National Republican., 1877-10-09
THE PATENT OFFICE FIRE.
REPORT or THE SPECIAL BoARD OF
INQUIRY.


dicth"-A Small Spark the Cause of the
Great Conhagration.
The special commission appointed by secre-
tary schurZ to inquire into the origin Of the fire at
the Patent once have concluded their labors, and
yesterday submitted the following
REPORT:
Hon; tari schuz Secretary d the Department Of the
sIn The undersigned board Of inquiry, appoint.
ed by your order Of the 18th uhmo for the purpose
rior Department building on the 2Ith ultimo, have
the honor TO report that we have performed that
duty by examining large number OF witnesses,
Mho,e testimony covering several hundred pages,
In order that no fact or circumstance pointing to
tenton w barc e.soned ali n ~ ySr or
the Department and others whose names we could
obtain by dilgont inquiry who were acquainted
with the construction 6f the burned portions Of the
building, or who were upon the roof on the morn.
ing q the 4th ult, either before or after the fire
was discovered.
We have also examined the day and night watch
men who were on duty in the building on the day
preceding the fire, Sunday, september % and find
that no person entered the building who was not
annexed schedule, marked exhibit No. I, shows
the names fthc watchmen on duty and the seyc.
rnl posts To which they were assigned Exhibit
No. shows the name. OF clerks and employees
who entered tho building on the sunday before
on the morning Of the FIRE before offlce hours.
As many theories as to the probable origin Of
this fire have been advanced, we think 1t proper TO
briefly notice some OF the most plausible ofthem In
this report
At the outset we deem II advisable tn direct your
attention to the materials out Of which the Ninth
street wing of the building was constructed, as
this was ,he part of the building where the fire
The roof was what is commonly known as
truss roof" aud the te-rods rafters braces and
struts were iron.
Tho purlines, truses, shesthng and ceiling were
constructed of nine wood the nine shputbnp of
the roof was covered by sheet copper about one.
forticth Of an inch IN thickness. The tops Of the
chimneys were OF Iron. set upon the brick wall
over the hues, about twelve inches below the roof
and extended above the roof about two and half
feet Over the cutters running around the entire
wing was placed pine wood grating to keep them
from clogging up with snow and Ice In the winter
season, and to protect them from the heat Of the
Inch boards fastened together by pieces Of $40
inch material and was constructed In sections of
Ss ~ 'ssesn anG
hbt No. are true copies Of The original plans Of
the roofof this wing OF the building On the south
house, about 65x35. located for the purpose Of
preserving plants In the winter time. The walls Of
and groovcd the floor was made Of plnnks resting
on the ceiling Of the model room, and was covered
with zinc, and the roof Of the room wns glass
Wooden shelves were arranged for the accomods
tian of the plants, and there small tank from
which necessary water was obtained, The only door
leading into the conservatory was on the east side
Of the roof North Of this conservatory and i'm
mcdately under the roofcxtending upto q street
was situated what was known the re- JeCtcd model
The testimony shows that three rows Of shelves
of rough boards were erected on each side Of the
centre Of this room for the entire length thereof,
and many thousand models of all classes and de.
scrPtiuns were stored thereon; besides large
number which were not on the shelves, but piled
m lndiScrnnatciy Immediately under the roof of
Boxrs, paper bags, envelopes and postage stamps,
together with textile fabrics and all sorts OF nasm
mai No otp n1a In
where the fire originated but II does not appear
that any chemicals were included In this miscel-
We will now examine, In the light of the tcst.
manner in which this fire originated,
|. Did the fire originate from the spontaneous
combustion OF chemicals stored under the roof in
the rejected model roOm7
With reference to this theory we think 1t only
necessary to state that all chemical and other sub
stances likely 10 ignite without the presence Of fire
were removed from this room many months before
4 Did the FIRE originate from the careessncss of
persons engaged in repairing the roof
concinslvely that no repairs had been made on the
roof for week prior to the iire.
3. Did the fire originate from the heating appa-
ratlis In the conservatory on the roof
This theory Is as readily exploded, as the test-
mony shows that this apparatus had not been
Having briefly reverted to the only theories ad
yanced as TO the probable origin Of the fire. which,
in our opinion. are at all deserving Of attention we
thereof, viz: We find from the testimony that
about 800 o'clock, on the morning Of the 2ith ut.
he 's Snh %s he sudns Menrg
Brandcbury, laborer In the Patent ONCE, at the
request Of the lady copyists, employed in said
thereirom This fre was built Of pine boards, and
blower was placed over the CRATE and II Is shown
by the testimony that the roaring Of the fire cx
rom and was the subject Of comment by them at
that time. The smoke from The fire passed up
through tho third hue from street on the Ninth
The testimony of Messrs. s!bey, Upton, Smith,
Daley, Ramsey, Churchill, Hopkins and Long
who were upon the roof some time before the
alarm Of fire was turned In, shows that a section of
the wooden grating covering the gutter on the
roof and lying Immediately against the hue from
which said smoke issued, was found on fire. and
was thrown on the roof into the yard on Ninth
street by Siblcy and others We think there can
he no doubt but that this dry pine grating set
on fire from sparks or burning cinders which came
up through this lue
burned at the time the witnesses discovered Il Is
variously estimated by them, but we conclude that
not less than thirty square feet OF boards had been
destroyed. The witnesses state that they found r
large quantity OF live Goals lying on the roof aud
In the gutter and that the copper was so intensely
hot that II had changed color, and IN some places
This intense fire on the roof of the building was
separated from the dry pine-woOd sheathing
before stated was only about one forticth Of an
inch in thickness, and was Tapped aud soldered
together along the gutter with common solder,
The boards under the roof did not ht sufficiently
close together to exclude the free circulation OF
air, and we are OF opinion that owing to the
amount of fire on the roof and the thnness of the
copper roofing tho board sheathing underneath
took fire, and communicating to the paper and
other inaammablc materials stored In the Immediate
vicinity Of this grating, In the rejected model room
had gained uncomfortable Roadway before any
one In the building was aware of the danger and
several ladies who were employed In the west
wing Of the modcl,room testify to smelling smoke
between and 10 O'Clock on the morning of the
fire, but as the windows were open. and the wind
was blowing from the southwest, we conclude that
the smoke came from the chimneys Of other build.
ings In the vicinity. Several persons testify to
seeing smoke issuing from various parts Of tho roof
long prior to the alarm Of fire hut as there were
four fires built on the Ninth street side on that
morning they undoubtedly saw the smoke from
one of the chimneys.
After the most careful and searching investiga.
tiOn find nothing TO warrant the belief that the
fire was incendlary, but on the contrary, all the
facts and circumstances show that II was Rcri.
dental and had Its origin In the manner above
stated
Before closing this report we consider II our duty
TO call your attention To the condition of several
the chimney hucs under the roof OF the Seventh and
F.strcct wings Of the building, which appear from
personal inspection to have boen defective and un.
safe for long time and which II not speedily re.
paired may be the cause OF further disaster.
how, hn