Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-10-03
The Patent ONCE Fire.
The INTER- Ocean gives the follow
ing additional pasticulars in regard
to tho Patent Office fire: s n

Il
The Inter-Ocean gives the follow
ing additional panticulars in regard
to the Patent Office fire: M N
THE rATENT OFFICE BUILDING
| 10 two blocks long and little over a
block wide, covering q surface of
about four acres. It was commenced
about forty years ago, but was only
completed last year, although twenty
years or more had elapsed since the
time when the building was ready
for occupancy and its actual compile
tion according to the original plans
Of the architect. 1t is a building of
four stories, Of pure Grecian Doric
architecture and built of granite.
Its cost was $2,700O00. Three floors
arc devoted to Offices and include 19l
rooms, which were occupied by the
Secretary of tho Interior, and his SUBJ
ordinates Of the Patent, Land and In
dian Bureaus of the Interior Depart
ment. The Pension and other small
or bureaus have quarters outside, in
rented buildings. The entire upper
story Of the building was devoted to
MODEL MUSEUM,
where werc exhibited the models of
every invention that has been patent
ed under United States laws for fifty
years, and models Of many inventions
whose letters patent date back much
longer ago. The room consisted of
four magnificent corridors, two over
400 feet long, and two more over 325
feet long. These halls were from
sixty to eighty feet in width, and
were divided into promenades by
long lines Of handsome exhibition
cases of black walnut and glass.
Balconies were erected from either
wall, which were also filed with
similar cases. In these cases were
contained about 4O0, 600 models, many
Of them Of great beauty, and some Of
rare value. This was tho
FINEST COLLECTION OF MODELS IN THE
WORLD;
in fact, the only collection of any
magnitude. Their intrinsic value
could not be named. OF course, they
were worth nothing except as curios-
tiles and matters of record, but in
that particular they were invaluable.
Among other models which are sup
posed to be destroyed were the orig
inal cotton gin, invented by Eli Whit
ney, Yankee schoolmaster in Geor-
gia. who made the growth of cotton
profitable to the South; the original
sewing machine the first piano man
ufactured in America, and various
other curious "reminiscences. These |
were burned. Among the curiosities
saved were Franklin's printing press,
which was kept with great care un-
der glass; the clothing, camp equip
age, saddle, swords, and other prop
erty of President Washington; the
crockery that he used at Mount ver-
non and other rare relics Of the revo-
lutionary age, which will be remem-
bered as having been exhibited at the |
Exposition. These were
saved, Secretary Schurz having or
1ered them taken to place of safety |
before the fire had made much pro-
sress.
rHE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
WAS FORMERLY KEPT HERE,
but was removed to the State De-
partmcnt some time ago. Two
thirds of the model-room was entire
Iy destroyed. The bare walls re-
main, and the fire proof pillars are
covered with small mountains Of de-
bris. The other third of the model
room remains, the fire having been
extinguished when il had burned
about the building so far that the
wind aided the frcmen.
THE MODELS THAT WERE BURNED
wereI mostly those Of mechanical
powers, hardware manufacture, tex
Tile machinery, agricultural and do
nestle apparatus, wood work, models
Of apparel, furniture, firearms, jew
elry, paper manufacture, photograph
ic printing, weaving, and the various
that would come under |
these heads. The loss of these mod
Gle will be quite serious to the gov
,rnmeht not only, but to inventors,
md
A VAST AMOUNT OF LITIGATION WILL