New-York tribune., 1896-05-24
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
THE BURNING OF THE FAMOUS OLD
CENTRAL GUARD HOUSE
. n1s,cRrr,prp MsN0RY TO MANY SOLDIERS
a MISSISSIPPI PLANIERs 1ILrSTRAl
v,pv 1,xnresoN,s YOtfNG ADMIRER.


MISSISSIPPI PLANIERs HhcSfRAl
MARY zaxprRsoNs YotfNG ADMIRER.
Washington Nav % tspeeiap.-The old Cen
trail Guard House. which Mayed such p'0'
nent part in military afaits during the wal "@
burned on Monday night. II Wds~n 'ile imam"
section Of the city. on Louisiana-aVe" pe'"'en
Ninth and Tenth SITS. About hfteeh years "eo -
was changed into a W Wholesale seed and farming
implement store. The :Ceatfal Guard House was
one Of the first police station houses erected III
tb,q CITY The military took possession OF 1t as
soon as the war began. and used IT, or al i'f's.
tho greater mart of II, as a military prison uh'H
the close Of the war THE old Capitol prison anu
the Carroll prison which adjoined II were useu
mainly for the imprisonment of spies an" per
sons who were suspected of aiding anu syn
pathizing with the rebels. The Cen'lai '""'"
House was used for bounty jumpers ana deSer''iS
while they were awaiting caprt-marual a'S' o.
storehousa for those soldiers who were plcKeu up
Nv the provost guard for being absent from theT
commands without the necessary authorH!'
One of the famous features of the Central Guaro
House and one which was much dreadeo ny ''i
diers was its shower bath. 1t consls'ed ol All u
d;narv stooe-Hoored cell about fourteen feet
square 1t was used TO sober up drunken soiuleiS
or deserters and make them tell to what regiment
the cell a stream of water from the ordinary NE
hose was turned on him and kept playing on MN.
until he gave up all the information demanded oi
hin, The most wonderful stories were told OF the
shower ath and appeals were frequently maze 10
Secretary stanton and even to President Lincoln
himself 70 order the baths discontinued or account
o,their extreme cruelty The authorities, however
never interfered. for President Lincoln said'
any soldier could save himself from their crue''!
by simply remaining with his regiment All 'he
soldiers of the Army Of the Potomac, whlch III
o,,,ded tho various regiments of New-York, Penn
svlvania Massachusetts. New-Jersey ana the
Eastern States knew Of the shower baths OF the
Central Guard House. even If they had no personal
experience in connection with the same fre-
ouently as many fifty soldiers were oatheu
there during day. In cold weather there was no
great care taken TO have the temperature Of the
water suited to the tastes of the one oatheu' the
service beng g ven jrst as it came from the mains
The Central Guard House was famous for the
great crowd Of prisoners it held the night that
Richmond fell. The cells were filled. as were the
corridors. In order TO furnish more accommoda-
tions prisoners were picketed in lunches on the
outside Of the prison.
There was great jubilaton over the fall of
Richmond. Some one. soon after sundown' mis-
chievously started the story that orders had been
issued to arrest every seriously sober man found
on the streets the theory being that it was the
duty of every one TO celebrate the Joyfui victory
and that those who refrained from getting intoX-
Gated were in sympathy with the rebellion Hun
dreds were arrested that night for no other rea-
son than that they were sober. II was nearly MD
night before il ascertained that the order was
a canard and the prisoners released Sone ol
those who had been thus arrested were inclined 10
grunhIe about It, but the great majority under
stood 1t to be in fun and greatly enjoyed the ex-
perience and found pleasure IN relating IL AFTER
ward.
In conversation the other night on the sub
tect of the improvement of rivers and haroors.
the following story about the value or an apt
illustration was told and vouched for: the
mississippi River Commission had met ch one
occasion TO appOrtion the money put into us
hands by Congress for the Improvement or mat
river Levee work being a feature Of the Com
missions plan, and the benefits from II going 10
neighboring landowners in some measure. the
planters so benef1ting were, as a rule. called
upon to contribute TO the cost. And, as rule.
thev responded. On the occasion in question
the Commission had invited to appear before 1t
the owners of lands lying along certain stretch
of the river where levee work was 10 be begun,
and where IL was badly needed. The Commits
sion had in view the securing OF liberal con-
tribution from the landowners to help swell the
sum il was to set aside. The landowners came
to the meeting but frankly confessed their in
ability to contribute anything toward the work
They had they declared. lost several crops
within few years by overfows. and were help
less
The snokesman for the planters then Illus
tra,ed their condition: Some years ago. MT
Chairman. Governor Alcorn and his wife' OF
Mississippi were passengers on steamboat on
this river which took fire while in midstream'
The danger was great and the excitement III
tense 1t was plain that the boat would De ios''
and that the only safety for those on board was
in taking to the water. Governor Alcorn was a
man of fine courage and good swimmer ana
.a,z,rg his wife. who was at his side almost
frantic he threw ner overheard and plunged
immediately after her Her excitement IN
creased in the water. and her husband saw that
he could not save her unless he could absolutely
control her. So, swimming up to her and SELF
ing her with an iron grip, he ducKed her ih'o d
state Of insensibility, and then, holding her limp
and helpless with one arm. he struck out Vigor-
ously for shore with the other, and landed safe
iy Mrs. Acorn was soon revisTa srs,oberea nut of
We are as helpless. Mr.. Chairman. as was MRS
Alcorn The waters have gone over us SO olten,
we have been ducked into condition where we
can neither help ourselves nor help others heip
us. But we are relying upon you for safety.
The Commission had thought or allowing
$4,000 for work at this point. but the case OF
$Se nIanters was stated with such frankness
and the Alcorn illustration proved so erectiVe,
the sum was increased TO SlO0.ooo Ana the
PLANTERS like Mrs. Acorn, We're saved
They were discussing Nary Anderson and her
struggle for recognition. as disclosed in her
memoirs One Of the party, Kentuckian, said:
"she was in every way a very remarkable girl
She had at the outset quite as much diplomacy as
dramatic talent remember an incident that was
.,s - har rea dlness with Strangens and how sue