Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-10-17

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9.

Mr. Ochurz mas Oeen severely crltl-
cised for the seeming slow progress
made in getting a temporary roof over
the rooms of the North and West
wings of the Patent Office left exposed
by the fire. The wind and rain, ter
rife in force and quantity, of last
Thursday, threatened to complete the
destruction of building and valuable
records rescued from the flames. 1t is
complained that the 10 days favorable
weather was frittered away and the
tardy equinoctial found those RESPONSE
bic wholly unprcpared for its advent.
The water poured in streams through
the tesselated floor, standing to the
depth of six inches in some of the rooms
below. There was hasty removal OF
everything liable to damage into the
corridors and rooms Of the unscathed
portion of the building. Chaos ruled
the hour and confusion ran riot. Ev-
en- now, some of the divisions have hard
ly got down to routine work. Many of
the burned and calcined marble blocks
of the walls were reduced to doughey
consistency by the water, and came
crashing to the pavement, nearly
third of the ceiling of the North Porti-
co cracking across from its own weight,
and turnbling through the opening, de-
facing the ornamental work Of the pill.
lars and angles Roofless and prostra-
ted houses. uprooted trees, overturned
fences and stranded vessels down the
Potomac attested the violence Of the
gale. From insufficient sewers, hun
dreds Of cellars aud Easements were
flooded and hundreds of chimneys,
awnings and signs were tum5led down
or wrenched from the fastenings and
disappeared. The streets were flooded,
travel impeded along the line of rail
aud other roads leading outward from
the city while flower gardens were un-
tremendously invaded and the pride of
many a householder, the fruits of
months of dligent labor and culture
were scattered 'in the twinkling of an
eye" This morning the heavens are
frowning on US again and old Probabil-
tiles has ordered out the danger sign,
ais; and Mr. Schurz's clerks gloomingly
contemplate recurrence ofThursday's
disaster. The commission appointed
to look after the other public buildings
report them, so far as they have gone,
''literal tinder boxes" awaiting an ac-
cidental spark to reduce to ashes mil
lions of dollars worth Of matter and
material, the accumulations of years,
and to blot out tons of Government ar
chives whose value cannot be comput-
ed In money. We may regard our ex-
emption from destructive confagrations
heretofore as wholly a matter of luck;
for the practice has been uniform in
crowdlng easements and attics with
hundreds of tons Of the most lnfama-
BILE matter.
In Wlnder's Building there is
packed under roof largely composed
Of wood, End Auditors vouchers repre-
senting, it is. said, many. millions of
dollars. The War and Navy Depart
ments with their records of those arms
of the service from the foundation of
the Government, are similarly imper-
lied. Even our magnificent Capitol,
representing the expenditure of s20,.
100000 and containing archives
whose value cannotbe calculated by a
money standard is in constant danger
from this source. In obedience to an
imperative demand, it is understood
that appropriations will be asked to
make the Government structures fire
proof.
Senator Patterson's arrest has
aroused much indignation here. Many
Republicans gave in their adhesion,
very reluctantly to the recognition of
Hampton, with the tacit understanding
that by-gones were to be treated as
such. Without expressing any opin-
ion as to guilt or innocence of the Re-
publicans Of South Carolina VINO have
been pursued and prosecuted by the
triumphant Democracy of that state
since the first hour they gained the as
1 candancv II IL said that ouon r,,;ltu q g