Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1826-01-05


Washington, that the Library Room 10
ina Capitol has recentis taken fire. 10
consequence OF candle having been
left too near one ii the shelves in the
Western Gallery by gentleman who
was reading in that part Of the Library
until a late hour. Fortunately. no
books or papers we're lost ofva,ue. the
destruction having been confined chief
IL 10 duplicate copies OF documents aud
state papers which were placed in ,ha,
Gallery, by way Of fiIIingnp the shelves
We trust this accident VII be sufficieot
warning to prevent tie recurrence OF
a similar cne Uncle Sam has vested
too much CAPITAL ia this Capitol 10 b.
Obliged to rebuild il second time
The following remarks Ia cost prasai
poetry. and ~the serious language Of
prose" b. l.. with the additional re
marks of the Editors of the National
InteIigencer. are well intended and dc
serve consideration.
From The Mt. Tatsil;gsncer.
The Congress Library has been on FIRE,
Bur very little damage IS sustainsd,
3, error only, prudence we acquire;
lis well experience is so cheaply gain'd.
But for this very lucky accident
The Capitol were lost in flames once more;
Pre- aation. now, forever wilt prevent
loss which slltbe Union would deplore.
In the serious language Of prose, let
me recommend the removal OF the cord
wood from beneath the Capiiol. Should
The several hundred cords Of wood col
lected there catch fire bs accident, II
viii not suppose a Guy Faux what
could ex,inguish the flames The
vaults would burst. No doubt the
wood will henceforth be placed al a
distance from the building What are
deemed misfortunss, often prove bies.
sings This is a warning which may
prevent an irreparable confagration.
L..
T1The Editors take leave to suggest,
to the above, as the opin-
ion Of many Members of Congress, that
no lights ought ever to be used in the
Library. As the books may be TAX
out to be read, there can be no necessl
ty for the Library's remaining open al
ter sunset. We nave heard that the
proper authority is disposed to establish
a rule conformable to this sugge stion
We nse this occasion to correct the
which our former paragf aph
this fire seems 10 have made
on the minds of some of our readers
In saying that feio of our citizens were
reused. we spoke. of course, compare
lively. 1t was in the dead Of night. fire
was not cried and the bells were only
partially heard. so that comparatively
few knew that there had been anv alarm
at all, until the next morning. The Cit
zens living on Capitol Hill, with the aid
of very small number from other parts,
assisted by the Members Of Congress,
extinguished he fire. which would have
been accomplished with great difficulty,
had il not been for the engine and hose
belonging 10 the Capitol, worked by the
active people who reside in the neigh
borhpod. among whom we shall offend
nobody by mentioning Mr. jos. Ingis, IS
having been conspicuousy useful
Among the Members most actively use
ful, besides those already named, were.
Messrs D'ckerson. Noble, Garnsey,
Stone, and S'e,cort. As neither OF the
Editors had the honor of being able to
assist on the occasion, they are obliged,
in their statements on the subject, to
depend on such information as they
could gather from others
The proceedings of Congress are Of
an embarrassing nature al this time
The House adjourned from Friday last
to Tuesday, in order that temporary
structure may be made in their Cham
Der. so as to confne the sound of their
voices within the wals--at present, it
is difficult matter to bear the speaker
when he addresses the chair - MIR.
McDuffy gave notice on Wednesday