Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-10-16
ALEXANDRIA MUSEUM.
Most of an Interesting Collection of
Relics Destroyed By Burning OF
The City Hall in 1871

ent generation are aware OF the
fact that there was in by-gone years
an institution known as the Alex
andria Museum. One night in May
1871, when the City Hall was on
fire, every effort was made to pre-
serve the city's archives and other
valuables, and to keep the flames
away from the steeple. Despite all
precautions and labor, however, the
fire eventually entered the steep!e,
which, acting as chimney, the
structure was soon a burning column.
1t began to stagger. and the thou
sands of our people who were watch
ing the progress of the confagration
saw the steeple, which had been
standing before any of them had
been born, fall into Royal street with
an awful crash. A cry Of horror
came up from the multitude and some
wept. The Alexandria Museum with
most of it's contents was the next
prey of the flames.
The Alexandria Museum was sit
uated in the City Hall. 1t had its
origin in Alexandria Washington
Lodge of Masons, but the relics be-
coming too numerous to be placed
at advantage in the lodge room, nine
ty-nine years ago this December
committee of Masons made applica-
ton to the City Council for permls-
sion to place most of the articles OF
interest which had been gathered
for wears in room in the City Hail.
A room in the third story was fit
ted up for the purpose, and in
short time the Alexandria Museum
vas one of our honored institutions.
and continued to- be for three-score
years
We have not yshesroom to give. 2
list of the many Curious and in
teresting articles in this museum. 1t
can be found in !"The Lodge OF
Washington" a book published by
the late f. l.. Brockett. A. A.
Uhler later brought the history down
70 the close of the nineteenth CEN
tury.
Among the articles which appear
ed in this museum was one which at
tracted probably less attention than
most others. The larger number OF
relics were of revolutionary days III
the United States as we'll as of those
in France. and the eyes CT visitors
were generally rivetcd on them. Com
paratively few people came to Alex
andria in those days, and the num-
her of tourists who visited us in a
wear might be counted upon the
fingers. But few of this class ever
heard of the Alexandria Museum,
and visitors to it were few and far
between.
The curiosity we refer to was a
wooden cross composed Of three
thousand pieces. 1t was made by a
prisoner in the city Jail, and afte-
his release it was placed in the
museum. While composed of three
thousand pieces, but few were OF the
same size. They ranged all the way
from matches up to pieces as thick
as a mans arm. Fragments OF
shingles, lathes. wooden match boxes
of that day, in fact any pieces oil
wood. large or small the man could
secure entered into the composlrlor
of this cross. After he had finished
it, he smoothcd it off with a clasr
knife. sandpapered it anu finally
! vanished this emblem Of Christian
ity. It then would have been taker
for one solid piece.
The stranger who constructed this
| curiosity had been arrested on sus
picion of committing crime, ana
! he was detained here for some time
as it was believed positive evidence
against him would be procured even
tually. None was found, however,
and he was finally set free.
The writer has often thought tina
this relic of bygone days might 5c
taken fguratively by all. Cross
bearers have been in the world ever
since man was placed upon it. This
relic of the days of the Caesars was
at the dawn of the Christian era as
ghastly an object as the gibbet Of
our day. It, however, soon became al
emblem for the followers Of tn;
meek and lowly Nazarene, and con
tinues to be. Our crosses, like tina
described above, are composed o.
manv pieces. Some (our petty wor