Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-23
FIFTY YEARS AGO
IN THE STAR

AXy AxAA NJ AAAN
On the morning Of Sunday. Decem-
Der Is. 1867. the Calvary Baptist
Church. standing
Calvary pon+;.+ then, as now, at
sth and n streets
Church Burned. northwest was
totally destroyed by fire. all that re-
NAMED being the north and east walls
and the tower. The loss was about
s134, 900, with insurance totaling $ss.ooo.
The fre started from . detective due.
and on this subject The Star Of De-
cember 1s said:
Defective fues seem to be the curse
Of modern architecture, and notwith-
standing the many and destructive
fires originating from them no effective
measures appear to DO adopted to check
the growing evil. though architects
and builders give us in plenty what
they are pleased to call fireproof build
ings. Hardly week passes that
fire does not occur in some part OF the
country from this cause.-The latest in
stance abroad being the destruction Of
one Of the buildings Of Bishop Camp
bells College at Bethany, Va; while at
home we are not without frequent and
costly evidences Of ignorance or care
1essness in this respect That massive
piece of stoneworl1, the Smithsonian
Institution. was to everyoodys sur
prise, so badly damaged by fire in this
way. some two years ago; that the
intervening time. and we don't know
how much money, have not yet sufficed
to put it in complete condition; and yes
terday morning the costly and beautiful
edi1ce known as Calvary Baptist
Church came to destruction. burnt
curity. With these losses staring us
in the face. the question whether we
cannot have with our modern improve
ments fues that are absolutely safe be-
comes one OF vital moment. as affecting
not only property but human life. II
we cannot, we had better take into con-
sideration the propr4ety Of returning to
the old-faehioned drum stoves and
wide-mouthed dreplaces. Tho exercise
of proper skill and care on the part OF
ever, 1t seems to us render this retro
grade measure Of safety unnecessary.
and we hope somebody will invent and
give US such q thing as safe fiue."
Fifty years ago tho Washington
Monument stood Incomplete, an eyesore
and a reproach. Tho
Funds for the funds had been ex-
hausted and subscrip-
monument. lions from the public
for the completion OF the shaft had
practically ceased. In these circum-
stances the Washington National Monu-
Y1a n FOR
financing tho enterprise. az stated in
the following, printed in The Star of
December IS, 1867:
"At a meeting Of the society in No
yember 1t was proposed by the presi
dent Of one of our national banks to
call to the aid of the society the ma
tional banks of the country. by obtain
ing from each one of them a subscrip-
ton equal to one-tenth Of per cent OF
900 of their capital stock. payable in
four annual installments. A committee
was appointed to lay the matter before
these institutions and solicit their aid
which has been done. We are glad to
announce that every national bank in
the District has responded to this re-
quest and sent in the flrst'subscrfption
This will be gratifying to every true
American, and we hope will produce a
similar response throughout the land
The amount which will be realized in
this way, if the plan is generally IA
vored. will be enormous and sufficient
to place the capstone on the Monument
Of the father of his country. 1t is ap-
propriate that Washington banks
should be the first to respond to this
appeal We hope that all will respond.
and that our fellow citizens throughout
ample. make what was failure a graft
flying success and convince the world
that republics are not ungrateful."
Rumors that the foundations Of the
Capitol were insecure circulated half a
century ago and more.
The CapitoPs and, though denied
from time to time,
Foundation. persisted. In The Star
of December 20, 1867, mention occurs Of
this matter. as follows:
IN the debate in the Senate today
upon the resolution suspending opera
lions on the new Jail. the question of
the advisability of carrying on impor-
of the year was raised, and In this con-
nection it was stated by Senator Grimes
that the foundations Of the west front
of the Senate end of the Capitol had
sunk some four inches. Senator Hen
bricks said that when he was in the
House, some years ago, a committee
had reported that the foundations of
the Capitol were insecure, but he was
now satisfied that the idea was ground
less and believed that the Capitol would
stand a thousand years"
x X
The poor of Washington suffered
seriously during the winter of 1s67-6S
owing to the severity
Efforts to Aid OF the weather, the
City's Poor. bread and mea, and
the lack of employment. The board OF
aldermen passed a bill to appropriate