The Shasta courier., 1855-02-24
MOSCOW Never Rmrned.

Senator Douglas is said to have made the dis
covery, while travelling in Russia last year, that
the city of Moscow never burned !! The
following statement of the matter is from the
Muscatine (Iowa) Inquirer:
Coming up on the boat few days ago. we
happened to fall in company with Senator Doug
las, who came on board at Quincy, on his way
TO Warsaw. In the course OF a very interesting
account of his travels in Russia, much of which
has been published by letter writers, he stated
a fact which has never yet been published, but
which startlingy contradicts the received histor-
ical relation of of the most extraordinary
events that ever fell to the lot of history to
cord. For this reason the Judge said be felt a
delicacy in making the assertion that the city of
Moscow never burned
He said that previous to his arrival at Mos
cow, he had several disputes with his guide as
to the burning of the city, the guide declaring
that it never occurred, and seemed TO be netted
at Mr. Douglas persistency in his opinion, but
on examining the fire marks around the city.
and the city itself, he became satisfied that the
guide correct.
The statement goes on to set forth that the
antiquity of the architectural city-particulary
of its six hundred first class churches stretch
ing through anti-Napoleonic ages to Pagan times
and showing the handiwork of different nations
OF hlstory-demonstrates that the city was never
burnt down (or up.) The Inquirer adds:
The Kremlin is space of several hundred
acres, in the heart of the city, in the shape of
fat-iron. and is enclosed by wall sixty feet
high Within this enclosure is the most magnif-
icent palace in Europe, recently built, but con-
structed over an ancient palace, which remains,
thus enclosed, whole and perfect, with all its
windows, etc.
Near the Kremlin, surrounded by a wall, is
Chinese town, appearing to be several hundred
years old, still occupied by descendants of the
original settlers.
The circumstances which gave rise to the er-
ror concerning the burning of Moscow, were
these: it city of 10000 inhabitants, in cir
cular form, occupying large space, five miles
across. There the winters six months long,
and the custom was, and still is to lay up sup
plies of provisions and wood to last six months
of severe and cold weather. To prevent these
gigantic supplies from cumbering the heart of
the city, and yet to render them as convenient
practicable to every locality, row of wood
houses was constructed to circle completely
around the city, and outside of these was row
of granaries and in these were deposited the
whole of the supplies.
Napoleon had entered the city with his army,
and was himself occupying the palace OF the
kremlin, when, one night, by order of the Rus
sian Governor, every wood house and every
granary simultaneously burst into blaze. All
efforts to extinguish them were vain, and Napo-
leon found himself compelled to march his army
through the fire. Retiring to an emlnence he
saw the whole city enveloped in vast sheets of
flame, and clouds of smoke, and apparently on
fire. And so far he was concerned it might
as well have been, for though houses enough
were left to supply every soldier with room,
yet without provisions or fuel, and Russian ar
my to cut off supplies, he and his army could not
subsist there During the fire some houses were
probably burnt. but the city was not. In the
Kremhn a magazine blew up, cracking the
church of Ivan more than a hundred feet up.
but sitting nothing on fire.
Mr.. Douglas the fire marks around the
CITY, where wood houses and granaries now
stand as of old, but there appears no marks of
conflagration within the city. On the contrary,
it bears the unmistakeable evidence of age.