New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-01-05

TnE W.snHGTos FiRr.-rhe Republic of the 25th ut
gives the following description o the destruction of the
Congressional Library by fire:
Yesterday morning between seven and eight clock our
citizens were startled by the alarm that The Capitol was
on fire, moments reflection huweyer- induced not a
few to believe that this false report conceivng that
the edice was proof against such destructive agency
However. smoke first issuing from the library
and the guard who then luty effected entrance
by breaking through apnne of the door. table in the
room discovered in flames, which extended to the
shelves in the ac"NeS on the northeast side By the time
assistance arrived the ensely filed with fire
and smoke that those who had entered We're forced to
tire bringing with them only have been informed,
four or FIVE of the Srtraits of the Presidents, which
adorned the walls The contents of the library were,
therefore, left to the action of the fire 1t long
before the flames darted through the ceiling, which
OF wood succeed and soon extended to the roof which
was of the same material sheathed with copper
Papers aud documents in the committee rooms adjon
seuayes in the vicinity quickly removed to places
| OF safety. and guards placed over them
Shortly after the alarm there thousands of persons
on the ground many nf them rendering assistance by
passing up buckets. which filled with water at the
fountain on the west front Of the cptol company Of
marines ordered from the barracks likewise actively
employed The renen notwithstanding their excessive
fatigue and exposure TO one of the perhapsl coolest
mornings of the season at the fire of the Frankfort
House noby came to the suction was brought
into the Eotunda and an engine placed on the east por
tico. which worked while other companies supplied
them with water These men remained until near sun
down. and then retired having completely subdued the
flames The water in the early part Of the day lroze up
fast as it reached the ground and cakes of ice
discernable on many coat.
The library. situated in the centre 0t the west 'front.'
was constructed with great taste and beauty. The room
ninetytwo feet in length thirty -four III width and thirty
six in height having 0lcoVes which two gale
res extending throughout the apartment The room
handsomely ornamented, and the light was admitted both
from ample windows and three skyghtS above Painting.
marble hsts and Cabinets. part of the attrac
in addition to the elegant olos Of colored prints
choice collection of books gathered from all civil
ICED countries and from international exchanges One
the cabinets had recently bccn placed in the library The
framework was of mahogany and in the maple panels,
covered with glass inserted choice bronze medals
in rnntf 1,Hty had
been deposited through the agency Of NJ yattemare
Mr. efersons library, embracing about thousand
volumes was purchased in 1915 for twenty hree thousand
dollars and this believe formed the nucleus Of the
tty-hve thousand volumes which have since accunlt
lated Congress has for series of years annually appro
priatcd five or six thousand dollars for the purchase Of
books and papers is estimated that these have
cost the Government in addition to the Jefferson pur-
chase. about two hundred thousand dollars
However. many of these volumes we learn We're Kept i'll
two small adjoining the library, Among them
We're eight thousand law books, and twelve thousand
other works These, it is reported, were saved if
the number of volumes destroyed thirty th6as
and some of which cannot be replaced
We repeat that the contents of the main library
with the triiing exceptions already mentioned were
tirey estroyed likewise the roof of that portion
of the building. The exterior of the wall the west
is considerably backened by the action of the fire,
several cracks discernibe which may render it
necessary to rebuild the parts thus injured
When the library in flames there serious ap-
prehension that the fire would extend to the dome the
spiral stairway to which considerably charred Had
this event occurred, the damage must have been
considerable and perhaps the two chambers Of Congress
would have been damaged require Congress
move into temporary quarters elsewhere.