Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-01-24
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

FIFTY years ago there was truly spec
tacular fire in Washington, with huge
flames and dense black
Big FIRE IN smoke caused by burn
Woshinoton ing paint. The Star of
January 81, 1893, got
out 7:15 pm. extra to cover it. up
In Flames" read the headline. About
5:45 o'clock tonight an alarm of fire
struck from box 1923, corner of Ninth and
F streets. Soon great black cloud of
smoke gave notice of big confagration.
The first alarm was followed within
few minutes by a general alarm which
called out the whole Fire Department.
The fire, which had originated in Francis
Millers paint establishment, Nos. 305
and BOT Ninth street, seemed to threaten
not only the complete destruction of that
building but also the adjoining buildings
on the north. occupied by the GOODYEAR
Rubber Co, and the building next on the
south occupied by Seaton Perry. t.
The fire ragged the severest In the rear of
Millers paint store. The fremen
were In great peril"
The nation was saddened by the death
OF one of its most famous and beloved
clerics-Bishop Phillips
A Noted Brooks of the Profess
Cleric Dies. tant Episcopal Church.
In dispatch from Bos-
ton, The Star of January %, 1898, re-
ported: Bishop Phillips Brooks died at
his residence, 253 Clarendon street, at
$50 this morning of heart failure.
brought on by fit of coughing. The
death was entirely unexpected. He was
taken i'll on Thursday (January 49, with
sore throat. q = He was one of the most
brilliant pulpit orators of the Protestant
Episcopal Church and was noted for his
rapid delivery. He had just been con-
secrated bishop Gin 189D, leaving for
that purpose the rectorship of Trinity
Church, where his influence had been
widespread and his sermons listened to
and read by thousands. No single church
was big enough to monopolize Dr. Brooks
and he became thoroughly identified
with Episcopacy throughout the entire
country. In England he was prob
ably better known than any living Amer
lean clergyman"
Washington and vicinity were treated to
the unusual spectacle of a solidly frozen
Potomac from source to
The Potomac mouth and from bank
Frozen Solid. to bank. The Star of
January %, 1893, said:
The ice on the Potomac River shows
no sign of breaking, and the snow on the
hills and mountains along the banks of
the river is deep and has melted but
little during the past week. While there
has been no warm rain or hot sun to
melt the snow and ice and start a flood,
the rivermen are extremely anxious
about the ice-breaking time, when they
fear there will be disastrous flood. In
that case boating and sleighing will be
the order of the day on Pennsylvania
avenue. There is a solid coating
across the river clear to its mouth, and
even in the bay about Norfolk the ice
is SO thick that boats are unable to make
any Roadway in the harbor."
Fifty years ago Italy was making dire
threats, as now, against Brazil-and,
thanks to the Monroe Doc
An ltolIdn trine, was just as unable
Threat. then, as now. to do anything
about it. The Star of Janu-
airy Is, 1893, carried this dispatch from
Rome: "signor Tugini the italian Min
lister to Brazil, has been instructed to
demand from the Brazilian government
satisfaction for the outrages committed
last summer upon Italian sailors and
residents at Santos during riot which
occurred there. . The Italian govern
ment has lost patience at last and now
Signor Tugini is instructed to say that if
satisfaction is not given promptly, Italy
will sustain her demands by force" The
affair later was amicably settled.
Editors note: In this column last Sun
day, it was stated that President Ruther-
ford B. Hayes won easily" In the cleo
ton of 1875. Actually. he achieved VIC
tory by but single electoral vote.