The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-09-19
Corress ondence of the Richmond Dispatch.
fe Destruction of Alisehany Coilege-Farthsr
Particulars

IAc DtSbHSt t"h q ffesH"Hg tpttSe-FaTtSsT
Particulars.
LEwIsBCRG. Sept 1ath. 1860.
The readers of the Dispatch have probably
ere this heard of the fire al the Blue Sulphur
Springs. The following are the particulars of
the disaster:
Last Wednesday night the inmates of the
hotel were awakened by cries of fire, proceed
iug from the servants quarters. On hasten
ing 10 the scene, the whele rear portion Of the
butldinE-coDsisting OF kitchen. servants,
rooms, store-heuse, &c.-was found to be in >.
light blaze. Though there was only a lipht
breeze stirring, the destruction Of the whole
main hotei seemed so inevitable hat the al
teniion OF all was turned to The removal OF
furniture, stores, &c. here were only A. few
servants or guests the ground; bGt thos.
few set 10 work with fearless energy and un-
tirne industry, and succ sdad in saving large
quantities OF furniture and stores The ladies
and children were removed a: an early stage
ot he conhagr2tion 10 the residence of Hr.
Martin, where they received every attention.
After saving all the movable DroDarty efforts
were made TO save the long rows ofcabins ad-
joining The main building, hy the application
OF water and wet blanke's, which [ am hap
ry to say, were su ~sfui Though the guests
had no interest in the property, ch one
worked rs If it Were his own, and with ont
their aid the whole mf IS of buildings must
have perished.
The fire wes at first supposed to have origi-
mated III the bake-hOuse, but subseq uenty
suspicion was formed that it was the work of
lncendiaTies. Four suspCc'4d persons have
been arrested, and are now awaiting eX.
animation OF any further disclosures, you
Will | = duly informed. The loss is variously
estimated at from fifteen TO thirty thousand
dollars. There is slight probability of part
OF the loss ing cover / by insurance. The
buildings were quite old mos { of them having
been built III 81. They were very dry, and
burnt very quickly. The confiagratioh was
one of the most sublime spectacles have ever
witnessed. Only imagine a building of nearly
300 feet in length, burning at once in every
part-the showers of sparks and volumes of
flames which burst up, as portion after por-
ton of the roof fell in--the tops of the moan
tains, for miles around, grandly lit up-and
you will have some idea of the beautiful,
though disastrous illumination.
Most of the readers OF the Dispatch are
aware that the entire Blue Sulphur property
was reCeatly purchf eed by the trustees Of A lie
ghanv College. IL mas / Ell in their posses
sion but a very few days. The College Lii
brary, belonging chiefly y Professors Morris
sett and Shepherd, was entirely consumed,
The valuable apparatus, however, was saved
unhu1t. No officers connected with the 'usti-
tuition were present except Asst Prot. ID. l..
Duncan, and Mr.. COcke, the steward Mr..
VIM. l.. Duucan, the Principal arrived the
next day, and though Of course he was shocked
at the scene that awaited him, he is b. 10
means discouraged so far rom that meet
ing OF the t.ustees hCs en- called, and mea-
sures viii ; taken at once to accommodate all
the students who have applied or will apply
for admission. In It word, the College will
q Just as il was trfore, in every respect, with
ths exception that one building has been de-
stroyed, and that Will soon : replaced. II is
to / hoped that student will be kept back
by this accident, and that the press will aid in
preventing wrong impression trom being
MADE on the public mind. &. +. I.