Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-09-25
GREAT FIRE IN WASHINGTON-THE
PATENT OFFICE IN FLAMES!

Washington, September 24.-The Washing
ton Patent Office building is on fire. The
flames broke out in the model room, burnt
through the roof, and are blazing furiously.
All the engines in the district have gone to
the scene. The upper portion of the west
wing on Ninth street is in flames, which are
creeping along between the ceiling and roof
of the north wing and of the main building
facing F street. An immense number of val
liable models have been destroyed. Secretary
Schurz and assistants are experimenting the
removal of files and records. The district
militia is at the main stairway of the model
room as a guard. The fremen are in the
room endeavoring to save it. The flames first
appeared in the conservatory, near the roof.
There were an immense number of rejected
models packed in the attic above the model
room, and it is believed that spontaneous
combustion there caused the conflagration.
The fire has now extended to the north wing,
one-half of which is now in flames. The west
wing is one mass of fire. The model depart
ment, with the models, is partly destroyed.
1890 P. M.-The fire still RACES, particularly
in the Land Office wing of the Interior De-
partment building The heat being intense,
an approach to the fire is difficult Doubtless
valuable papers and records will be destroyed,
many being slowed in the attic
Washington, September24. bop. Mathis
writing the fire is under control Most of the
damage has been confined to the upper stories.
Several fire companses from Baltimore arrived
about 1890 The time from making appli-
cation for them until their arrival in the city
was less than an hour. The government en-
CINE from the navy yard, and another from
the arsenal, are at work with those belonging
to the city of Baltimore and Alexandria, ma
king total of len engines. Strong hopes are
entertained that the fire will not extend below
the floor of the model room. The most val
pension offices, as well as those of the Interior
Department proper, are stored on 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 at one time that the window frames
and awnings on G street were ignited, but
the fire was extinguished before making much
progress.
The number of models is variously estima-
ted at from 30 900 to Is, O0O A number of
the more important were on exhibitson and |
storage in the West Hall, which, with the |
North Hall, is completely wrecked and the
roofs burned. The fire at this time, 2:3O, is
confined to the attic of the East Hall, from
which nearly all the models had been re-
moved to the lower floors. The loss in re-
ected models will be very great to the Gov
ernment
In the Patent Office building are no Offices
subordinate to the Interior 7, partment ex-
,ept the Pension Office, Patent Office, and
indian Office. This suffers By She mixing of
he documents in the effort to save them.
Iany rooms on the lower floors of the build
ng are covered with water. A Gordon of po-
ice has been thrown around the building,
nd detachment placed in the inside, while
detachment of marines are between the
urning building and the postofice. At
o'clock the fire was confined to the north
est corner and under control.
Washington, Sept. 24-3:10P. N. Wright,s
uilding on G street, opposite the Patent
flee, is now on fire and two or three houses
n Seventh street, opposite the Indian Blu
eau, have caught. The General Postofice
as been closed and public work seems sus- L
ended throughout the city. 7