The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-04-14

Fire broke out at ABOUT = cioCh odtuiuoy s"o'"-
Ing last, in the rear Of the building occupied by Mr.
| S. d. Langtree, publisher Of the Democratic ke-
view, which was connected with the one occupied
by ourself for the printing the Madisonian and the
entire building, with most of the contents, was
speedily consumed. The editorial, private library,
counting and packing room of the Madsonian, are
situated in the line of buildings fronting on street,
between 9th and 10th. The back building which
was destroyed, commencing only few feet IN the
rear Of the front dwellings, was spacious two story
brick establishment in the shape Of !. The
second story Of the lower branch of the was oc-
cupied by the Madisonan printing Office the room
Immediately under was divided lengthwise, and one
part occupied by Mr. Langtree, and the other by
books, papers, &C., formerly belonging to General
Green. The I'd story Of the top of the 7, 1--WE
speak thus to make our description intelgible,)
also, the eastern end ofihe basement; the western
end Of the basement, of the upper or northern part
Of the 7 was unoccuped except by some remnants of
printing materials boxes to file newspapers, livery
combustibe, &C., and had been closed and remained
unemployed for several years. 1t was either in this
deserted room, or in the room Immediately over it,
occupied by Mr.. Langtree, that the fire originated.
Mr.. Langtree's hands had been occupied the after
noon of Friday, as we are informed, in finishing off
some binding, and a fire had been kept up in the
furnace, which, however, the hands declare ex-
| tinguished at o'clock. The hands of the Madi-
sonan Office were at work printing the paper until
nearly half past IL o'clock, when the only two
candles, then lighted, were placed one upon the
press, and the other upon the imposing-stone, and
snufed out and the colored man last in the Office
went out through the back passage After going
out he returned to see that all was safe and beev-
ing every thing to be SO, retired. There had been
no fire in the Office for two days. There was no
fire 10 be perceived, suspected, when he left the
Office at about half past IL. This fact is corrobo-
rated by pressman, who left about the same time
The angle formed by the western side Of the 7
was the small yard of Mrs. Ironsde's house, and
Mrs. Ironside, her daughter, and Mr.. Ramsey, of
Pennsylvania, who was boarding with her, concur
in the statement that the fire was first seen by them
to be raging in the basement room (unoccuped) in
the northwest part Of the building, which point
the farthest removed from the Madsonan. We re-
ceived the same impression when, on being aroused
by the cry OF fire, we saw from our bedroom win
dow, which was but about 10 feet from the end Of
our printingoflice, the reflection Of the light upon
the buildings northwest of the T. DR.. Davis and
ourselves the first persons to printing
Office, which we found SO densely filled with smoke
that could not venture into il with safety. There
was, at that time, fire in that part of the T, but
all was so dark that one of our hands asked for
candle. The fire was raging in the northwestern
lower part Of the building, as was our impression at
the time This impression has been since confirmed
by the testimony Of our neghbors, who were early
on the ground. Seven witnesses were examined
yesterday morning before the Mayor of the city, and
the weight of their testimony goes also to confirm
our first Impressions And being well convinced
that the fire originated in the unoccupied room, we
have not been able to account for its cause in any
other way than that it was communicated by human
agency.
Fortunately the nearest front buildings were COW
cred with slate, and, through the commendable ex-
ertons Of the remen, those buildings, and of course
the entire row with which they we're connected,
were saved.
Our private library, books, papers, &c., and the
furniture of Mrs. Ironside and of the neghbors adj
joining, received no other injury than could be ex-
pected in the process Of summary turning into the
street.
Our presses, types, fixtures, together with the
edition Of 1000 country papers, printed side,
and part of the triweeky edition for our southern
circulation, were totally destroyed. We had no in
surance, no assignment, no mortgage. We have
suffered personal nett loss Of about $1,000.
Mr. Langtree's loss, as he estimates it, is much
larger. His printing materials we're insured to the
extent of $4,000 by the Franklin and Potomac In
surance Offices. A large number of the Madison
Papers, finished and unfinished, which were burnt,
were not insured. Most Of the stereotype plates
we're saved that another edition of the work may
be printed All the presses, types, fixtures, guam
iiiy of morocco and Russia leather, and great num-
Der of copies Of the Democratic Review, were to-
tally destroyed. MIR. Langtree estimates his loss at
$4,000.
The fire several times communicated to the
Baptist Church, and session-room in the rear, but
was extingushed by the firemen. The damage to
the church is estimated at about $500.
The soap factory Of MIR. Ellis, which was also in
the rear and the printing office, was consum-