Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1833-04-19

appears that it not considered his duty to be awake
all night, and that, in fact, it has been the authorized
practice, for many years, for the wachmen the build
ing TO lie down TO sleep after about eleven o'clock
No satisfactory proof has been obtained of the of
the disasters aud nothing need be here addition
to the report already adverted TO.
BY referring to the diagrams which accompany that re-
port the position OF the occupied by tie
officers OF the Treasury may be seen In The basement
or cellar, three rooms the south side were filled with
boxes containing abstracts with settled post Of
nee accounts aud were in charge the Registers Office;
hve other rooms were appropriated the storing of ue
anu e residue were empty On the ground floor, three
rooms on the north side, in the con were occ-
pied oy the lreasurers Office the three the
south side OF that section, with each side
the south door. and adjoining the Treasucr's
Once on the north side, occupied by the first Au-
dors Othcc all the other the ground floor and
the aIIonng hire proof rooms, occupied by the Re-
gsters Office. On the principal upper floor the six
rooms In the eastern section OF the building occupied
oy me Comptroliers Oce,the residue OF the rooms ON
that oor, and the fire proof adjoining, were occupied by
the Secretarys Office In the attic or garrett the mid
ue room on the south side appropriated papers
records belonging to the Secretarys Oice-the two adj.
Joining rooms ON the east to those of Comprolers Office
e SCUM eastern corner to those OF the rreasurers Office
and all the residue to those of the Registers Office
The fire discovered in the second room west of the
stair case the north side of the house. OH the principal
lioor,-being the room immediately adjoining the procc-
ton IN the centre OF the building laid down in the dia.
gram and being Of the belonging 10 the office of
the Secretary, and occupied by Mr.. A. Laub (,yho
also .IT Superintendent OF the buding) Mr. Wolf aud
Mr. l. DICKENS Ii was discovered between hall past
two and three O'clock The great progress il had made
when discovered aud its rapid advance afterwards until
Tho total destruction Of the building set forth in the
testimony accompanying the report and are besides so
wen known to the President need further descrp
| ton.
Verheless early in arriving at the of the conHa.
grafton lie soon saw, from the progress which the fire
was making ana from the wholly inadequate Of
checking or subduing it, that the entire building would
probably be consumed His attention therefore, inn
medatey and almost exclusively, directed the preser
walton OF the papers and records i'm the accounting
and in the Registers Office. Many of the clerks and c
zens assisted with great zeal activity as well in getting
those papers and records out of the building in pesery
ing them afterwards. Under the direction of the Secre
tary, the several collections of papers, books records Sc
that were made, placed in charge of the clerks or
on MI ,u anu rusty ei,zens by these united exer
ohs All the important papers belonging to those offices
have been saved Those belonging to tho Treasurer's
Office, have also been preserved
The Hame however, was so soon communicated n tha
garrett and roof particularly that part the roof above the
stairs leading to the garrett render highly dangerous
ana indeed imPractcable, any effort to the pa
Pers ana records belonging TO any Of the Offices which
had beenpaced in the garrett and consequently thew were
all lost.
AS soon as the papers, books and other records
taken out OF the Accounting and Registers Offices the
Secretarys attention was turned TO procuring suitable
buildings Tor the Immediate accommodation the Depart
men Alter various enquiries aud negotiations he sue.
ceeded in obtaining, before on Sunday the five con-
uguous buildings the south side of the Pennsylvana
Avenue nearest the eastern gate of the onare
before TWO O'Clock on the day. all the papers and re-
cords that were exposed safely removed TO those
buildings and the fire proof apartments of the Treasury
the attention OF the officers chiefly devoted TO the ar
angemeHt OF the papers and records; and on Wednesday
the business OF the Department, which had partially
resumed on Tuesday, was in full activity and transacted as
usual
Owing to the great quantity of papers, books and other
records removed from the building and the disorder into
wmch they were thrown, some time must necessarily
eapse before can be exactly asceraned what has
lost and wha, saved From the progress the fire had made
before IT was discovered il possible to save any
part oil those in the i'm which originated or i'm that
9i The Chief Clerk Immediately adjoining it the west
Those contained in the the south side directly
opposite 10 that IN which 1t commenced, and which il
must have communicated early, also destroyed.
hose III the other rooms occupied by the clerks Of the
secretary on the same floor chiefly saved. or
those contained in the occupied by Mr.. Reid and
Mr. esblt, next east OF that in which the fire origna
ted, by the timely efforts of the former gentlemen and
lew others who arrived early great portion were saved;
and OF those contained in the occupied by MIR F.
Dickens and Mr. Rodman owing The fearless exertons
oil the fomer gentleman, whO accompanied by highly
respectable citizen entering the by ladder when
he root above it fire, and continued until The
doors OF bi own room were consumed and the ceiling
d' immediately adjoining on the east had fallen in
were iosi The library and all the papers the room &C.
cuped by the Secretary saved by the efforts of fe
individuals, among whom were the chief clerk and Mr.
Dickens who enteredit, by ladder through the mi
circular window at the end All the furniture in the
rooms occupied by the Secrearys Clerks consumed
and OF that in the Secfearys the greater part was
broken in being thrown from the windows
The principal loss sustained in the Secretary's Office
was The correspondence the whole of which, with the
exception oil that relating TO revolutionary claims and TO
applications under the insoven laws and with the excep
ton also OF two record books containing letters to banks
and two containing communications Congress- was lost
Measures however, already in progress to replace
them as far as may be found practicable In the mean
me, II is hoped that serious detrment will be expe-
renced in the transaction OF the public business for want
of them.
The reports from the First Comptroller First Auditor.
Treasurer and Register, which herewith transmitted
exhibit the state oil the papers and records their respec
tive Offices far be ascertained In those Of
fees were contained all the papers records which re-
late TO accounts, settled and unsettled; and of these il is
thghy gratifying to find that the whole of the latter and
all the important portions of the former have been pre-
served. r.
The Secretary has be satisfied with the con-
duct oil all The persons belonging to his office who we're
present on the occasion. 1t represented him. that
MIR. Anthony, Mr. Maginnis, Mr. Potter, Mr. Wolf Mr.
A. Lau6, Mr.. Nsbit, and Mr.. MountZ were not aware
OF the fire at the Treasury until ii consumed oyy-
ing to the distance of their residences The chief clerk
! and 1lessrs Mexican, DUNCAN, Rodman, Reid and T.
Dickens were actively and usefully engaged in rescu-
ing and preserving the books records and effects as
also MIR. Lovejoy the Messenger and Mr.. William and j.
Goddard the laboers attached to the building and Mr.
Pettet the assistant messenger who owing the distance
! OF his residence, was late in arriving.
The Secretary observed other Clerks active and dipent
on the occasion as well many Of his fellow citizens
But, as he cannot recoect ALL and to name some only
would seem invidous, he confines his notice in this place
to those attached to his office.
As the situation OF the buildings now occupied by the
Department does not admit OF being otherwise enectualy
protected, the Secretary of War; has at the request the
Secretary OF the Treasury directed military guard to be
stationed and sentnes 10 walk round them from sunset TO
sunrise. Means will also be taken for removing some
wooden fences which adoin the building, prevent fire
from being communicated BY them, and TO prevent the
shelter they afford to evil disposed persons.
]. Our experience has demonstrated what indeed
he hiatt ote,