The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-09-25

flames broke out in the model room and
burnt throu gh the roof, blazing furious
lv. All the engines in the district have
gone to the scene.
1890 p. M.-The fire still RACES, par
t;cularly in the Land Office wing OF the
Interior Department building, where the
heat is intense, making the approach to
the fire difficult. Doubtless valuable pa
pers and records will be destroyed, many
being stored in the attic. The upper por-
ton OF the west wing, on Ninth street,
10 in flames, which are creeping alor z be-
tween the ceiling and roof OF the north
wing of the main building, facing
street. An immense number OF molels
have been destroyed. Secretary Scnurz
and Assistants are uperintending the
removal OF flies, models ano records.
TIE clerks are removing books and
papers and are organized as guards. The
Guards OF the District militia are At the
main stairway OF the model room IN the
centre building, where an immense num-
ber of models vet remain Hhe firemen
are in the room endeavOring TO save It,
The flames first appeared IN the conser-
vstorv near the root. There were al
immense number of rejected models
hacked in the attic above the model room,
and it is believed that spontan eous
combustion there caused the confagrs-
tion. The Land Office records are stored
IN rooms two stories beneath.
l:3O p. M.-At this writing the
fire is under control and IL ost OF tne
damage has been confined to the upper
stories. Several FIRE companies from
Baltimore arrived about 1890. The
time from making application for them
until their arrival in the city was less
than an hour.
The government engine from the navy
ward and another from the arsenal are at
work with those belonging to the city,
Baltimore ana Alexandra, making
total OF ten engines. Strong hopes are
entertained that the fire Will not extend
below the floor o. the model room. The
most valuable records OF the Patent,
Land, Indian and Pension offices, a.
well rs those of the Interior Department
are stored ou the first two floors OF the
building beneath the model room, and
none of them have yet been reached by
the flames. The heat was so intense al
one time that the window frames and
awnings on & street were ignited, but
lhe fire WAS extinguishet before making
much progress.
The number Of models are varously
estimated at from $4,000 TO $4,000. A
number of the more important ones are
on exhibition in the west hall, which,
with the north nail, is completely wreck
ed, and the rCo.s burned. The lire At TINS
Lime, 2:3O p. NJ, is confined to the attic
ol the east nall, from which nearly al
the models have been removed. he loss
in rejected models will be very great to
the government.
In the Patent Office building are al
the offices subordinate TO the Interior
| Department, except the Pension Office
| The Land Office, Patent Office and In
djsn Office suffer by the mixing Cf docu-
| ments in the effort TO save them. Many
rooms in the lower floors are covered
with water. A Gordon OF police has been
thrown around the building, and de-
tachm,nt placed inside, while
detachment oil marines are between
the burning building and the Postothce
At 3 o'clock the fire WAS confined to
the northwe stern corner, and WAS under
c)nLrOl.
3:lOP. M.-Wrights building on g
street opposite the Patent office Is now
ON fire and two or three houses ON
Seventh street opposite has caught. The
General postofice have been closed and
public work seems suspended Throughout
| the city.
The fire originated from spontaneous
combustion among lot OF Don-patented
chemicals, stored IN the attic on the Ninth
street front. No fire was made In the
conservatory to-day, nor had any been
psade in the building. The principal
I,.s slls u,on the Patent Office. The
ORIGINAL copy of the Declaration OF
Independence and relics OF General
Washington were saved, as was ais"
Franklin's printing press. Nearly al
the spect cthcstions and original drawings
of the Patent Office are safe, and from
these models csn be produced II necessary.
MANY OF the clerks of the Interior
Department and Land. Patent, Indian
! and Pension Office have been ordered on
duty tonight asserting papers ana
! hooks and drvIng ali which have
beeu damaged by the water. The military
are ON guard duty At the buIling, w-rr"
they Will remain TIL all the records and
pubic property shall be secured. None
of the land office records have been de-
stroyed By the fire, but many seriously
damaged by water. The records OF the
office which first receives an application
from patentees, ard OF which papers no
copies were msde were saved. IN"
m-st valuable models saved were those
relating to the sewing machines, fire
arms. printing presses, locks, saws, etc.
All the models o. reape-s, mowers shu
various agricultural machines were de-
stroved. a temporary room VII! DC
erected at once. The damage -
the building is variously estimated ~
rom $500 5000 TO 100000, while that
growing out OF the destruction OF modes
and other valuables belonging to the
! Patent Office is almost lncAlCuiaoLe. The
arches which formed the ceiling OF the
second story, and upon which the floor
of the third story rested, Is 80 bs1Iy Dam
sged by the heat and wster that many
Of them must be torn down The mar-
ble of the outer walls is considerably dis
colored by the flames, and cracked IN
many places. 1t Is supposed that the
fire had been smoulderlng beneath the
roof which is not fre-proof, for some
hours before it was discovered. Two or
three fires occurred in the neigaoorhood
of the Patent Office, caused by the sparks
from that building. The loss is small.
The number OF models destroyed will
not exceed 5000.
poi.oned INV Toad stools