Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-01-18
LOCAL NEWS.

A REaIINIScENcE OF THE GREAT FIRE OF
lS27.-We have been furnished by friend
with the following:
'"ThiS day is the anniversary Of the great fire
Of the year 1927. The day was extremely cold'
and the river was frozen over. There was no
Cameron water to beg had then, as now, pul
only pumps and fire buckets. Sometimes "uen
fire happened near the river lto ' mao
formed to a dock, and the supply Vi "atei T
much increased. Every house was ny 'e eNs
obliged to be provided with 1te oueA 81 ;oa
each story, and the Supefinieuueuf' L o,ot
;nSnoo,;nn After every fire there used to be Il
- aoa~nb for the buckets among the piles
30 aside, and many were lost, or course
go go sunk in the river, some burnt up, and
Otherwise missing, as In these junk tlmes-to
The emolumeht of the saddlers who made them
snd the painters who marked the owners names
on them.
''The FIRE broke out just after breakfast time
10 cabinet makers shop, on the alley running
into Royal street, least side), between King
and Prince streets 1t took southeastery
course, crossing Fairfax and Water, and down
to Union street Every Que worked hard,
and even ladies were working In the line, which
was honorably mentioned by a member OF Con
gress who was here and saw it.
"An amusing thing happened on that day.
A gentleman named Jonathan Crossor some
thing like it-kept hardware store on King
street, near Fayette. He was in room back
of the store filing or polishing up something.
as he was an industrious man No one, OF
course disturbed him, as everybody who could
leave had gone down town. He thought it was
very quiet, and towards dinner time he started
to 90 10 Atkinson's blacksmith shop, on Fay
cite street and as he went he saw English s
flour store, where Portner's brewery now is,
closed. Well, says he, it must be very cold,
as people cannot do business. All this time he
had heard no alarm of fire. When he got to
Atkinsons shop, that was closed too Bless
nv soul, says he, is it too cold to work IN
blacksmith's shop? So he returns to King
street, aud goes to Parks's shop, near the cor
ner. and found that shut too. By this time he
would not have been surprised to learn that
the north pole of the earth had come this way.
He knocked, and before he could ask ques-
ton, girl asked him if the ships were saved
or not?' What ships?' said he. Why don't
you know the town is on tireY He looked
down town, and sure enough there was some
smoke! SO down he goes southeastern y-gets
into Prince street, and near Union ne finds
some strange fire engines, and crowd of
strangers working tnem. linen He was certain
it was all dream, and he rubbed his eyes to
see; but no, he was awake, and there was
some fire! The mystery was soon explained.
There was a circus company here at the time
and when the fire broke out one of the riders
mounted feet horse, was very soon in Wash
ington, aud rode through Pennsylvania avenue,
crying out, Alexandria is on fire. This man
and the circus company deserve to be honorably
Some of the companies hitched
horses to their engines, and rode and ran here
in a very short time, and did good service
Our Rip Van Wrinkle friend lit among them,
and no wonder he was surprised--ior such q
thing had never happened nor been expected
before
Congress made donation for the benefit of
the sufferers, of $50, 000-as well as is remem-
bered-the files of the Gazette will show
There was some slight opposition, on constitu
tional grounds; but the friends of the grant
cited the grant to Caracas of $50 600, to repair
the damage done by an unconstitutional earth
quake, and said if We could give money to foreign
ers IN distress why could We not to our own peo-
pie aud those under our exclusive government
So it passed. AN ALEXANDRIAN.'