Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-04-13
INCENDIARY FIRES.

Qay or TWO past is well calculated to alarm
our fellow citizens. We understand that
there have been at least five fires in the
city within two days, and there is abundant
reason for believing and publishing that
every one of them was the work of incen-
diaries
At this rate, what frightful state of
things will soon be upon US And one of
the worst features of the case is, that the
incendiares now aboad are nearly all bows.
A gentleman residing on Fifteenth street,
who suffered severely by the fire that occurred
there on Monday evening last, and whose
premises we were invited to attend to ex-
anime after the confagration, informs US
that the scenes of violence and disorder
that disgraced the occasion were almost en-
tirely originated by mere lads.
These rude and head strong creatures an
pear to be actuated by the very spirit of
fends. They seem to delight in nothing
SO much as raising alarms of fire, for the
purpose of calling out the engines, and
having what they foolishly call good time.
GA good time," indeed! 1t is good time,
fully good time, to teach these youngsters
better manners If they have neither pa
rents nor guardians to instruct them how to
behave, let them be taught at once, at he
public expense. 1t is cheaper to punish these
embryo villains than it is to pay large in
surance bills, and rebuild the houses the
ragged rascals burn down.
There is too much of the Dick Turpin
spirit abroad in our country-and Wash
lngton is by mo means exempt. lis becom-
ing an intolerable nuisance, public grew
ance and family alarm, no longer to be
endured. At the Fifteenth street fire, if it
had not been for the decided stand, taken by
Attorney General Cushing, and Mr.. Secre-
tary Dobbin, (who reside in the neighLor-
hood by means of which the pundering
vagabonds and rowdies were kept at bay,
every adjacent house would have been en-
tered by force, and its best furniture dashed
to pieces. Those distinguished citizens,
having public authority in the premises,
stationed guards at the several doors and
thus protected private property from the
savage grasp of these drunken Vandals
Even as it was, with all the care that could
be exercised by the owners and their friends,
such was the rush of rowdies and besotted
DULLES, that several valuable household
articles were ruthlessly torn away and
destroyed or materially damaged
Is there no remedy for such a disgraceful
state of things?
There are several fixed facts connected
with this important subject, to which we
beg leave to call the immediate attention of
the public.
The first is the general lack of ,cater for
ertlnguashing yfres There is no city in the
Union where there is 50 much valuable pub
lie property as We have here in Washington.
And yet there is no city of it's size so poorly
supplied with water. Here are the Houses
of Congress, the Executive Mansion, the
various Departments of Government, stored
with old and valuable documents and youch-
ers of national business: and what real.
substantial protection have they all against
q general fire? What mines of public
plumber do these buildings open to prowling
incendiary rufians, and where are the reser-