Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-11
Paint y GNRn n1S.<s.
DEC 15 1885,
W
Sketch by W. T. Steiger.

spot and scarcely a move having been made
to save either the building. the books or
the furniture, the flames broke furiously
out; one engine arrived and made a feeble
attempt to play, but there was no SYM
pathy in the crowd the most of whom
stood looking on with feeling apparently
akin to qualification.
Effort to Save Property.
The work of preservation at length COM
menced in the general post office. Mr..
Rives of the Globe John C. Rives) was
seen carrying out whole encyclopedias of
documents. and his example was measure
ly followed by others. While this was
going on the smoke was seen to issue from
the upper story of the general post office
situated near the west end of the build
ing The flames soon followed; they were
spreading with fearful rapidity to every
part of the edifice; whole cataracts of fire
fell into the lower stories, carrying tim
bers and rafteIs with them. and 1t became
obvious to all those that total destruction
must follow
The enginess of which there were now
two in attendance ceased their ineffective
EFFORTS and began to play on the adjacent
buildings. While these events were pass
Ing the wind was breeZ;ng gently from the
westward of north, thus blowing the hot
embers and fragments over against the
opposite house of w. w. Seaton, esq.,. and
threatening it's destruction. The heat be-
came so intense that you could not bare
composing the pipes down the wall began
to melt and 1t was no longer possible for
the hremen to stand in the area between
the two buildings. The friends of Mr.. Sea-
ton clustered around him and the house
was stripped of all its moveables, its de-
struction seemed inevitable, and at the very
moment whenever the hope of its preserya-
ton seemed to--haNe- been abadoned the
wind chopped suddenly around to the
southwest, and the house was saved When
you speak hereafter of the malevolence of
the wind remember that it once at least
did generous act. for had 1t not been for
this capricfous change. whole blocks from
thence to Pennsylvania avenue must have
been laid PROSTATE.
The fire communicated to two or three
small buildings in this new direction of the
wind, but 1t was subdued, and at daylight
left burning heap of ruins
Mr.. Pettit's Statement.
Mr.. Charles w. Petit. who still resides in
this city. makes the following statement
embracing his recollection of the fire:
When the post Office fire. in the old
Blodgett Hotel building, on street, took
place. was boy about sixteen years of
age. living on e street between 9Th and
9th streets and remember it well. The bell
on the Unitarian Church. now the Police
Court building. at the northeast corner of
9Th and d streets was then used, as 1t had
been many years before and after. as fire
alarm, and Its loud, sonorous peals awak-
ened me. Like all other boys. 1 was fond
of the excitement OF a fire, and was not
long in reaching the street. A few persons
ran toward 7th street, calling Fire. and
ran. too. When we reached It'll street
the utter destruction Of the building was a
foregone conclusion. for the flames were
pouring out of every window.
The whole interior seemed seething fur