History of Columbus, Ohio, USA

Columbus city, capital of the state of Ohio, and seat of justice of Franklin county, is pleasantly situated on the E. bank of the Scioto river, 90 miles from its mouth, 116 miles N. E. from Cincinnati, 115 miles S. from Sandusky citv, and 350 miles from Washington. Lat. 39° 57' N., Lon. 83° 3' W. It is on the same parallel of latitude with Philadelphia, from which it is 450 miles distant. It was laid out in 1812, in the midst of an unbroken wilderness, and incorporated in 1816. The state house, a plain brick building, was erected in 1814, and the legislature met here for the first time in December, 1816. The site of Columbus is level; the streets are wide and laid out with great neatness and uniformity. Broad street, 120 feet wide, extends from east to west, and is crossed by High street, 100 feet wide, on which the principal business is transacted. At the intersection of these is a public square of 10 acres. The old state house, occupying one corner of this square, was entirely...

A Columbus dispatch of the 18th inst., to the Cincinnati Gazette, gives the following additional particulars of the burning of the Central Lunatic Asylum at the place:

A few minutes before 10 o'clock tonight a fire broke out in the north end of the east wing of the Central Ohio Lunatic Asylum, and the entire building is now being rapidly destroyed. The fire is said to have originated from a defective flue. The fire department was promptly on hand, but owing to an insufficiency in the supply of water, was unable to resist the progress of the flames. The engine belonging to the institution has been constantly pumping water, but not in sufficient quantity to keep the steamers constantly employed.
The wing where the fire originated was occupied by women, six of whom were suffocated before aid could reach them. Their bodies were saved. One more was carried out alive, but has since died. The other patients have been taken to the hospital on the asylum grounds, and to various public...

Columbus, the capital city of Ohio and the county seat of Franklin co., is situated on the Scioto River, by rail 120 miles N.E. of Cincinnati, 138 miles S.S.W. of Cleveland, 193 miles W. by S. of Pittsburg, 314 miles S.E. of Chicago, and about 350 miles direct, or 487 by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, W. of Washington. Lat. 39° 57' N.; lon. 82° 59' W. The site of Columbus is an elevated plateau, its streets are broad, lighted by gas and electricity, well paved and shaded, and traversed by 50 miles of electric railway, reaching every section of the city. The chief avenues are Broad street, 120 feet wide, running E. and W., and noted for its double rows of shade-trees, and High street, the principal business street, 100 feet wide, nearly 7 miles in length, and traversed by a double-track street-railway. These avenues intersect each other at right angles, and have at their intersection a public square of 10 acres, in which is situated the state capitol, 304 feet long by 184 feet wide,...