Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1852-01-01
TIE FIRE IN THE CAPITOL.

i,r pom y O'Clock " The Gre in the Capitol
is sldued The Library, with the Document
Room above h are completely burned ont, and
fully threc fourths of the Library is consumed
including the most valuable potion Of tie sane.
MANY of the books are rare woFss. end can nov
or be replaced. No eerious damage has been
done 10 ans other part Of the Capitol except by
water The lre was first dlscoyeredahoui sun
rise. by waichman, and some time elapsed be-
fore The general alarm was given. The watch-
men endeavnred for one or two hours 10 oXting-
uls the flames with buckets, but unsuccessful lv.
! The engines were DELAYED, having been engaged
Dung the latter part of the night at another ire,
which destroyed Bakers Hotel, m the resrof
the lltelircncer office and the Franklin lun, 1t
the orner OF eth and D streets. The flames Z
I the Capitol would have been sublued at a nucl
earlier period. but the intense cold weather madc
the hose nearly unseryiceable by freezing. The
fire Is suppose TO have caught from the ilucs con-
necnng with the furnaces ga tho saail brsa Ycut-
OF the Capitol. All the FIRE companies belong
ing 20 Washington, and one or more from Alex
anira, are ON hand, rendering efficient services
President Fillmore the Mayor, Speaker Boyd,
and numerous members and officers Of Congress,
were early ON the ground, rendering all the aid
~ their power Many of the documents and
books DESTROYED were Of great value, and no a.
mount Of money can replace them The Lib
ny presents one blckened mass of ruins snd
tha dlsuoy exhibited on every eountenance IS
INST painful.
4 Dehetn Erruiag Tile President. mcm-
b-u ot tine Cabinet and other drtngu he'd
gentlemen, were on th' ground nearly tie whole
/ tine of the conilaEraton, aud many Of them
rendered Efficient ma by their exeruoos.
The library Of Jefferson, one of the most ce.7
ohriei BOB t.e country. and which was TIC most
I prominent arncuon Of the Library room, shared
inm the general fun, not even a single volume bee
; ing saved Tho smoke was 50 dense that per-
SOUS who rushed in were unable to save ans
thng, except some four or five portraits of The
Presidents. The marble busts number Of
splendid cas,s, one of them contpnng 1900
honzed medals, together with all tho inagnlt-
cent works of art IN the cases. were consumed
The entire Library contained upwards OF co.
600 volumes, the loss on which is over $4,000.
The books in an adjoining room, numbering over
10000 volumes, inclu1ng the Law Library, were
saved.
The roof Of the Library was wood, covered
With cement and casel over with copper Il has
fallen IN. A - inch wall separates the Library
from the rest Of the building, and was the means
of staying the progress of the flames The
plnpct wall has expanded, so as to render its
removal necessary.
Az one time 1t was feared that the domes, as
veil as the roof Of both houses, would catch fire.
lue. basins In the grounds, there being no resor-
y5irs in the building and an engine was shoni
" after introduced into the Rotun Ia and did
good service. he floor Of the Roiundl, at
oil the main passage-ways were ailoat with w
br.and strewed with old carpets, hose and rU-
tsh. The roof fell in at half past II.
The Senate chamber, House OF Represet9-
ives and Supreme Court rooms, remain undls
mrbed All the valuable papers were removed
rom the Senate chamber, bat have since beer
replaced.
Seven engines were engaged in playing ups
the flames About dozen watchnen were sta
toned about <he buildings and 1t is thought Tia
lad they attended 10 their duties, the flame
might have been put out before serious dafnes
had been done. The Marines stationed &
~ oshnston were on the spot, by order of III
Government.
The ire is said to have caught through d
fective Tue Or gas pipe, or to have been The
work of m inicendiary.
Nothjar is destroyed but the Wing containing
The Library. The external appearance Of the
lhpildinr IS unchanged, save tho blaekened winl
dows of the Library portico
Amonr the few articles saved from the flames
il The or,ginal Declaration of independence. =
me whole matter viii undergo a strict lnyes'
tgation $40, ~ ,ocoo ,l
ur,os we're DESTROYED by the fire, as also the
nsrhle bnsts Of Washington, Jefferson. Lafay
cite, Tavlor and others. he portraits Of seyera
Ex Presidents. various old paintings, and collef
ions Of coins, medals and cufiosi,ies, were like
wise consumed. The estimated value OF u
hooks which. il is thought can be replaced,
$50 900 ihe damage to the Capitol is ~
900 The walls of the Library are standing
and have a firm appearance.
Diseorery Of The Origin Of The UashiHgit
Fire Washington, Dc 10Th The origin ofit
fire at the Capitol has been ascertained heyS5
donbt ON the removal Of the rubbish, IA
evening. one of the timbers of an alcove enlf
ma he vail on the east side of the Library, 4
actly where the fire was first discovered, W
sm9d 10 extend into a defective flues ada
from the Committee room, where the y an
kept. This timber was mostly cons1nI III
slightly burned The chimney connect "a
ms tlus is also ascertaned to have beeh N
, and is considered satisfactory proof Of Thea Y