Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-12-26
Letter from Vienna.

CORRESPONDENCE of the Alexandria Gazatte.
VIENNA, FAIRFAX County. Va, Dec. 25.-
We are having quiet, cheerful Christmas
here, with less drinking, | think. than | ever
saw 10 any place. All day have seen but one
person who appeared to have taken 90 over
load of egg. nog. 1t seems queer to be away at
Christmas from the sounds of guns and pop
crackers, and to see no stir among the people,
but do not think that this is as much of a
holiday among these northern settlers land
they constitute almost our entire population
here as it is among our old Virginia popula-
ton, to whom this is the festival OF the year. :
The members of tho Presbyterian church
here, under the pastorship Of the Rev. John
Brown, have in process of erection neat church
in this village, and Tor the past lew nights
have been holding a fair tor the purpose OF
raising additional funds, and with some consul
cradle SUCCESS. For several nights the rooms
in which it is held Or. Welsh having kindly
allowed the use Of his foundry for the purpose,
ii being the largest building at command) has
been crowded with young and old, resulting IN
the disposal OF great number OF fancy goods
and the dcvuuring OF quantities OF oysters and
other eatables, the ladies' here as elsewhere, be-
ing possessed OF persuasive powers sufficient to.
induce the young meu to spend freely their
surplus change. 10 night was devoted to the
interests of the Sunday School children, to
whom Santa Claus, that patron saint OF good
children, dispensed his favors freely.
Last night VIC were sitting quietly by the
fire, it being, as | suppose, about half past six,
when heard violent explosion, which shook
the house, causing the windows to rattle as
though cannon had been fired near by. At
first | thought the chimney had fallen, or some
thing of that kind had occurred 1t was, how
ever, a meteor of startling dimensions appar-
emily. Persons who were out OF doors describe
it as passing from northwest to southwest, and
as giving light equal to that of the sun. The
light was sufficiently vivid to cause the impress
sion to persons in their houses with curtains
down that bright light was held before the
window, oyerpowering that of the lamps, and
some of the colored people ran out screaming
that the judgment had come. The Conclusion
was sufficiently violent to rattle dishes and WIN
dows and throw goods trOm the store shelves.
The witnesses agree pretty uniformly 10 giving
the interval between the flash and the report
as about two minutes; long enough with sevc-
raj of them to give them time to go out OF doors
to ascertain, If possible the cause of the extra
Falls Church says that it was in the direction
of this village, and as those who saw it here
say it was toward Centrevie, you may form an
idea of it's location from that angle. The Falls
Church witness says it was not sudden crash
there but a prolonged roar, thus indicating
that it was Dea1er here than there, for here all
agree that the sound was as that of near
stroke of tightening, or acanuon fired very close
at hand | hope in few days to be able to
locate it more conclusiyely; and greatly regret
that was not out OF doors at the time. ii.