Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-01-24
SECOND edition.
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4 O'CLOCK r. n.
GOVERNMENT BEOURITIEB.
Jay Cooke k %. furnish ths following quo.
tations OF Government securities:
WAaUINGFOR. Tan 1SAS
DEPLORABLE DISASTER.
Destruction Of the Smithsonian Institu.
Nv

u
ton by Fire.
About IS minutes to to. day the community
was startled by seeing fire issuing from the
Smithsonian Building, and shortly the whole
central portion Of the building was enyeIoped
in flames.
The fire originated In the loft above the pic.
turs gallery, between the ceiling and the roof.
west wing OF the building, and is believed to
have been caused by a defective fue. The
ceiling speedily fell in, and In q few moment.
the gallery was one sheet of flame.
Workmen had been engaged during the day
in hanging up pictures in this room, all Of
some four or five. The paintings thus de-
stroyed were very fine, and included StanIy's
celebrated Indian Gallery.
the lecture room fsi. DRIVING ont the firsme o,
who were endeavoring to confne the flames to
the picture gallery.
The flames extended to the lecture room
and main tower, and thence to the apparatus
room.
Only a small portion of the valuable appa. .
ratus in this room was saved, as the heavy ap-
paratus could not be removed.
The first known Of the FIRE by Prof Henry
and Mr.. Knees, who were In the Professors
rooms. was from a crashing sound like that of
ice falling, and rushing out they found the
whole lecture-room adjoining in flames. some
Of the meteorological observations were saved
from the secretary's rooms, but the more val.
liable documents, including the correspondence
OF the Institution, the back reports, &c, were
destroyed. Mr.. Rhees also lost much OF his
own valuable personal property stored there
The fire spreading to other portions of the
building, 1t was deemed prudent to remove
the furniture from ths east wing, occupied by
Prof. Henry as private residence, and also
the stuffed birds and preparations from the
taxidermsts rooms, but in the haste, and from
the narrowness OF the passages, much damage
was done to the property SO removed
Superintendent Richards and the police
force were promptly on the ground and
stretched az Gordon Of rope to keep away the
work OF removing the immense amount Of
property.
burst forth in full volume from the main roof,
was nagnifcently grand, and curious spec.
tacle was presented by the unperturbed stead
mess of the revolutions Of the thermometer (or
wind register) surrounding the tower, while
the fierce flame was ravenously mounting to
its destruction.
The windows Of the picture gallery soon
burst out, disclosing only the shell of the room
There were some 300 Of Stanley g pictures here,
and he was just upon the point of selling them
to the State of Michigan Indeed, not an hour
before the fire broke out lady who had been
commissioned to see to the purchase was at the
gallery examining them.
In this room was the valuable statue OF the
Dying Gladiator, owned by Mr. Mcclure, of
this city, and which statue will OF course be
ruined as work of art
Some little delay occurred in sounding the
alarm, owing to the ice which had accum ulated
around the telegraph alarm box, which rem
rendered it difficult to open. As soon as the
alarm was given, however, the Government
and city fire departments responded promptly,
and the Franklin, No l, was the first to reach
the ground and get to work.
Superintendent Richards, with a large de-.
tail of Metropolitan Policemen, reached the
place some ten minutes after the alarm was
sounded, and Immediately took possession of
the building, allowing no one but the fremen
and those connected with the institution to
enter.
Shortly afterwards detachment OF the Pro.
vost Guard, consisting OF men of the 9th regi-
ment Veteran Reserve Corps. under command
OF Lieut.. Patterson, reported to Superipten.
dent Webb for duty, and rendered efficient
service in guarding the property, and assist
ing in removing the effects of the building.
In order to prevent persons from getting too
near the building, thereby endangering their
lives by falling timbers, rope was stretched
Of number Of Lieut. Patterson's men.
At the present writing it is believed that the
fire will be restricted to the central and upper
portion OF the building, and that the museum,
the walls OF which are fire proof; the west wing
containing the valuable library Of some 10000
volumes, and the east wing, prof. Henry's
residence will be saved.
The fire, as above stated, is believed to have
originated from defective fiue, as the fl ues of
the building were badly constructed through
may have been the work Of an incendiary, as
several persons ia We been detected lately steal
ing articles from the building, and one Of them
6 emit to the penitentiary.
We are glad to learn, as we go TO press, that
many Of the valuable original records OF the
Institution were saved.
A portion OF the east tower On the north
front fell about AIS, witha terrific crash, caus-
Ing general scattering OF the crowd, but for
tunately 40 one was in lured.