Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-01-06
Letter from f.eeSb;rg.

Correspondence Of the Alexandria G,zette
LEEsHCRG, VA. Jan. ), 1873. We had,
about nine 0 click last ipht, an alarm of fire
which was very near teing Of serious charac
Ter The sccJ;n; ii ,or Of Douglass 4 SelIman 5
grocery vas discovered to be OIL fire, and the
doors Of the lover floor we're burst open. Men
rushed in with buckets of water and in five
minutes our engine wa, at work aud the lire
got under: but it 5as probably an hour or more
before the engine was withdrawn. Our new
rubber hose. from tlst0n, Of Baltimore, acted
charmIngly under the cxortlons OF our paid hre
Department, who had an abundant supply OF
water.
Not a great deal of damage was done, mainly
~ the water which was iudiciously used
Among the most active Of the hremen were
David Akcr and Wn Head and TWO Of our
der citizens, John W. Haumerly and ". III.
iHoinas.
The coored people worked molly at the en-
CINE, ard, after the fire was subdued IN sweep
ing out the water from the upper to the lower
| floor.
The building belonged to Mr.. R. W. Gray,
who, [ am sorry to say. is lying i'll OF para
| lytc stroke He was quite i'll this morning,
| but this afternoon Is free from pain and cheer
|
The building is almost in the centre OF the
town, being opposite the Court House square
corner.
Louis Washington, coorcd was, few days
| since, placed in Jail for forging the name OF
Mr. Joseph D. Kelley to orders on one or more
firms i'll this place.
Raining most Of the day; frost coming out
rapidly; s!ush abundant; men standing IN slip
pvry places and sometimes falling trom them.
| Sl2igiiing is over, and the general wish Is to
| sec the brOwn earth once more. Good night,
ALlaUls.
ROYAL DIsINTERMENTS.- In some remark
able Instances, where the location OF the burial
places of celebrated ners0nages has been III dis
lutc the work OF Identification has been ac-
complshcd by the discovery of what were
plainly perceived to be the remains Of the in.
dividuai in question. In other instances the
body has been completely identified by the
close resemblance Of the face OF the corpse to
cx:aut pictures, husts or coins. The ldcnllf-
cation oi the rcuIaiDs of Henry ~, in Canter-
bury Ga;Lcdra after the lapse OF nearly four
centuries and !; half, IS an example Of the first
class Of eases, the identification Of the remains
Of Charles l., alter l6j years, OF the second
class The remains of Charles |. were COM
rlelcly Identified by the striking resemblance
nf' til. ccuytcnancc, Notwithstanding its dis
figurc!ncn, to its portrait, and by the fact that
the nrrk was found smoothly divided across
We have the following particulars Of the ex-
crlent condition, after IG5 years, Of Il body
suddenly deprived Of life, cinlameh and IN
crrca in lead:
Ga removing part Of the lead coffin an inner
coffin Of wood, much 'iccayctl. was cXposcd,and
within this the body, wrapped in cere cloth III
to the folds ot' which an lnctuous matter mixed
with rnsin had been poured 10 exclude the air.
The coffin was quite fall, and on removing The
covering from the face the skin was found
dark af;l discolorcd. the forehead and temples
well preserved, the cartilage of the nose gone,
tn, characteristic pointed beard perfect, the lett
ear entire and the left eye and full though
it vanished on exposure. The head was found
loosed. ana was easily taken out and held to
view. 1t was heavy, wet with u liquid which
gave to writing paper and linen ercenish rcd
tinge the textures Of the urck were solid, and
:. the back part Of the scalp WAS perfect and OF a
relna! hub.y llcsl, appearance. The hair OF the
head was ii beautiful dark brown, that Of the
beard VI IA rc,l,lcr tint. The divided muscles OF
the nccE: il;tl rctracied considerably, and the
smooth ,u.tcc o.. Tie divided vcrclT was
visible
/ In the sarrc vault in which Charles / was
inferred. Henry VIII had been deposited. The
leaicn cnlin, which had been enclosed in Il thicl;
clm case. appeared to haze been beaten in, so
IL IL leave I'm opening largo enough to expose
the mere skeleton of thcking. with some beard
upon the chin The body Of the king had then
been Inferred 26G years. 10 the preservation
Of bones it is Impossible to Setany limit Of time.
The bones of King Dacobcrt, d.intcrrcd from
the Church Of ST. Denis after 200 years,
others, from Polnpcli, after 1900, and others
as parts of Egyptian mummles full 2Oon years
old-attcSt their pcrmancncc.
GEoEGErowN. This old city is no longer an
independent municipality. BY the creation OF
Il Territorial Government for the District OF
Columbia, Georgetown constitutes two pre-
C nets OF the Territory for voting purposes only
and has two members of the Legislature. Gov
ernor Cooke resides there. and We believe some
members Of the Board Of Public Works and
Board OF Health also.
BY the comprehensive plan of improve
moEs' adopted for the District, Georgetown
has undergone striking mctamorphoSls-
High Street has been cut down about fifteen
feet and the low places filled up. Bridge Street
has been graded to correspond, and the large
Brick Market House has been raised bodily by
Jack Screws some fifteen feet This change
has rendered necessary filling up of the street
opposite, literally burying up some Of the tene
nents. and destroying their business facilities
In this submerged condition, We found on a
recent visit, our friend McGill and his George.
t,wu Courier 1t required some skill an
great caution to make safe d SC mt into his
sauctum through mud and water. 1t would
seem to require the tc.nocrancnt Of Saint to
stand blockade %! this sort for two whole
months. Surely the Board Of Public Works
will make recommendation of damages in a
case ike this - Chnrlr,to~n FIRE. Press
FAIRFAX COUNTY ITEMS. One day this
week a sen and daughter Of Mr.. }. J.. Suth,
residing near Vienna, were out slcigh.riding
when some part Of the harness gave way, caus
ing the sleigh to run upon the heels Of the