The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-08

ana scattered 80 generally owe
the city that PEOPLE were oblige'
to remain on tho tops OF thei
housus the entire day aud night with
buckets OF water, wet blankets. and
every other possible means OF ex
tiDguisbipg these ubiquitous mes
seDgers OF destruction. Houses In
the most remote parts OF the city
more than mile of and entirely
disconnected from the original cause
took fire. In the meantime the advance
Of the flames into the heart of the city
could not be checked for want OF an
organized fire association and the neces-
cary apparatus. The army had alb.
sorbed the able bodied men. and
there was neither head nor authority
left ia the city to organize a defense
against the destroyer. A great fire had
actually begun. and was consuming q
city without an alarm having been
sounded. The roar of its flames alone
heralded It's approach. la the front OF
its pitiless march was only TO be seen a
mob of flying women and children,
mingled with gangs of iawless plum
dereis.
stroyed from the fire begun at Shockoe
warehouse. How then was the
burning of the eastern end of Cary
and Main streets, including the court
house OF Henrico county, to be account
ed forr They were more than half
mile from the original seat Of the fire.
The course of the wind, as described
above, tended to drive the flames
from instead Of towards that end
of the town. This was the work
Of plundering iDsendiaries. These
were actually seen setting fire to stores
and shops low down on Main street.
soon after the fire further up town had
assumed serious proportions. They
could then safely take advantage Of
the confusion and panic to execute
their diabolical designs. The cellars
and shanties of the old part Of the city
in that direction had afforded hiding
places for deserteTs and reDegadss all
through the war. Their day had now
come, and they were not slow to take
of their opportunities. To
them may be attributed the wanton de-
struction in that direction.
Those who are familiar with the
course and extent of the confiagration
on that memorable day will observe
that it extended almost to the extreme
western limit of the city, following the
river and canal. This was chiefly due
to the burning Of the Petersburg Rail-
road bridge. The same wind that bore
the flames northward upon the Gallego
Mills and the heart of the city in that To-
cality. pressed them upon the depot and
other buildings at the end of this bridge.
Thence they were communicated to the
large building In that neighborhood once
used as tobacco factories. and from them
TO the rows of smaller dwellings,. When
the flames reached the State armory
explosions Of ordnance stores scattered
fire and destruction in every direction.
The heavens were invaded by masses
Of bombs bursting in air." while !
fragments came down in show
FRS, threatening destruction to
life and property. The neighbor-
ing dwellings bear marks OF
this unwelcome fusilade to this
lay. At the time Of its occurrence a |
prominent citizen and his wife had a |
narrow escape from death. A large
Fractured shell came down through the
Yelling, SCATTERING the bed from which |
hey had just risen. Another citizen |
was shocked by descending missile IA
il grazed his face and front part OF his |
person. From this hurried review OF /
.he facts connected with the great fire |
IF 1865 it will be seen that there was
no faciious or malignant desire on the
Dart of the retreatipg Confederates de
troy their abandoned capital. On the
contrary there is every reason to be-
eve that could they have anticipated
v hat result was to follow they would
have allowed the enemy TO
possess the tobacco and all the other
tores left in the town.
Photographic views of the burnt
district" taken soon after the great
disaster, show the exact amount
II damage done. From these
t will be- seen that the fire extended
bout one and a third miles along the
liver front, and about four squares into
he heart of the city. This included
of every kind on Arch, Canal,
,ary aud the south side of Main streets
md those on tho several streets inter
Getting them. In addition to these, other
arge buildings were either damaged or
destroyed. among which was the Pres
,yterian Church already referred TO.
But the most serious loss in this conntc-
ion was the destruction Of the State
then standing near the
outheast corner Of the Capitol Square
4, har ha n m |
TODD. 1t had been erected during the
irst gubernatorial term OF Governor
William Smith. because the court could
Tot be accommodated in the Capitol.
Unfortunately, its roof was covered
With shingles. 1t was some distance
rom the center of the fire, and en-
irely isolated from any other build
ng. Its destruction was due to
me of these flying fragments of
luminous paper. No other house
lear 1t was injured. The loss OF this
depository of legal and historical lore
vas the most serious ever sustained by
he State. The several burnings OF
jamestown, the destruction of the old
japitol at Williamsburg, or even this
errible catastrophe vt the Richmond
theatre in 1911, heartrending as tins
vas, did not equal in Importance this
Iisaster.
The ill-fa;ed building to which we
low refer contained almost the entire
ecords of the old General Court from
he year 1919 or thereabouts. Added
o this we're many Of the County Court
ecords which had been brought to
Richmond for safety during the war Of
SOL, besides some of those of the Court
4 Appeals. la order to give some idea
4 the loss here sustained, it may be
veil to repeat what the writer had &C.
aston to say on this subject in another
ace. Within the walls of this perish
bic repository had been stored, written
pom parchment and bound in velium,
be Oldest titles and land patents on
bis continent, excepting, perhaps, the
ncient muniments granted by the
panish Crown to the first settlers OF
'loride. There were to be seen recorded
n full, epaetments Of the earliest dates.
D which bare reference is made in the
ich compilations of Mr.. Hening.
here, too, were to be found recorded
or future inspection and instruc-