Washington telegraph., 1854-03-01
lFor the 7siegraph.l
LITTLE

LITTLE RocK, ARK, Feb, 25th, 1854.
g, Deaf @ nn; The Sc serest calamity that ever be-
Ii 'lds ciSy IN tue shape of fire, originated in
the office OF the .rrne Democrat on t5e rr, =,
street next the river north of the Anthon IT.
ana a mace Its way along SOUTH taking eyervth;ng
20 20, the Street on which the Anthony Honsa ironts
Inc TWO story brick building of The True Dem
ocrat OCT oIhce and long range of smaller bn;ld;ngs
iliit , came to the large two story brick corner
khoWn as DeBauns corner in which ,vae Dr
Au4ils a Drug store, and the Book store OF John
y, heaIdon Thea the large store of ID. Bender
eAtenoing from Markham back to the narrow
s.reet IN the rear a hundred and forty feet. and
then the large three story brick frontin.r the.
anthony House, in which there Were two stores
one OF, Kept by Sir. Wait and Jew clothing store
he buildings Were chiefly of brick but were the
inest III Town: and the terrihc pile of fire as #
roiec up, and swelled against the midnight dark
ness drove Its red glare into the dark allevs of
the Whole town, For four hours the roar Of tbe
fames, the crash Of falling timbers and brick
Waiis the deatening shouts OF men running to and
lIo ! win the means OF checking the march of the
IRE, am told by those who had leisure for OBJ
servation was sublime indeed.
IL may seem strange to YOU that able bodied
men stood by with arms folded: or their useless
hands shipped comfortably into their breeches
pockets; while thousands of dollars worth of pro-
perty easily carried out, could have been saved:
and that too when the cry for help was loud and
frequent. There are men it appears who never
seem to have found out that they can do ANYTHING
except look on ard see others work But the
women God bless them, they formed in line and
handed buckets, while men stood by and smoked
cigars. The poor iders, could not do so much
even as to look at and identify the thieves who
stole goods by the armful After the fire it was
tound by search that considerable amounts were
stolen and carried aWav
Inc hremen and citizens generally performed
prodigles OF labor, and Of valor 1t is no childs
play to mount the steep roof of three story build
ing, amid shower of fire and smoke scorching
ana ohndlng' and sutfocating; and there exert the
entire strength-and there were many who did
that, and 1t was only by the most earnest. uncon-
querable zeal and persistent effort that the pro-
gress was stayed. Much of the loss falls upon
Insurance Offices in other States while one of the
large buildings was owned by house in New
Orleans. The cause of the fire is variouslv as
signed. The prevailing Opinion probably is that
the torch of the incendiary did It. Very MANY
Judicious persons doubt it however. There Is
something very wrong, however, somewhere-a
committee OF citizens is investigating while a
viglant night Police is watching.
The Office OF the True Democrat. as also that
of the Gazette and Democrat, with all their press
es type furniture and materials Were DESTROYED
The Gazette and Democrat office was over the
store OF Mr. Bender and while the goods were
being removed from the store; the melted tvpe
metal poured down in streams OF brightest fire.
ana seemed by their fierce sparkhngs to threaten
immediate destruction to all who dared remain to
save. Many did work there till the hot metal
fell upon them. cutting their clothes to shreds or
silyerlns Them in spots. 1t is supposed that fifty
thousand dollars will restore the loss; but | do
not think that the cost of the buildings themselves
could have been less than hundred thousand dol
lars, to say nothing of the immense amount of
goods destroyed.
recolect that at one time two stoutmen took
hold of box in Bender's store and were Just
starting it, when about a peck OF melted type
metal streamed down upon them and their box
followed by Goals and burning printers ink, which
made them leave their box. They evidently
were not reaoY for martyrdom in behalf of box
of carpenters tools, which it appears the box con-
tanned.
1t was lucky that the Odd Fellows hall was
not completed 1t would have burnt As it was
the naked walls of brick stood there in sturdy de-
hance of fire and smoke. If water could have
been had the fire would have been nothing