The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1836-12-21
From the National Inteligencer.


From the National Inellgencer.
W,sHlNGroN, Dec. 10. 1886.
DISASTROUS CONFLtGRAT
THE GENERAL POST OFFICE
ANDPATENT OFFICE IN ASHES.
1t is with no ordinary egret that we per-
form the duty of announcing the destruction
hy fire, of the building in the central part Of
this city, which has for years been occupied
by the General Post Office, the Patant Of
flee, and the City Post Office. with an i'm
porlant part Of the contents Of those build
ngs including the entire contents of the two
latter.
This calamity, great as it is, has long
been feared by those old residents of WASH
ington who knew the combustible nature of
the building, the huors being all of wood.
and some of them not even counter sealed
and The custom of slowing fuel, not only
conl but wood, in the vaults underneath the
floor. The calamity has c''me mt last,
and affords the second demonstration, with
/ in four years, of the utter absurdity and i'm
providence of The structures to which the
public archieves, records and government
accounts have been hitherto fpr the mos
part confded.
The FIRST alarm of Fire was given by Mr.
Crown. Mes.e" ger, who usually sleeps il
the room connected with The City PnstInaS-
trr's own room. The clerks had been Al
work, asserting the mails, until half pas,
two o'clock, when one of the persons he-
longing tn the Office Mr.. Landsdae) pas
sed out of the Enst door, and along the
whole front of the building, without discov-
ering any thing 10. give rise to a suspicion
of danger. Not lnng after three o'clock
f Mr. Crown was reused from light slum-
her by the smell nf smoke. Opening tn
door of he city Pos'-Office, he perceived
a dense smoke, without any visible appear
anre of fire. He gave the alarm instantly,
first reused Mr.. Cox, one Of The clerks, who
coming ont of the door of his room passed
along The whole of the long room with diff
fculty, through the slnnkr hearing the fire
cracking. The watchmeu had per-
crived nothing of The smoke, until they, al
: so, were aIarmed by Mr.. Crown.
The hour of the night when all this took
place being one ut which the whole nrid is
buried Ia the deepest sleep, it was found
of the church bells began to ring, but the
ringer not seeing any htrne, ceased ringing
almost as soon MS he brgpn, and it was n
full h If hour before the alarm bells were
rurg, aud more than that time before an
engine or bucket of water could be- com
minded. A. it was, the fire had its own
way, aud was AT last seen in the vault ~
cellar Immediately under the delivery wiu-
dow of the CRY Post Office; followed
shortly afterwards by flame from the win-
dows of the lnltcr, and within five minute.
afterwards, by flames from tie roof, the fir,
: having crept up along the starcases or par.
,ilions 10 The top of the building before il
broke out below.
From the MON mt nf the flames bursting
nut from the lower windows, it was oh, ion.
;l,nt all hope of saving the building was il
: vain. In little more than an hour ih,
whole interior of the building aud its con
tents were destroyed.
The books of the Gen Post Offitc wer,
all, or nearly all, saved, xrrtions having
been made for their safety from nearly ih'
: first moment of the alarm: hut mass %
, papers, &c. belonging to the office were des
troypd. Not any thing was saved from ih'
Patent Office or The City Post Office, TN
volume of the smoke preventing any bod!
from penetrating the latter so as To saw
: any thing.
u AS 10 the origin of the fire, 1t is impossi
f ble to say any thing, for nothing seems Il
), he known of il, except that il was in eel
lar or vault, IN which pine wood and co"