The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1877-10-04
THE FIRE in THE u. s. PATENT
OFFICE.

THE FIRE in THE q. s. PATENT
OFFICE.
Great Destruction of Models, and Heavy
Loss by the Government.
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24.-Sp. m.
The Patent Office building, in which
much of the work connected with the
Department of Interior is performed,
covers two squares. 1t measures 45S
feet from east to west, 331 feet from
north to south, and has an elevation of
rs feet. The building contains 191
rooms, and cost about s2.700,000. Itwas
commenced in 1887. Four halls on the
second floor compass the whole extent of
the vast building, and have on exhibi-
ton every model of every patent issued
since 1886, both foreign and American,
numbering about 100000 models. This
part of the building is what is called the
ssMuseum of Models"
PATENT OFFICE ABLAZE-Ass1sTANC
! FROM BALTIMORE AND OTHER CITIES
HOW IT OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES AND
INCIDENTS.
About IL o'clock this morning an un.
usual column of smoke was noticed over
the west hall, arising from one of the
chimneys, when soon thereafter the cry
of fire was heard all over the neighbor.
hood, The FIRE department. did not re-
spond as promptly as it might have done,
something more than fifteen minutes hav-
ing elapsed before the fire engine arrived.
This was stationed on 9th street, between
F and g streets, and about IL o'clock
the first stream of water commenced its
play. The next engine was stationed on
eorner-of 9th and F.. and the hose hois-
ted; up on the roof of the south hall.
The fire originated in the attic that runs
.5dst under the roof along 9th street front,
which has been used as store room for
something near $4,000 rejected models
and some thirty tons of drawings and
specifications. The flames were carried
with the greatest rapidity all along the
whole side of the building, and atabout
12:15 the entire roof over the west hall
fell with most tremendous crash. At
this time the fire had its own way in the
model room, where it spread with the
greatest rapidity. Columns of fire arose
and threatened all buildings in the
neighborhood with immediate destruc-
tion. The large and extensive Offices of
Louis Bagger & Co., one Of the most
prominent patent agencies in the city of
Washington, located right opposite the
Patent Office, had their entire stock of
models removed for safe keeping, and
the heat was so intense in their Offices
that the workmen employed in removing
the books, files and articles of value be-
longing to inventors experienced the
greatest difficulty in doing their work.
Luckily, however, the wind changed to
the southeast, and the danger Of the de-
struction of the LIE Droit building was
removed, and the fire confined to the
Patent Office building, which, with this
change of wind, was entirely covered,
with the exception of the south hall. In
the meantime, however, several engines
were playing with marked effect upon
the roof of the south hall, and succeeded
in saving it and the many valuable and
historic relics kept there-such as Wash
ington's war swords, presented to him by
various foreign potentates, his plates and
dishes, the cane willed to him by Ben
Franklin, his military uniform, Frank
Inns printing press, &C., &c. The origi-
nal declaration of independence was also
saved.
NARROW ESCAPES.
August Petersolm, of the firm of G. A.
Snow & Co, patent attorneys, was one of
first in the scene of disaster, and while
attempting to enter the room where the
fire was first discovered, with one of
Babcock's fire extinguishers, came near
being killed by the falling of the western
roof. James Morris, of No. 5 engine,
was nearly dragged into the fire at the
same time as he fell down suffocated with
smoke.
BALTIMORE RENDERING AID.
When it became apparent that our fire
department was insufficient to cope with
the devouring element, Secretary Schurz
telegraphed to the Mayor of Baltimore
for help. The fire department responded
at once, and the first engine arrived soon
after one o'clock, having made the run
from Baltimore to Washington in thirty
two minutes.
SOLDIERS ON GUARD.
Shortly after one O'Clock detachment
of U. S. Marines, of about one hundred
men, were placed at various points in
and out of the building to guard the
government property. The model room,
or the upper part of the building, con-
tanned perhaps the finest collection Of
models in the world, which it is impossi-
BILE to replace, as many of them date
back to the early days of the Patent