Evening star., 1935-09-15
By John Claggef Proctor.
STREET in downtown Wash

~ STREET, IN downtown WdSu-
ineton, is one of the Capital
City's oldest and most historic
IL thoroughfares, especially tnat
part extending from North Capitol
street westward, and today number
of the homes erected century ago
are still standing, while others, though
not quite 50 old, are more or less
interesting because of their assocla-
ton with the earlier days OF the city
and the prominent persons who have
resided within them. 1t has seen lts
CAV. Joyous and bright side Of life.
intermingled with sadness, sorrow and
tragedy. Today it is much devoted
to business, but so years ago it was
largely residential.
Judiciary Square, through which E
street runs, Is in itself OF considerable
Importance, not only because the rear
of the old court house abuts on E
street, but also because at one time
here stood, on the north side OF the
street, about midway of the block, the
Washington Infirmary Hospital, which
was destroyed by fire on November 4,
1851, when it was principally occupied
by slightly wounded soldiers brought
here from the battle Of Manassas,
and at the time it was destroyed it
was we'll filled with the injured from
this engagement.
THE Star Of November 4, 1861, gives
- an account of this early disaster
Of the Civil War, saying, In part:
1.-THE Burning of the E Street
Infirmary.
Terrible and Thrilling Incidents.
Removal Of More Than One Hundred
Patients-A Woman Supposed to Be
Burned.
"This morning, at very early hour,
the E Street Hospital, better known
as the Washington Infirmary, was
discovered to be on fire. 1t contained
at the time from 80 to 100 sick and
wounded soldiers and considerable
number Of other Government patients.
The fire is believed to have originated
in a defective flue from the furnace,
which was located in the cellar under
the addition which projected from the
center of the main building in the
rear, The rooms of the Sisters of
Charity were in this addition-over
the furnace-and the three medical
cadets had a room on the floor above
The rooms of the sisters were filled
with smoke about half an hour after
midnight, and the sister superior first
gave the alarm. They had barely time
to hurry on their clothing and escape
leaving everything but the clothing
they had on in the burning building
Their cries brought in the guard, and
soon the alarm became general. DrS
Rodman. Hutchins and Allen, the ca
diets above alluded to. lost all their
personal effects with the exception OF
the clothing which they hurriedly put
on to leave the burning building. The
metropolitan police were soon upon
the ground and ran through the house
arousing all the inmates, and about
this time the scene was awful in the
extreme" .
The block between Sixth and Sew
enth streets was early built upon, and
many important people had their resi-
dences here. Chief Justice Salmon p.
Chase of the Supreme Court Of the
United States built and occupied
No. 6O1, with his brilliant daughter,
Kate Chase, who married Senator Will
liam H Sprague of Rhode Island.
John F. Callan and John e. Kendall
lived close by. The skating rink, still
within the recollection of many, was
on the north side of the street.
ON the south side was the old z
" Street Baptist Church, still stand
ing, where preached for many years