The national Republican., 1861-12-28
The Fire At the Governme ent stables,
TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE HORSES BURNED
.#... a. ID TO DEATH.

| TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE HORSES BURNED
| u.... o.. TO DEATH.
The sight yesterday Ut tue scene Of the late
disastrous nre In the first ward, beggared de.
scripuon. The ground occupied by several of
| the burned stables was covered with the dead
and oharred bodies Of upwards " two hundred
horses, which lay stretched in p rallel rows
along almost the whole length Of the field.
Nothing remained Of the six stables destroyed
save here and there y blackened post, or q
fragment Of oharred wood too heavy tn be
blown away BY the wind, which had swept from
the ground all minor particles Of the ruins.
horseshoes, horseshoe nails, harness buckles,
chains, bride bits, DO, lay strewed around in
the greatest profusion, and we're being busily
| gathered up BY the boys, with which the field
was crowded. The spectacle was scksning in
thing but pleasant feelings about the gastric
regions; Eo Counted on ,he ground ,,o ,oa.. ., ,wo
hundred and four dead horses, some of them
almost totally consumed, some only partially,
and others bearing scarcely any traces at ali
OF The element which caused their death.
The horses whichwere burned belonged prin.
oipally TO wagon trains of different regiments
on this side Of the river, and were not In charge
OF Captain Cottingham, who only has the care of
those intended for delivery on requsition from
tho Quartermaster General efice. When the
fre broke out, Mr. Cottingham Immediately
gave orders to turn the horses loose, and by
this means saved hi> entire lot Of one thousand
We noticed the body Of one fine animal ut the
foot OF the steps cf the Treasury building,
hairless and Ihin"ceros like, having dropped
there from sheer exhaustion, after u run OF
half mile; but not dying at once, bullet
through his head hav ng ended his suffsrings.
They were being brought in during all of ', 6.
terday, taken up at Bladensburg, Tennally town,
and other points. They we're not branded but
have m silly been recovered.
Opt. Cotingham says be Is getting in his full
number, but MANY are poor, lean animals, in
place OF better ones that went out. Many of
them are crOw.baits to all intents and pur.
pOses-almOst worthless for Government or
other purposes. Among them, however, arc
some very good animals.
The origin Of the fire is by no means clearly
shown. The general stAtemen, Of those EN-
ploysd at the corral" is that 1t was Ocoa.
stoned by the dropping Of the bottom of Ian.
tern, not properly secured, among the hay. II
was probably the result Of such accident.
through carelessness, but may have been the
work Of An incendiary.
Six of the stables were consumed by the
flames, and two were torn down to prevent the
spread of the Are TO the adjoining ones. Yes
terday wOrkmen were busily engaged In re-
building those which were torn down, and In
making preparations for rebuilding those de-
stroyed by the FIRE,
A frame house, belonging to Mr.. Jewell, was
totally consumed, and IL was with the utmost
difficulty that an adjoining one, of brick, WAS
saved by the fremen from destruction. The
frame building, at the time, was occupied by a
oolored family, who lost most Of their house
huld effects.