Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-12-20
DISASTROUS CONFEDERATION.

Tic GcHcraL Post Office and Patent Cgc" l." 'iSh'''
WAsliINGroS Dec. lG.-lt Is with no ofu'nafs ls?''
that ~, pvrtC m, the duty OF announcing The cs!ruc"',
BY ftc Of the building the central part OF l:s CITY
which has for many years been occupied ny tnr nEef"'
Pos! Office, the Patent Office and HE wy fGa o!ic''
with an important part OF the contents ol to'c "uu'"E'
! ingiuding the entire contents OF The lw0 iatcr.
This calamity great as it is has long bC:n feared ~
those old residents Of Washington who knew Tie con-
buSlble nature Of The buting (ic ioo!s benz al q"
wood and scne of thcn not even c0un+r'Sraedl ana
the custom Of slowing fuel not only coal but Wco' IL
the vaults underneath tie first floor The caiaimy has
come al las and airds the second demonstration, Win,
~ lour years. CT the utter absur:y Gnd pf"vaece "i
the structures 20 which the public archives: records ana
government accounts have DeCH h!ti@I'i ioi ''~ "''
| part. cutidrd.
! The FIRST alarm or fire was given hy Mr. Crown. 4
Messenger, who usually sleeps in room connected :'l
the City Post Office (Ie Postmaster own r'''HI lie
Clerks had been al work, asserting the n!* "Ht nall
mast two clock when of the persons hrb"gng TO
The Office (Mr LansIae) passed oul OF The East dor:
and along The whole ircal Of the building. without dis
covering any thing 10 give rise 10 suspicion OF "?nSe?
Not long ailel three CLOCK Mr. Crown was reused from
l!q!t slunbcr BY the smell Of smoke Opening The
door OF the City Post Office, he perceived dcns" smoke
without any visible appearance C.! fire. lie gave me
alarm instantly frs. rcsing Mr. Cox. ct The clerks,
who slept in back room adjoining the Post OHcc, and
who coming ont tic door his room, HassC. along The
whole &C tie long with difficulty, through tie
smoke. ic,rHr the ire cracking, but being unable 10
nothing The watchmcn ii the body of III" build
ing Distance from tie City Post.OTc": lad per
ceivcd nothing of the smoke: until they, also,
alarmed By Mr. Crown.
The hour o! the night when all this took place being
al which the whole world Is buried III Ia" deepest
sccr it found almost Impossible ~ spread II" alarm
81 fire One of the Church bells began 80 ring. but The
ringer ScraI any !iane ceased ringing almost as
soon 4. he began auL it fall hall hour before ie
alarm bells runI and more Than that in before III
engine or a bucket ci could BE- Commanded. y, il
vas the fire had its way, and was At las: Ssta IN
dow Of liz! City Post C!iicc; followed shortly afterwards
hr flames from the windows Of the latter, and, within .
.lues afterwards by flames ircm Ie roof t!Ic fire ia.
M up along The sarcaSes0 or partitions 10 tic top OF
. the building before il broke ont below.
From the moment of the flames bursting out from the
!owe: windows, it Obvious that all hope OF Sav:ng
! lii" building was in vain In little more ::an an hour
the whole interior Of the building and rs contents we're
! Destroyed
The Joo&s Of the Gene raj Pest Olicc al!
~ all saved, cxrrons having been made Tor their sac
t. from nearly the first moment OF the alarm bal ass
OF papers. &c, belonging 10 Tie Office were H"s"ycd
No; any thing saved from the Iatcui O!ce ~ tie
CITY Post Office the volume Of the smnk" prerl nns,
any body from Penetrating the latter, 50 as 10 save any
! thing.
~ 10 the origin Of tie fire. it is Impossible TO say any
thing for nothing TO be known III il. except i!"t
it was in cellar vault, i'll which pine wood and coal
were slowed all which p-oiaLy in state d! lgnI
ton hclore the i.e disclosed itself 10 Ike eye We the
mere willingly inrhca. any conjecture as !" Lie cause ii
!
through committees. investigate it, aud in enc House
! with power 10 send fer persons and papers.
Most fortunately the nj int vas calm ana coHpa:ati""'
" serene. the destruction Of pirate property wond
have been inevitable and grra Had 1t occurred on III"
ninf prc?iDus when Tie wind blew almost hurricane
.yrral squares of valuable buildings have hrer
destroyed. The means Of the City Tor cX!H@ui>!Ins
fires are whniIy inadequate 10 the value Of Tic property
al stake and the for the supply ii water for tic
engines ale limited in their cxlcnt, %ci rfccartIS
81
be lost these who haze it in their po"cr TO apply the
rcnc:lY.
OF all the amount Ct loss ii papers and property
tanned by this disaster that which is most t. be regretted
brcause irrrparable is that Of the w!oe Of thu great
repository Of models Of machines in the Patent Office
Tho smnuiI"rng ashes only rca .: hat collected
evidence of the penetration, ingenuity and enterprise
hci peculiarly distinguish the descendants Of Europe
| in The Western wog!d.-.fat. Int.
/ TUE CRY iosr- OrrlCE-We have mentioned i'll the
preceding article the destruction If ali The contents oi
Inc City iosO!icc All the Mails OF the git and
morning (ncuting !ettes received ~ other Nal. fox
dist huliOn by those Nlais) except the "&rTrnDn Z
and Port Tobacco Ald} Mails had been sent oil before
the Fire occurred AL tie Mails received the preceding
evening and in tho nigh for dcitrcry at this F!"cc were
destroyed Including Of course" all the letters FOR IHcl-
js:s of Congress. different officers o.! c Gmvrrliicnt
and Editors. The transmission Of Mails o'a this place
will not. understand be for moment interrupted by
this cataS!rnrhe
t. The City Post O:iicc is rcorcncd Cor the present,
IN The lower story Of AIR. Searcr brick house, On h
street few doors above the Office Of the National IN
. tcliigcnccr.H.
OFFICIAL.
. E3GIxrEn ORDER, EsGI%EER DEPARTMENT,
No. ). Washington, Dec II, lo;i6:
In consequence o! Tie destruction ot the Post Office
last night by fire. it is probable many communications
addressed Ia t!a Department. may have been destroyed
In order, therefore, to remedy the latter evil the officers
and agents Of the Department hereby required Ia
transmit delay, duplicates Of such letters aud
other papers, the receipt OF which remain unacknow
LEGGED. {. GRAIlOi,
ChiJ Engineer.
FLORIDA.
- has ,n,, rl,,t r,