Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-07-15
Was IL Spontaneous 0mhustton?
An unNAaff~AnfApa A. ha xUA<1
The Total Loss in the Neighborhood o.
$4,000.
Gallant Conduct Of the Firemen.

Gallant Conduct of the Eiremen.
At about IS clock this morning an alarm
of fire was SOUNDED from box 6s, opposite the
signal Office, by Samuel Gerre.s, sergeant of the
watch at the War department., FIRE having been
discovered few minutes previous in the south
wing of the Navy department.. Engine No. 1
promptly responded, and was followed by Nos.
and 2, and the hook and ladder company. As
sistant Engineer Col VIM. o. Drew, W IS early
on the ground, and caused a general alarm to
be sounded, which was almost Immediately
answered by the remainder of the fire depart
ment. The flames at this time were not visible
from the outside of the building, but smoke was
issuing from the roof, which was at once played
upon by the steamers on the ground. hose
nance,) in the south wing Of the building, where
the fire had gained most headw ". and where
it is supposed to have originated. Tbs loom Is
on Sn the s third noor, and fronts on 18th street
employees of the department arrived ard did all
they could to stay the progr5 of the flames
Among the first were Commodore Rogers, Mr..
Jof n ii. Brooks, and Mr.. Holmes L. Off1ey, chief
clerk of the department.
SAVING THE RECORDS.
When Mr.. Broo!s arrived he found that the
fire had extended - the two rooms on the fourth
floor where the log books were stored, and
knowing them to be among the most important
of the archives o. the department, he informed
COIDmOuOTt hOuXeTS, VINO ulTeCLeu u nose 10 De
carried - thee rooms and every effort made to
save their contents. Preceded by Mr.. Brooks,
Foreman Joseph Parrish. of engine No. /, &C
companied by several of his men, at once went
10 the fourth tco,, but on gaining the top of
the stairs they found the hall filled with smoke
and the flames darting from the rooms in which
the lOg-bcoks were kept. Nothing daunted,
however, they crawled on their stor1achs along
the floor, dragging the hose with them, until
they reach the room adjoining the main hail.
which they found ablaze in every portion
ftnfr faOn 4ON ia A4 a
stream of water upon the records, and soon had
the satisfaction of seeing the fire entirely ex-
unguished in that portion of the building.
They next directed thei attention to the other
room, also nt..iping log books, and soon had
the flames under control. 1t is but just to
mention that these gem men deserve especial
coDmendation for the T heroic efforts to
the important records in question. AL of them
were more or less burned, but, in view of the
fact that the very floor on which they crawlCd
was on frc-Some portions of it being burned
entirely through-they were indeed fortunate
to escape with their lives
THE FIREMEN ON THE ROOF.
Meanwhile the roof OF the south wing had
been scaled by the fremen, who worked with a
will, and who had made openings in the root
through which streams of water were turned in
every direction. The fire was mainly in the
third and fourth stories of the south wing, and
through the exertions of the fire department did
not extend to the lower door or to the main
building: Having obtained control OF the flames
had swept through that poi ton Of the third and
fourth floors living in the southern end of the
south wing, destroying in their course many
valuable * cords OF the department, most OF
which, fortunately, can be replaced, but not
without the outlay Of much time and money.
DAMAGE BY WATER.
Mr.. Offiey, chief clerk of the department
who was sent for on the discovery of the fire,
arrived about six O'Clock, and at once gave such
directions as were calculated to secure much
ala l. 49,
struction. By his order the books, papers, and
furniture of the Secretary's office were at once
removed to the lower floor, as a perfect deluge
the floor above. Most of the other rooms On
the same floor, lying near the south wing were
also cleared to prevent damage to their I, On
tents by water.
THE LOSSES.
The bureau of steam engineering, situated on
the fourth floor, sustained the greatest loss
those Of the records not actually destroyed by
fire being badly damaged by water. The bu-
reau of ordnance, on the third dc )r, was also
pretty thoroughly bum out, many valuable
papers beng DESTROYED by fire and water. The
bureau OF navigation and the bureau of yards
and docks also suffered material losses, globes
and plates for the new American Flag Book
valued at 5000, being totally DESTROYED in the
former, and the latter sustaining much damage
from water. The printing room, adjoining the
bureau of steam engineering, with ali It's ma
terial was completely destroyed. great many
drawings OF vessels were destroyed or badly
damaged, but fortunately these are duplicates
of these still in possession OF the Navy depart
ment. The drawings of the compound engines
for the new sioops- or-war we're injured by water
but can be restored. as the last sheet of the
specifications was sent to the printer last night
and Photographic negatives are held by the
photographers. Consequently the work OF
building these new vessels wall not be delayed
in the least, as would have been the case mad
the drawings and spec fcations been destroyed
1t is admitted that some valuable drawings
were destroyed, but 1t 10 stated by the Navy
department officials that all of them can be re-
placed, although at an additional expense to
the department. Such of the plans and draw
ings as were not burned were to-day being dried
and cleaned by the employees of the department
FORTUNATE TRANSFER.
About SIX months ago q large number of val
liable documents were transferred from the
south wing to the vaults of the department, and
consequently were saved.
owing TO the exertions of John Ii. Brooks
ana Foreman Parrish, of engine No. /, but few
were totally destroyed. The binding OF ali Of
them is charred, but the records frside are
quite as legible as before the fire. When it is
history Of the late rebellion, and in fact of the
United States, their value VIII be fully appre-
ciated.
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
The fire was discovered and doubtless origi-
mated in room Is, Bureau OF Ordnance, on the
sAAN hooA va INC Soutn wing, tuu Ne no one was
in the vicinity Of the room, It is commonly sup
posed that 1t was the result Of combustion
caused by the accidental combination of GER
tain chemical fluids which were kept there for
experimental purposes. Three watchmen,
Messrs Joseph b. Harrison, Antoine Bianda,
and James r. Knox, were on duty last nj Rht,
and did not discover the fire until about twenty
minutes past five O'Clock this morning, on max
Ing round of the building, - they did several
times during the night.
TURNING IN THE ALARM.
None Of the watchmen had keys to the fire
alarm boxes, and bette, ing that they could ex-
tinguish the flames without sounding an alarm
tried the fire plug half way up the stairs lead
ing to the third foor, bat could not turn Il, a.
they assert, owing to the rust. Finding their
attempts futile Bianda was sent to the War
department to request that an alarm be
sounded. Thiswas done as above stated by the
sergeant Of the watch at the latter department
ut about thtrty-dve minutes past Eve O'clock
The Secretary Of the Navy, who returned last
night, and who WAS early on the ground, viii
INyRsTIeArI THE CAUSE OF rns FIRE.
to ascertain II It occurred through any neeli-
gence on the part OF the persons in charge, Ana
to satisfy himself q to whether they were suf-
fciently expeditions in causing an Alarm "a De
sounded. IT vas runored, this morning that
they were guilty OF neglect in Tia latter respoct
And that. AFTER finding NJ <hav nc,lA ,..x -,