Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-10-27
THE PATENT OFFICE FIRE.
4 N Attack by . Washington EngiueeK
On the Architect who Butls the Pa.
tent ONCE Reply by snat ientlc-
Res sensible

tent ONCE Reply by snat Gentle
Rec PODsible.
AT the Architects Convention YESTERDAY
mcrning, Mr.. Smithmeyer, one OF the dele
sstes, asked permission 10 submit paper
10 the institute, sent hum by a friend nam d
Van stamp, Washington engineer, The
subject thereof beng "FireProof Build
lDgs." The Institute mech anically vot d to
nave IL read, every one present being In
entire ignorance OF its ontents. The sec e
tary, Mr.. Bioor, proceeded TO read the docu-
ment, which was al able, yet severe and
scanning: criticism on the manner iu which
the erection OF buildings for state and federal
uses Is carried on in this country.
"TheTe is not q so called fire. proof build
Ing In the service of the government any
where" writes Mr.. Van Stamp, (Which caa-
not be reduced in a few hours TO tumbled
walls and smoking ashes. The system OF
government architecture Is shameful. The
construction of public buildings in America
has been intrusted To men who by their po-
ItIcal influence alone secured for themselves
the privilege OF spreading these fire traps for
storing Cove rnment property, and swallow
ing human lives. Those OF them who have
any professional ability never rise above
mediOcrity. They do not dare to undertak e
the work themselves, but hire compe ent
young architects on small clerical salaries,
who do The work for which their chiefs get
the applause and al miratiOn of the mass.s.
The architects Office of the United States
Treasury in this city washington, which
should be filled with the peers of the profes
sion, is nothing but all architectural ia ;tory
shelter for hack architects with political
influence" Speaking OF the architect who
built the Patent Office, Mr.. Van Stamp says:
Had he done his professional duty, the ire
would have been col fined To small portion
of the building. and but little harm would
have been done"
BEFORE the sense OF the meeting was OBJ
tanned relative TO this extraordinary inform
alton, the president of The institute, q vete
ran architect. Mr.. Thomas u. Walter, left
the chair with the intention, as he said, OF
making personal statement. Said he, Il
am the architect who built the Patent OFF &c,
and take exceptions TO the allegations CON
tanned In the paper you have just heard.
The statement regarding my responsibility
for The fire which destroyed the building has
10 foundation in fact. The building was
constructed as nearly fire. proof as We could
make building under the circumstances.
All the lower stories of the building were
vaulted. The rooms there were small. Tue
finishing was largely iron. the Arches beiu,
hllei iii with bricks III courses, wlt1 con-
crete on top. Then, at the request OF the lie
partment, tImbers were inserted add wooden
floors, as stone floors were deem-d unhealthy
for those who use them daily. On one of the
floors ] had put on the arcnes with which II
was provided courses OF slate one anu Oue-
hall inches thick, around "a course measur-
ing four inches of brick and slate. Next we
come TO the floor of the middle, main room.
extending clear to the roOf. The Il DOR OF this
room was all arches, aud Oh In ese arches
were laid marble tiles, one and one-half To-
ches thick. On these floors We're constructed
cases for the models, which Were of iron.
When we come To the roof, there was
an iron frame there. had designed an iron
ceiling for IT, like the ceiling of the House of
Representatives, and the Library and the
Senate; in this connection mad taken some
steps To make the work thorough aud pre-
vent any opportunity TOR Il fire. had pro
posals arrau ged, when received orders from
the department TO sustain the floor OF the
building by hanging 10 the roof wood work
to support the plastering, and to admit Of
sky lights with which to iight the rooms.
This arrangement left vast space above the
ceiling in tho place commanly called the
"cOck loft" There is where all the trouble
arose Here was vast and unOccupied
space, and after had left it the departm mt
had the vacant place all filed in with timber
and rubbish. / have not seen IL since the
fire, but L am told that they even had
greenhouse put up there. They piled in
most combustible things p Dssible to be made
of wood. The whole space was jammed.
Whether the fire was set, or whether the
fire was caused by spontaneous combustion,
for they put i'll there a lot of oily stuff that
would, l should think, easily generate a fire,
or whetner IL caught 1re through the agency
OF che nueS, of course, do not know. But
the flues could not have been imperfect, rs
has been irtimatei. They were tlorou ghly
built, from bottom To top, with 81 large, thick
wall and were fourteen feet through
The speaker Wen! Oh 10 theoriZe On the pro-
gress OF the fire thrOu u the ceiling, It's rapid
decline 10 the floors, where IL penetrated 10 3
cast iron cases and burned the models, 1.-The
b.ane for that fire." said Mr, Wal.r .-'o
upon those people who made junkshop at
the top OF the house. The papers have. since
tina. time, been full OF Settlements about the
combusti5le characte of the public buildings
ia Washington, but they are rs hreproOf as
the Dature OF their comp )site materials
chosen for their ability To resist fire, will
allow. All buildings are more or less com
bustible; that we ali know.
After This explanation there was loud ap-
plause. Mr.. Smithmeyer explained that ne
did not know the nature of the paper he lad
submitted, and the whole affair was dropped
uCr nj --Nta mot IN rftAt
Stamps essay In the report Of the proceed
ings.-l Boston Herald