The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-01-07
Washington Correspondence of the
Register.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9th, 1851.
EDITOR OF THE REGISTER

" '''1 opi W Nv Ins
week, has Teen the scene of intense ca
element. On the evening of the PAT
instant, at half past seven o'clock, til
Capitol was discovered To he on fire, an
the city was forthwith thrown INTO III
greatest panlc imaginable. Thousand
were snug IN bed. AID so startling an
electric was the announcement, that
was sumo time before II was believed
when. however. 1t began To be REGARDED
IN the HIGHT oi a fixed fact aud not of "a
inpossibtllt,, every street and dvrnu0
tccmed wlih human bciugs 10 the wild.
est confusion The fire was found J.
be ia The Congressional Llhrar,. il
which were deposited many Thousand
volumes of the most valuable Works
Manuscripts, Public Documents, MaDs.
Medals. Paintings and Sidiuarv. and
which, III a moueui's time. were con-.
pletcly en'eloped IN flames. The va
rious Fire Companies OF the tiiy we're
promptly III attendance. aud vigorously
batlItd with the element, bur from the
intensity of the cold, the scarcity of wa
ter and,he frozen condition of the hose
(mosi OF the engines having been work
ed all night al IA large FREE they were
able, for a long time, to effect very lii.
tie. The President and the members of
the Cahinel were on the grnunJ, giving
directions aud urging on the hremen aud
workmen TO almost suprrhuman exer-
ilon. The flames rapidly extended them.
selves, aud the whole edihce would have
been IN RUNS. had not the Library,
which extended along the west Crort
looking towards the White House, been
separated from The main building by q
tw%enty-seven inch wall running from The
basement 10 the roof. The companies
in Baltimore and Alexandria were telc.
graphed To, TO hold themselves in readl-
ness to start fer the city, in case 1t should
he necessary but 1t was not. and the
flames were finally subducd a, IL O.,
clock, leaving the Senate Chamber.
House of Representatives, and Supreme
Court room, unmolcsted. The Rotun>
da, situated beneath the central dome
was flooded with water, but the lllstrri-
cal Paintings. by Trumbull, including
the Signing nf the Declaration" were
un%injured. The original draft of the
Declaration of Independence, hanging IN
the Library, vas snatched lnviolale from
the flames, and God grant that it ever
may remain so. The injury done Ia
the Library is vast and lrreparable.
30 900 volumes were destroyed, while
10000 (moslIy Law Books. aud whicl.
were not in tho Library propei) we're
saved. Among the former. was the H.
brary of the late President Jefferson. l.i
which Congress paid over S20,000. IT.
addition tn the destruction OF books
there is sustained the further loss 81
many valuable paintings, medals and
statues: Of which may be cuuneratcd
Stuart'S paintings OF the first five Pres
dents an original portrait Of Colum.
bus a second do; an original portrait
of Peyton Randolph a portrait of b =
war; II Of Baron Steuhen, hy P,ne
an English artist Of mcru; one Of R.ioi
De Kalb one OF Corlez between e,
leven and twelve hundred bronze medals
Of the Vaitemaie exchange some O.
them more than ten centuries old. art
exceedingly perfect; a colossal stalu,
of Jefferson an Apollo IN hrnuzc, h.
Mills very superior bronze llkenes
of Washington KINGS bust o( } q
Adams, a new bust of Gen. Taylor. b,
an Italian artist, and bust of Lafayrir,
by David All these are perfectly worth
less. The loss is varioasl, estimate,
from S30U, 600 to half a million. and. q
a certainty, nothing worse could hay,
happened to the seat Of Government
Congress adjourned over until Friday
and II was expected that they would nj
their Ie.assembllng take some action il
relation to this destructive fire and IA
tional calamity. The expectation wa
fulfilled. Yesterday, the House of Rer
resentatlves, otter The presentation #
letter by the Speaker, from J s. sleo
han. the Librarian of Congress. com
municarine the fact Of the des,ruc,io.
oi the Library by fire, in n manner I
him altogether unaccountable. and ask
ing for a thorough Investigation. pa.se
a JOINT Resolution instruciinq the con
mitlee on Public Grounds and Built
ings 10 make the investigation, wit
power to send for persons TO be exsr
ined under oath in relation To the oC
currence. Mr.. Walter the architec
was directed by the COMMISSIONS
I Public buildings la make the inyes,ig
$ ton, and he Yesterday morning did s.
l asceriainine in manner satisfactory
, himself and to all others who have e.
amlned the premises, the origin of Il
p. hire, which, up Ia that time. had renal
p eS a mystery. The Hues from some
T. the committee rooms pass under the flo
. OF the Library; and close to the part
tion wall where they enter, an apertu
rs found quite large enough 10 adm
particles Of such light and comhusiil
. materials ms are used in kindling fire
The fires in these rooms were made
nj haltpast six O'Clock, aud At half.p'
), seven the Library was found to he
IS fire, Immediately over the aperture, D
. fore the investigation was had. it "
. supposed to have heen the work Of
= i%ncendiary. After the passing Of I
e Joint Resolution yesterday, Mr.. Sta
= ton. of Kentucky. introduced a bill
n the House. approprialing s5On0. or
! much thereof as may he necessary,
- pay the expense incurred in the exit
Puishment Of the fire. the removal oft
rubbish. and the preservation of su
d books and other articles as may ho
J. been saved. and the construction If
10 Tin roof for the preservation and prott