Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-20
Ok Teams Used in Moving.

TX leamS OSeQ IN moving.
He then sent Off three messengers into
the country. one of whom obtained from
Mr.. John Wilson. whose residence is six
miles from the city. the use of a cart and
four oxen; il did not arrive at the office
until after dark Monday night when IL
was Immediately laden with the most i'm
portant books and papers. which were
taken. on the same night. nine miles to
a safe place in the country We continued
to remove as many of the most valuable
books and papers, having removed tho
manuscript records. we We're able to do.
with one cart, until the morning of the
day of the battle of Rladenshurg after
which we were unable to take away any
thing further.
Everything belonging to the Office to-
gether with the Library of Congress We
venture TO say. might have been removed
In time, II carriages could have been pro-
cured; but IL was altogether impossible
to procure them, either for hire or by
force.
The most material papers which have
been lost are the last volumes of the
manuscript records OF the committee on
ways and means. claims and pensions and
revolutionary claims. The clerks were en-
gagged in bringing up these records pre-
vious to the alarm, and il not
certain that the enemy would get TO the
city, and being DESTROYS to have them
completed, they We're not packed away
with the rest, but were kept out that
they might be finished by the meeting of
Congress, but with the intention of taking
them to a private residence. If such re-
moval should be found necessary.
After the defeat of our troops at Bla-
densburg Mr.. Frost removed them TO the
house commonly called Gen. Washing
tons, which house being unexpectedly
consumed by fire. these records were thus
unfortunately lost
Mr.. Frost was a lifelong member and
IA Of hn E>tra
pany, located near the Capitol build
ing, and in 1857. when firemen's con-
vention was held to establish the sem
iority of the volunteer fire companies.
Mr.. Frost, in his letter, stated that his
company was the first to be organized.
but "the books. papers. etc. were de-
stroyed In the confiagration of my
dwelling in the attack upon the city
in August, 1914"
Ruins Sold in 1877.
The ruins were sold August Z. 1917.
by George c. Washington. a grand
nephew of the President, as trustee in
the suit of Washington against Wash
ington. to David English and w. s.
Nichols. the former selling his half
to Peter Morte. who used the old end
walls and erected the two houses which
are now above the second story of the
building.
In the twenties one of them was oc-
cupied by John G. Mcdonald, then "A
clerk in the Office of the secretary of
the Senate. In 1890 the property was
put up for sale.
Nicholas Callan bought it for $4,000.
and three years afterward sold II TO
Lieut. Charles Willis Wilkes. after
ward admiral for $4,000. Subsequently
Lieut. Wilkes was sent on an exploring
expedition to the Pacific and Antarctic
regions and during this expedition he
made many valuable discoveries ana
returned home after an absence OF
nearly four years with many speei-
mems some of which are on exhibit
ton at the museum.
These were first deposited in the mu-
scum in the patent office, and the plants
were cared for in the greenhouse erected
north of that building. but subsequently
found their way to the Botanical Gar
dens Lieut. Wilkes and force OF ohi-
GERS and clerks used one of the houses IN
making I'D his reports from that expedi-
ton before removing his residence 10
Lafayette Square.
About 1851, when the work on the en
tension of the Capitol was commenced,
the street in front was cut down az
depth of over twenty feet IN ordef 10
facilitate the hauling of the marpie ahd
other material from the Baltimore ahu
Ohio depot The stone quarried near
Texas Baltimore county, Md. was uh-
loaded at about the corner OF Notth ap-
itol and D streets and hauled TO the shops
about the Capitol grounds Inc nioho
liths came here rough heWed, ana 'ues
we're worked up capitol Hill by capstah
20 which horsepower was attached.
Subsequent to the WAT the street WAS
;mnroved and beneath the building TWO
stnr;as were constructed. and IL was de-
voted then to hotel purposes. being hrst
known as the Hillman House tneh me
Kenmore. Hotel Burton and Washington