Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-07-15

their rooms being untsnable, owing TO dripping
water, TO grieve In secret over the calamity
which had given them an additional holiday,
cartons crowd engaged in surveying the rsvs a.
Of the 6ery and squeous elements. The water
was dripping in huge drops from the ceiling In
an parts OF the building, and almost everybody
were four prominent furniture dealers and q
sslamander felt man, the former being ready TO
refurnish the whole concern on contract at
prices considerably below cost, and the latter
being on hand TO demonstrate to the officials
beyond shadow Of doubt that II his patent i'm
pervious, indcstr actible, indispensable, and
wonder; 81 salamander telling had been used on
Mith'n half mile Of IL. That portion of the
third and fourth floors y ing near the south end
OF the Wings
PERFECT WRECK.
The flooring, ceilings, walls and doors are
burned a'mo5t 10 a cinder, and the roof is en-
tirely torn of in many places. This portion Of
the building at lc st will have to be entirely
rebuilt INSIDE. The wars of the south wing are
however, wholly uDinju cd. The building will
at once be pie" d IN rep?'r, and WI probably
oereedy Tor oCcup-ncy in Iew weeks.
THE SOUTH WING
to which tie fire was confined, is about IS by
IS feet and was built in 1862 and 1885, to furnish
the additional accommodations required by the
rebellion. 1t Is of brick, and is three stories
high, ". til basement and attic. 1t was built
mast ~ meet an emergency, and no special
precautiors were taken against fire. The re-
suit was that it furnished excellent material for
the flames, and had it not been for the extra
ordipary ard pra'sewOrthy exertiors of orr
hremen, the entire building would have been
consumed. No serious fires have ever before
broken out In the present building. In 1872 or
1913 the fire department was called out by a
fire which caught from chimney IN one Of the
rooms on tie north side of the building, but 1t
was easily extinguished by the employees. About
a year and halt go fire was discovered on
the roof of the building, and the department
turned out. The fire originated from a pile of
years before an alarm wss sounded on sccornt
OF burning chimney, but no damage resulted.
This morning, Lieut.. Greer, of the fourth DO
lice precinct, detliled four men, under the
command of Sergeant Kneass, ID take charge
of the department, and see that nothing was
carried away except by order of the proper Of
fcers OF the department.
NEW QUARTERS WANTED.
AT present at least one-half of the building is
unfit for occupancy, and temporary arrange
ments will be made TO quarter some Of the
CLERKS of the department in buildings in the
vlcirity. Nego, iatiors were in progress this
al ernoon for the rental of the upper stories of
the Governors Office, corner of PENNSYLVANIA
avenue and 18th street, ID the Nav department
until the later can be put in order.
THE DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING.
Under the circumstances it is almost impos-
siolc " tetlndtt lut 10 the property OF
the department. The building and furniture il
damaged probably 10 the extent of from 80 90
to $4,000, while II is difficult TO compute, with
any degree of accuracy, the loss of various rec
orus and Official documents. 1t is not probable
that the total loss will exceed SIS 200, and it
may be much less.
TIRE PRESIDENT INFORMED OF THE PRE-.
The following telegram was this morning
sent by Secretary Robe IN to the President al
Long Branch:
WASHINGTON, ID. c., July Is, 1873.
To he Pres ideRt:
A ire broke out at about $50 this a. m. in the
third story of the back building of the Navy
department, probably riginsting in the print
ing room. The fire department was promptly
on hand, and working with great efficiency
soon had the fire under control aud put il out
finally before I O'Clock. Only a few drawings
and no inn Ortant records destroyed. The prin-
cipal damage is by flooding from water. The
busine:s of the department is not seliou, ~ in
terrupted. GEO. NJ. RoBEsoN,
Secretary of NAVY.