the middle of the room, where there is no ire
place My lodgings are directly adjacent 10 Tue
Capitol, and having driven my wife home, deter
mined go and examine into the cause OF the isLe
On approaching the front OF the Capitol, was
| challenged BY the sentry. / was not previousl!
. aware that guard was mounted in the capitol
Square,) and informing him of the cause OF
anxiety, he assured ne nothing was more common
than to see light in the public late at night
After some hesitation, nc consented TO go vito
ne, and see hat the light Finding was lead
ing him round to the western front, he refused TO
accompany me, saying, that, II the fire was on that
side, il belonged! to the other sentry, who was there
mounting guard. hlstened TO the western front,
but could find no sentry. ] went down TO the no :
tom of the steps, from which alone a full view Of
he. of ha no had he
light then 40 faint that was nearly persuaded
it must be from a brand in the Fireplace. 1resol
we'd, however, 10 have II looked after, and return
ed up the Steps, with the intenion of calling again
on the sentinel of the eastern front. In doing this,
was at length accosied by sentry, who came
ont ot the door on the western front, and chaeng-
ed me. had he same explanations to go through
with him, and the same difficulty TO persuade him
that here could be any thing besides 'fiame from
h distinguished iire-braud. lie, however, agreed
to step with me TO a spot where he could see the
light. He pronounced it not greater than he had
oien seen, but agreed to call the sergeant of the
enard, :, ho, after some time made his appearance
On my pointing out TO him the light, lie made the
same remark as had been made by the senires: he
had often seen such light before. begged him to
80 M and examine the Library or let me do it. 1t
was, he said, locked, and he neither had the keys,
nor knew who had them, nor where to go for in
formation. then urged him, at least, to 90 10 the
Library door, and discover, if possible, by looking
through the key-hoIe, whether there was fife
This he undertook TO do, and, the light was at
his time very faint, was overpow cred by the
continual assurances that il ordinary APP
pearance, and having authority, chad thought
1t right or possessed the means) break open the
strong mahogany doors OF the Library room, left
the sergeant, with The remark that &c had done my
duty, and he must now DO hs,'' and went to my
lodgings The sergeant, as | understood from him,
went up 10 the Library door, but as it was very
closely fitted door, with another OF baze within,
he neither saw any light, perceived .ay smoke
10 issue from the room. He accordingly returned
to the guard-room. The appearance which he had
seen with me from the window, and my urgency
with him, dwell, as he stated, his mind, and
alter about ten minutes, he thinks, but suspect
| rather longer, he went again to the bottom OF the
western.stcps 10 reconnoitre. The light now so
strong That he thought ii his duty to enjeavor to
get the door opened though he did not feel author-
zed in using force for the purpose. After making
several unsuccessful inquiries in The neighborhuod
he found out where the Librarian of Congress lives.
This was at some distance from the Capitol, and
considerable delay OF course ensued. AT length
the Librarian and sergeant reached the Capitol. and
on opening the Library door, bright fire was dis
covered in one OF the galleries of the hall. A
bucket or two OF water, If then al command would
have extinguished it. But there were no buckets
| at hand, and the distance from the pump on the
eastern front TO the hall of the Library was so
great, as 10 prevent rapid supply by few hands
1t was now after midnight. a small bell in the
Capitol yard, used 20 call the workmen together
was the only means of giving the alarm; and it was
necessary for the sergeant and his guard to run
round in the neighborhood and awaken the nhabi-
iants. had Just gone bed, but on the first touch
OF the bell, FASTENED to the Capitol The engine
house was locked but we wrenched it open; few
buckets procured, and with these little water
carried into the Library. The members and ci-
zens now began to collec, rapidly, and an atlni-
rable hose, several hundred feet in length, was
| conducted wholly through this immense building
into the hall.
:" This saved the Capitol, though with great
dIihculiy, ard with very narrow escape. The fire
was just reaching the timber of the arche vault OF
the hall, from which it would have been difficult
to prevent its spreading very widely. Ii was be
tween two and three hours before the fire was eA -
inguished, and by this time the library ball-so
lately one OF the most beautiful rooms YOU ever
saw-was sad spectacle. Upon the whole
however, the loss has not been heavy. No books
are destroyed which cannot be replaced, and the
greater part OF those burned in the gallery were
duplicate sets Of public documents The question
as 10 the origin OF the fire is not easily answered
The library was shut at seven. The librarian thinks
that some members had been up with candles into
he gallery, and that spark may have droppcd
II j. rather a curious coincidence, that the dav
before the fire, Gen. Van Rensselaer, had moved
for committee TO inquire what steps are necessary
for the care and preservation of the Capitol and pub
lie property. Such resolution was carried through
the House last winter, but overlaid in the Senate
by the mass OF business at the end of the session
Sucha committee is now imperiously demanded for
the security Of buildings, fixtures, public records.
and papers, and library, all of which are now ex-
posed with les precauiion than exists against fire
/ in most private houses" BosL d. adp.