Evening star., 1909-08-29

as it now is, but there was no portico on
the north side, the main entrance beihS
ON the south side. The east and west
executive buildings at 18th and itn
with the south side of f street. Ihey
each contained near forty rooms in three
stories, and. besides the departments ac
comlnodated other officers. The depart
ments were Of brick and the walls were
but little injured.
The post and patent Office building
which was intended by Mr.. Blodget Tor
hotel PURPOSES, was spared; and in the
following month, by the session OF the
Thirteenth Congress. it was the Capnoi
pro tem An officer led his detachment
and halted to the front on e street be-
tween 1ttf and 9Th streets, when he was
met by Dr. Thornton, superintendent OF
the patent Office. and he acceded to ms
plea for the preservation of that deposi-
tory Of the arts and sciences Inc
knowledge that the bureau OF military
supplies was also there was not COM
municated otherwise it would have shared
the fate of the others Nineteen years
after it accidentally caught fire and the
loss was total.
The office Of the National Intelligencer,
on the south side of the avenue between
presses broken, type scattered and the
books and papers, including Mr.. Gales
library, were thrown out the oach
windows, placed In pile and burned
Cockburn is said to have shown his tem-
per by personally feeding the flre rms
vandalism was perpetfated in retaliation
for the course of Gales and Seaton. the
editors and prOprietors, in upholding the
administration of Madison. Though the
former was of English birth, he, with Mr.
f,oA 1o6
through arrangements with the military
authorities. they. with the office force,
served alternately in the office ana neid
After getting out the paper or August the
oath the entire force was in the ranks
The building was saved from the torch by
some OF the women of the neighborhood.
The stock Of the rope works Of Renner q
Health, on the Mall, was of use to the
enemy, who took possession of and carried
off over $4,000 worth Of 1t and DESTROYED
the building. Strenuous efforts had they
made to move their stock, but the wagons
that were engaged were pressed into gov
ernment service, and hence it was carried
off by the enemy. Congress some years
later reimbursed them.
The arsenal, then a small inclosure, at
the end of Greenleaf's point was the scene
of an explosion and considerable loss OF
life to the enemy. 1t consisted of few
shops, storehouses and barracks, and,
with the house occupied by A. ID. Willard
the chief artificer, was destroyed. A
heavy gun, north of the inclosure, COM
manded the channels. 1t was then de-
pot of supplies, with Capt. FL. Rodgers,
M.S.K., and Capt. N. Baden's company
was here posted Before leaving several
buildings were destroyed, and some OF the
public stores were saved by removal
Much of the powder In kegs was at
tempted to be concealed in a dry well. The
following afternoon a detachment of about
200 of the enemy, including Capt. Blanch-
ard. on a maraudng expedition. entered
the arsenal to demolish it, and while here
the powder In the well, with magazine
of loaded shell nearby, exploded. hurting
a number to death.
An English account gives as the cause
the accidental dropping Of a lighted port
fire into the we'll by an artillerist. and
after describing the demolishment OF
buildings. the flying OF earth, stone and
bricks, gives the loss of about twelve
killed and thirty wounded. But there Is
another story to which more evidence is
given by descendants of former officers
and workmen. This is that some of Capt.
Baden's men had remained behind and
with one or two others laid fuse from
the well to boat concealed in the high
grass south, anticipating the visit of the
enemy; that when the place was crowded,
as they judged from the noise. the fuse
was lighted, and. they hastily. rowed away