Evening star., 1947-01-19

flames. The fire started about 2:4'
pm. at the west end of the center
building The flames were driver
by strong wind toward the cas-
wing and away from the library
then in the west wing, otherwise
an additional loss of some 10000
volumes would have resulted.
The stone work of the building
stood very well, except for por-
ton of the east tower on the north
front, which fell and caused a gen.
eral scattering of the crowd. For
tunately throughout the fire no one
was injured
Collection of Indian Art
Destroyed in Blaze
Perhaps the greatest damage
caused by this fire was the almos
entire loss of the Indian paintings
by John NJ Stanley, artist-explorer
who had deposited in the institu-
tion for safekeeping l46 of, his best
works. ALI except five of his more
important canvases we're lost. These
had been removed from the art
gallery to another part of the build
ing, which was not touched by the
flames. The five paintings saved
now form part of the permanent
collection of the National Museum
To the ethnologist this was a most
serious loss. David I. Bushnell, I
his paper entitled John Mix STAN
ley. Artist Explorer" says: THE de-
struction of the collection causes ar
irreparable loss, loss which will be
more fully appreciated in the future
when the events depicted and the
individuals shown will belong to the
vague past"
Besides the Stanley pictures, much
scientific and historic material, doc
uments and papers were destroyed
Besides much of the correspondence
of the institution from its beginning
these included the books and records
of the regent, the silver plate ano
other effects of James Smithson
founder of the institution; the
library of Bishop Johns of Virginia
and the Beaufort Is. CO Library
Valuable apparatus presented to the
institution by DR.. Robert Hare was
part of the scientific equipment lost
as was a full set of pneumatic in.
struments of superior size and work
manship, constructed expressly fol
the institution.
THE Dying Gladiator, a valued
piece of statuary, was crushed Wher
the roof fell. The sarcophagus nov
in front of the old building of thu
National Museum, which President
Andrew Jackson was offered as 6
tomb for his remains. but politely
refused, also was damaged in the
Smithsonian fire and still bears tn,
marks of falling timbers.
John Adams Helped Quell
Treasury Office Fire
Few fires in this country have
meant so mach to the historian ane
scientist.
It would seem that the Govern
ment has never guarded its valu
able property, including its ire
placeable archives, to the fullest ex
tent. Hardly had the Government
been moved here when, on Novem
Der 8, 1900, the War Office records
then housed in temporary quarters
were practically totally destroyed
Included were many records of tn
Revolutionary War.
On January 20, 1901, the Treas
ury ONCE, as it was then called, wa
on fire, but sustained little loss. I
was at this fire that President Johl
Adams assisted in passing the fir
DECkSLS.
The opposite political parties il
the early days had a habit afte
every fire of accusing the part
in power of purposely starting tn
fire to destroy evidence of misgov
ernment. And an early fire whic.
occurred on March 81, 1888, wa
actually proven to have been of a.
incendiary nature.
OF this fire the National Intel
Lgencer of April l said in part;
1--WE are sorry to have to an
nounce that the public building cas-
of the Presidents Square, occupie
by the Treasury Department.. wa
consumed by fire yesterday morn
ing between Q O'Clock and sunrise
The fire was first discovered In th