Evening star., 1939-09-03
Washington
Burning Had
Made History
Maryland Day Take
Important Place
In Observances

National Intelligencer, then the Of
f1cial organ of the party then in
power; Darjcl CAROLS hotel, and
two houses erected by Gen. George
Washington OIL North Capitol street
between B and C streets N.W-in
recent years and until removed IA
miliarly known as the Hillman
House. These were especially sin
gled out, since it was believed they
contained public records. A large
ropeworks was not spared, and moth
ing was left which might be of use
in making supplies for the Navy.
Generally, the enemy was quite
considerate in the destruction Of
private property.
The total value Of property de-
stroyed has been estimated at
$l,000,00O, which today, no doubt,
would amount to 10 times as much,
This, of course, has no reference
to the Congressional Library, for
there Is always something hero
which cannot be replaced, and this,
together with the many public docu-
ments destroyed, made the actual
loss stupendous.
Of the loss sustained, President
Madison later said In his message:
They wantonly destroyed the pub
lie ediflces, having no relation in
their structure to operation Of war,
nor used at the time for military
annoyance. Some of these edifices
were also costly monuments of taste
and of the arts. and others de-
positories Of the public archives, not
only precious to the Nation as the
memorials of its origin and its early
transactions, but interesting to all
nations as contributions to the gen.
eral stock of historical instruction
and political science"
The only public building to escape
the torch was the Blodgett Hotel
Building, which stood on E street
between Seventh and Eighth streets,
where now stands what is generally
referred to as the old General Land
Office. 1t was then occupied by the
Post Off1ce Department and the Pat
ent Office and upon the earnest
plea of DR.. Thornton and his ex-
planation that the destruction Of
the patent models would be a world
loss, it was spared by the invaders.
Biggest Fire Here.
A peculiar incident in connection
with this, the greatest of all WASH
ington conflagrations, occurred when
the British were on their way to
destroy the powder magazine down
near where the Army War College
now stands. When they arrived there
they found the magazine empty, the
powder having been taken out the
day before and thrown into a dry
we'll. One of the British soldiers,
naturally unaware of this fact,
threw a lighted match into the we'll
and most terrific explosion was
the result. The officers present
and about 80 men were killed out
right, while some Al others were
horribly wounded.
Except for the bare walls, the
Capitol and the White House were .
total loss. At the latter Mrs. Mad
ison, being advised of the approach
of the enemy by a messenger of
the President, made preparations
for a hasty departure. She showed
much composure and gathered to-
gether what articles of value she
could conveniently carry along, in
cluding the full-length portrait OF
George Washington, which was,
after the restoration Of the building,
returned to the White House.
Though it has often been said that
Mrs. Madison upon this occasion
also rescued the original copy Of
the Declaration Of independence,
this Is probably a mistake, since
1t Is the belief Of the Department
Of State that this precious document
from the day it was engrossed and
laid on the Speakers table was not
removed from the archives of the
old Congress until it was transferred
with the other records of that body
in 1889 to this department" =,
Its subsequent history includes its
transfer to the Patent Office, when
it was a part Of the Department OF
State, and its retention by the Pat
ent Office after it became a part
Of the Department of the Interior, or
until March, 1877, when it was re-
turned to the Department Of State.
1t was exhibited at the centennial
In Philadelphia in 1876 and Is now
on exhibition in the Library Of Con-
gress.