The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-08-14
THE BURNING OF EN-. .HARRISON'S LOG
CABIN AT NORTH BEND.


| There are very strong reasons for believ-
servant girls. When the fire was fairly
discovered and the family reused, one of
them asked if the girls had been called
One of the hired men went Immediately to
their room and found one of the Bridgets
up and dressed, her trunk packed and locked,
and ready to leave. The other Bridget was
fast asleep in bed, and was so paralyzed
with fear, when informed of the fire, that
she had to be carried from the room. The
Bridget first mentioned lost nothing; the
other Bridget lost all her clothes, and some
$40 of her savings. which was in her trunk.
The FIRE was discovered at about one O'Clock.
By three O'Clock the house was so COM
petely on fire that no one could 20 into it..
There was now nothing but the chimneys
| left.
Fortunately, Mrs. General Harrison has
| been with her son, Hon. j. Scott Harrison,
| for some time, and knew nothing of the fire.
She has lately been extremely feeble, and
/ for few days her life was despaired Of.
We are happy to learn yesterday that she
was much better.
The various members Of Col. Taylor's
family were cared for by the neighbors and
taken to their houses, where they will re-
main temporarily. Almost everything was
! lost. A little clothing and furniture and a
few paintings were saved, but everything else
was consumed. There we're many relics of
| General Harrison, such rs the banners pre-
ana U.nclnnati M uiHSiss i.s.of Of lndaaaPo!ls
&C., which have thus persisted. And the
public have sustained a great loss in the
destruction of mass of valuable cores
pondence and papers reaching from General
Harrison's first entry into public life till
the untimely close Of his career. These
papers were stored in one of the garrets,
and only basketful or two were saved
There was no insurance on the property.
The famous residence of Gen. Harrison
was beautifully situated, about 300 yards
back from the river and facing it in the
midst of a clump Of fine treess, chiefly To-
Gusts. A row Of these trees stood tall and
green in front of the house like sentinels,
and Yesterday they seemed as if they had
been killed at their posts, for their branches
were burned. their leaves shriyelled and
their whole appt arar CO was moribund.
The residence itself consisted of the CEN
tral log cabin and wings running east and
west. The Log Cabin, which has become SO
famous in our political history, whose men
ton even yet makes glow of the spirit of
40, was the second built at this place. The
first was that built by the patenteo and first
settler John Cleves Symmes, and was loca-
ted nearer the river than General Harri-
sons. The Log Cabin was of the genuine
and unadulterated kind, built of huge logs,
with gigantic stone chimneys, and finished
in the backwoods style. The cabin however,
was long since clapboarded, and the wings
which were added, being built in modern
style, the wholeed present Symmetrical
appearance.
As General lIarrison's family grew nu'
mcrous, additions were made to the cabin
till the structure grew to length OF some
fifty feet or more, and proportional width
When asked why he did not build new
house upon the hill that rises back of thu
present building, General Harrison replied
that he found the cabin there, and had addee
to it as occasion required, until he had addet
so much, that it hardly seemed worth while
to desert it altogether.