The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-16

wAsHIN0ron. July Is, lSya .
Fire 1t the Navy DePartment-Less q
Mana and ORAWlAla.

wAsHIN0roH. July Is, isya
Fire ct the Navy Depsrtment-Less q
Maps and Drawings.
Are broke out at the Navy Department about
haifpast I'VE O'Clock this morning. gencral
alarm was quickly given. ana oil tho IRE engines
In the DISTRICT won't 70 the spot. The 6ro originated
in tho third story ofthe building in one OF the rooms
belonging TO the Bureau OF Medicine and Surgery.
Tho destruction By the connagratt0n Is compare
tivey small, only three rooms 10 tho upper part a
tho building being destroyed but the entire build
ing Is completely flooded By water. 20 that masp
Of the rooms In each story are totally unnt for oc
cupanoy. The Secretary's onioe is completely,
deuged. Hose was brought In the building.
and, full supply OF water being obtainabio. tho
greatest activity was used in extinguishing the
names Secretary Robson and Secretary Belknap
were at the scene soon alter the alarm, and were
energetic in giving directions as to the means Of
preserving records and putting out the fre Tho
most valuable papers that were destroyed were
several drawings that cannot be repro
duced. Those are mainly drawings Of
arms Tho detailed drawings for the new steam
sO0ps OF war were also rendered useless by smoke
and water, but as these have been photographed
they can be reproduced. There Is some mystery
as 70 the way Ia which the Gre originated. Some
attribute 1t to chemicals which are said to havo
been In tho photograph Of the Medical BureauS
but others In tho Department say there were
no chemicals to cause . oonnagration OF any kind.
others believe that is was caused BY rats crowds
of which infest the older part or the buildins1 get
ting among tho matches In the room whore tho
Ore broke out. An investigation viii DO ordered.
Very fow records OF great vaiue have been do
stroyed, and nearly al can readily DO replaQeq..
the damage to the building BY Ore and water wiz
probably reach ten or twelve thousand doliars. !
The log books Of che Steam Engineering Bureap
were badly burned. and many OF them partially
destroyed, as were also some OF the important
log books OF the Navigation Bureau. For
tunately the more valuable historical records
were In another part OF the building and cs-
capped damage. The greatest loss is In the papers.
either destroyed or damaged. pertaining to tho
current business, The larger drawings OF the
compound engines for the new s!oops-oi-uar had
been duplicated, 90 that they will be replaced with
out delay. Water is constantly dropping from the
ceilings of the various stories of the building, tn
terfering with the business or the Department. and
many OF the officials OF oil grades, who are inspect
Ing the destruction, carry umbrellas.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Sur~
vey.
The survey for the continuation the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal which was authorized by Con-
gress last Winter, and an appropriation made for
that purpose, will be commenced about the 1se
OF August It Ia to ascertain the most ad-
vantageous route to continue tho canar
from Cumberland to tho Ohio River, ana
Colonel sedgwick, an old ofhcer, has been en-
ployed 70 personally superintend the matter He
has arrived here for the purpose OF taking the
preliminary steps towards the work. Colonel
william z. Merrill. United States Army. stationed
at Cincinnati, has general charge OF the survey,
and the work will be pushed forward as rapidly a.
possible.
An Important Land Case.
The attorneys for the settlers In the case
Of Arthur ST. Clair against the western Pacific
Railroad Company have taken an appeal from
the decision OF the Commissioner Of the Generat
Land once to the Secretary Of the Interior.
This case, 1t viii be remembered, involves tho
right ofSt Clair to purchase, under the pre-emp-
tion laws, certain lands claimed to have been
within the reserved boundaries Of the Las P0citaa
rancho, in the San Francisco land district, Gait.
fornia. AS the case Is one Of much impo rtance.
1t will be pressed to an early hearing.