Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-05
BY JOHN CLAGETT PROCTOR.

TN THE Governments great building
program Is provision for the erec-
lion of building for the United
States Supreme court on the block
in which is now located what to
many is known as the Old Brick Cap
:tol. Long since this building was re-
Saodeled into three dwellings. and as
such they were for number OF years
occupied by distinguished persons.
They are at the southeast corner
Of First and A streets, and are desig-
rated 81, % and IS First street north
east.
For a long time the widow Of Gen.
Dunn occupied the corner house. the
middle one being occupied by the late
Senator Evarts of New York. while IN
The fartheSt south lived Stephen j.
Fields, associate Justice of the SUI
prcme Court Of the United States, The
property is now owned by the Ma
tional woman's Party.
I. is not my intention TO deal with
The history OF this building or the in
Iercsting site il occupies, but. rather.
10 speak in gneral of the circum-
stances which brought about the neces-
s!;y for its erectioN-which was the
burning Of the public buildings In the
city on the night Of August -. 1914.
This may be said to have been. by
far. washineton's biggest fire.
Imagine. if YOU will. a country as
great as The United States was. even
as carly as 1914. as having at that
that they would only carry a projectile
about two miles, while the more mod
ern guns o. the enemy carried shot
snd shell one-half mile farther.
YOU have no doubt read of the
battle ct Fort McEenry and the VIC
tory achieved there by Col. Arristead.
which gave 10 Francis Scott Key the
inspiration 10 write The Star Spangleo
Banner" When I tell you that there
was not a known American shot on
this occasion which reached the Brit
ish feet-due. of course. 10 the logical
Judgment OF the enemy TO keep just
beyond the range OF our guns-I am
telling you what is said 10 be fact.
Thus the British hurled at the
American fort between $500 and 1900
shells and bombs. without the slightest
danger from a return fire. With all
cue difference 10 American patriotism.
tire fact that il WAS not taken. to
my mind. speaks better for the en-
gineer who drew lis plans and the
mascns who constructed it than II did
for the unQuestionable bravery OF the
soldiers who defended it under what
exaspeTsting conditions.
-
IN Washington on the morning of Au-
gust "a conditions were in decided
iem No one knew whether he was
coming or going. Toward evening.
however. there was no doubt as TO the
direction in which he was headed. since
most all were undoubtedly going. and
diso-gani5ed and unceremoniously at
that
The day vas a warm. sultry one. be-
fitting the season. The people of WASH
;ngton were naturally excited and
alarmed at the approach OF the Brit
:st- which had been anticipated for
months. but over those II authority
which the light @. argument and rea-
son failed 70 penetrate.
In the early part OF April, 1914. the
attention Of the President was called to
the defenseiess condition of the city
and OF Alexandria. but little notice was
taken Of it, and even when a delegation
OF business men Of the city called at the
White House and urged that several
places around Washington should be
Immediately fortified no action was
taken and the warning was ignored
until too late to be of any value.
In June Of that year only ALAS effec-
tive men ct the Regular Army were in
rrach-one-ilalf a. New YORK. one
fourth AT Fort NcHenry. Baltimore. and
TIE other quarter divided among An
ns polls. ForT Washington and st.
Mars. besides a company OF Marines
e. Fort WASHINGTON On the Potomac |
and 500 recruits fer the Army from