Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-09
LIGHTHOUSE BURNED
TIE STRUCTURE Al LOWER CEDAR
POINT TOTALLY DESTROYED.
origin cfths Fire Mystery Rescue Of the
Assistant xeepsr-NAvis~sion seriously
Tmpeded-- whcopine- cough-tiEtp.

CONFORM. KING GEORGE COUNTY.
VA, January s.--(specisi. 1.-The burning
OF Lower Cedar Point lighthouse last
week is still wrapped In mystery. and
every effort to ascertain all the particu-
lars for the Dispatch has been unsuccess-
full. Only one man. the assistant keeper.
was on duty when the terrible fire &C.
CURED. and Re seems TO know nothing
whatever OF the origin OF the ire. MIR.
j. c. Grymes. the keeper, had been abb
sent some twcnty-four hours when the
lighthouse burned, and Is. therefore,
unable 70 throw any light on the subject.
This lighthouse stood on bar in the
Potomac river some ffty-five miles be-
low Washington city. and owing TO the
peculiar formation OF the bar and the
adjacent swashes II was the most impor-
tant and perhaps the most costly one be-
tween the Chesapeake Bay and WASH
ington, u. G. IL contained eight rooms.
besides closets. &c, and was IN every
particular a handsome structure. as well
as one OF the most powerful buildings
OF its kind owned by the government IN
these waters. Situated Immediately be-
tween Potomac View. this county. and
Cedar Point. Md. 1t could be seen by
both Maryland and Virginia citizens
many miles away.
DISCOVERED.
On the evening OF the fatal IRE the
assistant keeper raised the great signal
light about sunset, as usual, and then
went down 20 occupy the sitting room On
the lower floor. About O'Clock =. NJ.
Il was discovered that the lower rooms
were rapidly filling with smoke. The
assistant started UP stairs, when he was
met by flames. which had already passed
beyond human control. Mr.. James A.
Arnold, who resides on the banks OF the
Potomac, just opposite the lighthouse.
hut more than two miles distant. has
tened to the scene In a saiboat, and
succeeded in resouihg the ASSISTANT keeper
before the huge tank containing seventy
five gallons OF kerosene oil exploded.
NO CLUE.
II has been conjectured that the I'M
rnense beacon-lamp on the dome or the
lighthouse exploded and set the build
ing on fire, but IL Is argued on the other
hand that the beacon-1amp was absolutely
non-explosive, and that, therefore, the
fire did not originate In that way. Ana
so various theories have been advanced,
but 80 far II is utterly impossible to get
any clue TO the origin Of the fire or to
settle upon any plausible theory as TO
the cause OF the burning. At any rates,
Uncle Sam is out OF pocket many
thousands Of dollars. and navigation is
very seriously impeded by the accident.
PREVALENT
Whooping-cough and grip are very pre-
vaient throughout this section just now
r.f have dpVplOno0
pneumonia.
Some days ago a little son OF Mr.. j.
III. Rawlings fell from n horse and broke
one Of his arms in two places. Medical
aid was soon procured, and the little
sufferer Is now convalescent
Steamer Mattano OF the Potomac river
has been taken off the route for repairs,
and will not resume her schedule for a
month or so.
While the thermometer is ranging up
IN the fifties farmers are turning up the
soil expecting winter weather next
spring.
VIGOROUS OLD HORSEMAN.
An old gentleman whose brow is fur
row ed by the vicissitudes Of three-score
years and ten. arrived here some DAYS
ago from his high mountain home nav
ing made the distance Of nearly 2OJ miles
on horseback In two and half days
He expects 10 go from here TO Wash
ington. u. C.. and to Upper Maryland
on horseback. and promises to average
about seventy miles per day on his jour
ney. This riding capacity excites no
little wonder and comment In this sec
ton. where horseback riding Is rarely In
dulged even by the youth since the ad-
vent Of road-carts and Jumpers at
prices ranging from so 10 sl5 apiece
our local market Is still glutted with
cheap horses. which are not in brisk de-
rnand now at $40, Sl2, and $40 apiece.