Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-01-02
FIFTY YEARS AGO IN
THE STAR. " "

On Christmas day. 1870. the Spotts-
wood Hotel In Richmond. was hurp-
ed while filled With
Fatal Hotel Fire sleeping gueds.
in p;,h~, The Star Of Deem
the story OF this catastrophe, which
was attended by the loss of seven or
more lives. The fire was the more
terrible in its effect because of the
fact that the night was the coolest
experienced in Richmond for thirteen
years. the thermometer standing at
5 degrees above zero and the ground
covered with hard frozen snow. Those
who escaped from the flames suffer-
ed severely. The IRE. which was dis
covered about 2 o'clock in the morn
ing, originated in the lower portion of
the building and spread so rapidly
tnat escape was cut off for many of
those in the hotel. and most of those
who were rescued were taken through
the windows to the ground by way
OF ladders. One of the most startling
Incidents of the disaster was the an
pearance at one of the upper windows
OF man. who. paralyized by fear. sal
tearing paper into small pieces and
throwing tnem out of the window un-
I'll ne fell back into the flames.
In The Star of December IS. 1870, is
an extract from the New York Times
relative to the
What Washington absurd proposal
Should Become. 20 remove ene
westerly situation and pointing out
what should be done to make Wash
ington. obviously the proper place for
the seat of government. more attrac-
tive and worthy. The Times said:
The task which anybody who ID
troubled in mind about the National
Capital should devote himself is not
the discovery of a location for a new
one, out the Improvement of the one
We have got Washington ought to
be made, in its streets and buildings
hitting expression of what is best in
the national character, and above all
of the national love of Improvement
There is no reason why it should not
be model city, not only as regards
architecture but as regards cleanli-
ness, paving. police. lighting, sewer
age and transportation. In all that
regard the government and regula-
ton of great cities the modern world
is sadly behind hand and no country
of the modern world more than ours.
The art OF providing for the health
and comfort of large masses Of popu-
lation is yet in its infancy among US,
and experiments in this field are very
difficult in cities governed by uni
versal suffrage"
Not only were the country roads
around Washington atrociously bad
fifty years ago. but
The Turnpike the main roads were
turnpikes that should
Aeoe' under the terms of
the charters granted the turnpike
companies have been maintained in
substantial condition. The Star in
its issue of December 2s, 1870, strong
ly attacks the turnpike nuisance"
and after quoting the requirements of
the charters. says:
1T is because of the execrable roads
thus maintained as pocket corpora
tions that the country about Wash
ington is SO sparsely settled, and that
citixens seeking rural homes go
twenty and thirty miles out on the
railroad, to Laurel Annapolis juno
ton. etc, instead of settling within
dozen miles of Washington for the
benefit of our home trade. IT. is by
reason of these wild turnpikes that
our markets are sos badly supplied
when the weather is a little unfayor-
able. for then the roads. always bad,
heanvpe sim n1v n a II q