National Republican., 1877-10-04
THE BIG FIRE.
oss. .,r ENGINFER CRONIN GIVES HIS
views TO THE CoWuTssTONERS.

what the Firenen Had to Contend With
He Says Nothing About the Origin, but
Leaves That Part to the Investigating Com.
mittee-The Regular Business Of the Board
The regular monthly meeting Of the Board
Of Fire Commissioners was held last evening, all
the members except Mr.. Hume being present.
Tho report Of the chief engineer for the month Of
September, which was submitted, showed that
there were seventeen alarms Of fire during the
month involving loss ofsJ7p45, and an insurance
Of sa7,22o. This estimate does not include the
Patent once fire. The report recommended J. A.
Wilson, 7. J. Conn and J. r Graves for promotion
All the apparatus Of the department was more OF
lcss injured by the fire. The recommendations for
pc2nmotion were ere approved by the board. board.
alarm telegraph, stated that the number Of fires in
che month Of September for the last ten years had
Applications for positions were received from
Frederick Jeficrs William L. Burroughs and c. W
Moxley.
THE PATENT OFFICE FIRE.
Cheif Engineer Cronin submitted the following
special report ofthe Patent ofice hrc:
OrrIcs THr CuiEp ESaiSsrR OF TUE)
FIRE Di PsHrMrSror DisrnrcI or, ,CoLrNnIA,
1ne Bnorior fGs S cbs"'SasT' "S'"Si ~ ne e B;rtf Of
GrNTLRNyS In view Of the magnitude of the re.
cent fire nt the United States Patent ONCE involv.
ing as II did the destruction Of large portion of
the building and owing to the fact that 4 has been
the country aud Is now heing riaidly Investigated
here, deem Il proper. alike IN Ynur body and to
myself to submit special report which will en-
body such points Of interest In regard TO the ma.
ture extent and suppression Of the cOnhagratiOn
as came under my, official observation.
The record Of the Fire Alarm Telegraph once
shows that at lIso O'Clock a. m. September - 1877
an alarm was turned IN from box 49, located ut
the corner of Eleventh and g streets northwest
To this the engines in that fire district responded
with their usual promrtness. and was on the
ground In hve minutes from the time u was
Patent once was on Are II was Immediately np-
parent that the fire had originated directly under
the roof about the middle of the west or Ninth
street wing and had gotten fairly under way be-
fore the fire department hal hccn notified,
The apparatus on hand went into service at
order. 4 personal inspection showci that at that
time the fire was confined To- the Ninth street wing.
IN what may be termed tho Ion or attic OF the
building, space between the ceiling of the third
or museum floor and the roof This space Is Rb lut
twelve feet high In the ccntrc and slnpes to about
fnur feet on the sides. II was stored at the time
with very large quantity Of hIaAmmabls matter,
10 which added the dry pine rafcrS and sheath.
Ing which supported the copper rnnf making Il All
easy nrey for the flames. The building Is nearly
quadrangle and this attic, like the large halls he
meath IT, trnvcrScs the entire building. In other
words al no point ut either of the four corners or
elsewhere was or IL there frc-wall or other i'm
pcmrnt u stay the progress Of fire prevent in
groSs or cgrcss Of pcfsons.
This immense nrrs. with is low ceiling Of neces-
sty created u terrible DRAFT and, notwithstanding
the wind was from the south the fire burned In
hOlh directions hut win greater fhtAtlttN towards
the south, against the wind-;hc certain hut not
generally known course which lan:c fires always
hke-rcnchng the F street wing some twenty min.
utcs before II did the GStrrct wing. A cnInpany
was ut once ordered 10 the roof and nt that time
the TO me alarming discovery was made that there
vas but nnc outlet q H. This was on the Fstr"et
front over the main rcFiicO, reached immediately
from rbnin used h,r storing specifications and
drawing Of which there were nearly eight mil
Hons, a-grcG1ltiug IN weight over two hundred tons
tho stairway hcng very marrow wooden concern,
tablet" ignite from the heat ut any moment. The
room sn1kcn Of Is reached by double flight Of
small fancy INN stairs rising from the museum
which would have melted away like lead II sub
lected TO any great heat glance showed that this
stairway mrst he saved as Il was the only mode
Of retreat for the men except the lines Of hose
then on the roof for the reason thai there are no
ladders In the department long enough To reach
that point uhc truck with It's short ladders was In
the shop, having hccn disabled at n fire the night
previous and that In order n save Il, the FIRE
Must not lie permitted get into the F.strcet wing
To this end four Of the cnmphnics-NOs. l. 2, Z aud
<as fast as they arrived with all their force were
placed at this point where the Ninth and FStrcct
wings unite-two on the roof one at n half story
rom between the hail and roof and the other oi,
the hall hoor. Further rs the fire was trwcling To
the fstrcct front with at least five times greater
ppidtty than toward q street, knew that unless
could change its direction everything was Lost and
the great point to be ysnch IN addition to protect
ing the retreat was this change Of direction, by
which II would I've driven h. the other Objective
point-Scvcnth and strcctS--wh"r II would Of
necessity, be weaker and les able To stand the
concentrated attack to he made upon IL by our
men who were to he withdrawn from Ninth aud +
streets as soon aS the cnndtiuns " the fire would
permit and which could not Ire done before: but
also estimated that hy the time II had res he'd
there the aid telcgraphcd for would have arrived
In cnnsummaing this fully an hOuf was occupied
but u was finally successful
When ths decision reached I was fIillv sat
isted that II would be impossible to save the q.
Ntreet wing with the fnrCe ut hand but felt that
II the fire got well under way street the entire
building would he dcSrovcd. On the other hand
thought that If II could he checked nj the June.
ton spokei of nt all, II could be done before the
nAnUN ON & street had communicated Ia the
enth street side.
Thus decided that the G.strrct wing should be
sncrifCpd In order that the Seventh and F.>trcet
wing, II MT the eutrc building, might be saved
Upon the arrival Of No. company Il was stationed
at the corner Of Ninth and q streets for the purpose
ofattacking the fire on q street but on account OF
the intense heat and the fact that the roof could
not be reached It's services were vt that time of
avail. II was, however allowed tn remain there.
- ii was equi-distant from the two objective
points Of attack, (Snth and + and Seventh and o.
and the plan was soon as the fire was under
good control at the former to concentrate ali the
available force ut the latter point which was done
"a soon as possible four Of our companies being at
work there when the Alexandria and SRvy Yard
eompanles arrived and went into service. II may
be well here IN again state that for nearly hour
everything hinged upon the lahnrs nj Ninth and
streets. and all else was subordinnted TO checking
the fire there.
At this time all the possible apparatus including
No. engine, surplus hose. &c. was brought out
and the aid of the Baltimore aud Alexandria de-
partments invoked by ielegraph both of which
proi,ptig respol,u'I T., N,GS"s'ary lhiI ltc IN
Tense excitement and at very early period after
It's discovery, not only the streets In the vicinity
but the halls and corridors w.re thronged with
citizens and employees, zach anxious to render
such assistance a. he could hut as isuS,Ia In such
cases, none doing nny rial service, for the reason
Mat there was nU unity of purpIsc or action.
Just what my status was now became n serious
question. Under the District law am IN absolute
control on the fire ground but here was one of
the largest Government buildings, IN the custody
OF Its prominent officials, and how fur thOy would
waive their authority was question determined
should be speedily settled knew that no matter
what occurred the Ccnsure for mismnuagement II
any were possible would he visited upon me and
with this fact staring me In the iace I felt II my
duty 10 make the effort at least 10 assume all the
responsibility.
requested an interview with Secretary Srhurz
met him IN the Blue room and stated my desire to
be placed In command Of the persons present In
the model rooms. In rcsppnse, those who were
present were drawn up IN line and the Secretary
promptly and uncquivOcnlly announced that they
were To obey such orders as might give. lie also
detailed Il gentleman to accompany me In order To
certify TO my authority should It nt amy time be
questioned ns well ~ to report u him from time To
time, rs II appeared necessary. THIS action Of the
J Secretary gave me not only null control hut a
moral supIort which was Of great effect and from
that moment carried out the plan aS above stated
with results which are now well known, and with
out needing the many wcll-mesnt but Impractical
suggestions which were shOwcred upon me.
But for this am free Ia confess different results