Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-07-18
FIFTY YEARS Ago
IN THE STAR

After the war there was keen interest
in Washington in the various records Of
the Confederacy that
RAcords ~ xha that were captured at
the strongholds Of the
Con1e0efateS. southern armies upon
their evacuation. for it was recognized
that they would throw a light Of great
historical importance upon the proceed
ings Of the rebellion. In The Star of
July IL. 1865. is a paragraph on this
subject:
Mai. Shipman Of the LIST Wisconsin
from Macon, Ga, having in charge forty
rebel government. They consist of
complete record of the proceedings Of the
rebel provisional congress held at Mont
gomery. Ala. in the spring Of 1861. These
documents were captured from Howell
Cobb. in whose possession they had long
ago been placed for safe keeping. The en-
tire official history Of the rebel army Of
the Tennessees, comprising all Its records
while under the command OF Bragg. John
ston and Hood, Is in this lot; also the
books of the rebel treasury department.
captured at Albany, Ga. which point they
had reached as a part of jeff Davis
train. These important documents will
be turned over to the War Department,
amount Of official matters pertaining to
the rebel government and its armies. At
present this matter is not accessible and
Is preserved for investigation by the
pers the true history of the rebellion win
eventually be gathered
~
Fifty years ago Barnum's Museum
was one Of the features Of New York
city. visited
Barnum's Museum by every
in New York Burned. the metropo-
lis. and a popular resort for New York
ers themselves. His collection Of Gu
riosities and relics and human freaks
was world famous. Located in the heart
OF the business section, 1t was a con-
spicuous landmark. July 10. 1855. it
rapidly from the museum building to
adjacent structures and caused i'm
mense damage. In The Star of the
next day is dispatch from New York
regarding this catastrophe. as follows:
scum. extending rapidly to the adja-
cent buildings on Broadway and on
Ann and Fulton streets. The museum
was totally destroyed. Nos. IL. IA, 1c
parties. including jones' shoe store,
Groot's restaurant. French. Wheat,
Dick & Fitzgerald. printers, and others,
were destroyed. No. 216 Broadway, oc-
cupied by White. halter, and Ramps
restaurant. was destroyed. No. ga
Broadway, occupied by Rogers & Ray
mond. clothiers, and Reeves billiard
saloon. was consumed. No PIP Broad
way, occupied by Knox. halter, and 9TH
ers. was destroyed. The firemen were
out in full force. and the flames were
here stayed. The fire originated over
the boiler in Barnum's Museum. The
heat was SO intense that st. Paurs,
opposite the museum, took fire, but the
firemen saved it from the flames"
One Of the most famous features of
Barnum's collection was Ned" the train
ed seal One of the firemen dragged him
out of the building and carried him on a
cart to Fulton market, where he was put
in fish tank. The rescue Of some Of the
human freaks was picturesque. Anna
Swami, the giantess. was nearly burned
to death because she tried to save her
effects. The policemen saved the Greek
slave and the fat woman, and the giant,
dressed in his full regalia, was also led
from the building to place Of safety.
A great whale, kept in a tank in the base
ment, was killed. The losses were es-
timated at s1.50O.o0O. and the total in
surance of the properties destroyed was
about $250,00O.