New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-09-25


had occupied for years, to the subbasement of the
east wing Of the Patent Office. There undoubtedly
has been considerable injury done by water
to the records thus stored, but the fire did
not touch them. Those Democrats including the
eminent Candidate for the SpeakershIp Mr.. Cox,
who have favored the abolition of the bureau alto
gether will probably not be dismayed to learn that
this bureau to-day incurred danger Of total destruc
ton. The exceedingly valuable works relating to
the surveys of the Territories under the charge of
Major Powell were mostly lodged in the srb-base-
ment on the eastern wing They included the
costly maps, charts, and scientific field notes which
have required many years of labor, and
so much money TO accumulate. These precious
documents have undoubtedly been quite seri-
ously injured by water, but the loss may not be
| irreparable
THE DAMAGE COMPARATIVELY LIGHT.
The most valuable portion of the Patent-ohice
records were the original drawings of each patent.
There were 1877, 900 of these in rooms down on the
main floor. ON the south front. Curiously enough,
this the only room iii the whole building on the
main floor even threatened by fire. There was, on
the solid arch of its ceilings, venlator which ran
up to the edge near the fire. Through il a constant
stream of live Goals poured for long time among
the spaces where the originals were kept By hard
work, however, and careful watching, the whole
were saved. Though half, perhaps, were taken out
of the room, an hour after the fire was
out all had been found and restored to
their places except about 600, and these
it is not believed are stolen. The eighty
tons of photo-thographic copies of drawings are
not specially important to the business of the Office
1t is very convenient to have them, but not neces-
sary All things considered, it would be almost inn
possible to have large fire in any of the Govern
ment buildings which should burn such a mass
of material and do so little damage. No other
records than those of the Patent once were de-
stroyed by the fire. The material OF the Iensioh
Office was all removed last year to another building
matter of no small consequence IN view OF what
has happened. The Law Office records and those OF
the Indian Office the main door ana IN the
basement These were badly damaged. In the at
tempt TO remove them a considerable portion were
more or less saturated with water. So far as known
there has been no material loss of any of the records
of either of these offices. The sub-basement was well
filled with books documents and boxes Of
records and floods of water here wet down
great many Of this kind of matter. but none OF The
records will be lost. The loss of books viii not be
important. The various Libraries were badly
drenched and much furniture and carpeting was
greatly damaged No ones rights to patents already
obtained viii DC put in peril by the
fire. as none of the records which protect
patentees were destroyed Every one is astonlshed
at the little damage done to the eXte-
nor Of the building. Though the fire burned along
two fronts Eerccy. one 'front.' being block IN eX-
tent and the other two blocks long, there are very
few places where the marble is disigured by smoke
or cracked Along the edge If q few windows there
was slight scaling off, but it Is scarcely perceptible
cycept IN a very few places. The water soaked
tbrourh the ceiling 10 the cellar and the pastering
in large number of the halls and rooms will prob2-
Div have 20 come down. The frescOing Of most Of
the more important rooms on the west and north
fronts il badly dsfgred. Still the aggregate dam
age to the whole structure Is small and scarcely
worth mentioning. 50 long the valuable records OF
the Patent aud Land Offices are saved.
NO INTERRUPTION TO WORK
There will be very few persons thrown out OF
employment, and possibly none; as those engaged
in the model rooms and among the records under
the roof viii have temporary employment renewing
records. The Patent ONCE now has surplus Of
100000 in the Treasury, this will be amply suic-
emit TO restore all records. IL is thought best to
reproduce and supply all principal losses. The
work of the Departments will not be seriously inter
ruptcd.
A large force worked till dark getting water out
Of the building. and considerable progress was made
in restoring records which had been moved to rooms
from which they were taken. The long recess has
enabled the Department to get its routine work
well IN hand and the absence of Congress for three
yeelss to come will make il possible to recover from
most of the arrangement of the fire before the rush
attending the presence Of Congress. Secretary
| Schurz has already made arrangements Tor tenn
porary roof and he will recommend that every stick
nj wood be taken out OF what still stands and the
| upper part be made fire-proOf like the rest.
ORIGIN OF TUE FIRE.
II is still uncertain how the fire began. The old
conservatory on the roof had been lately turned into
receptacle for rejected patents, and no fire had
been lighted in it this season. There were some
models here containing chemicals, and 1t Is possible
| there was spontaneous combustion. There had been
no lire in e-rooms under roof, and none Ill the gem
| eral heating apparatus of the building. There had
been a fire burning in of the fire places in tie
basement and the fire under the roof first appeared
near the ue leading from the basement fire. There
will be an investigation Of the matter tomorrow.
While the money loss TO the Government is cOnsld-
| cradle it is matter for national congratulation
that of the vast mass of important records in the
building affecting the interest of every community
i'm greater or less degree, scarcely any of special
| value were destroyed, and none, SO far as known,
which cannot be restored.
STATEMENT OF AN OFFICIAL.
Patent Office official gives the following details
| respecting the losses in that bureau:
Tho fire was confined principally 10 the model room,
which extended around the entire building In the thlfd
story there four Corridors MED WIN models OF
almost every mechanical device known 10 American
ingenuity. The corridors opened INTO eaon Other and
iIe a erfect mn seuI1 OF mechanics. In the
were stored over 100000 models, each OF which repre-
srnted some patented American Invention. Twenty
thousand rejected models wyIe stored 10 lou udseny