Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-10-04

srai Lives Lost by the Falling OF the Roofs
Loss Estimated at -Four Million Dollars.
Washington, ID. O., Sept, "a 1877.
Not since the death of President
Lincoln has the National Capital been
thrown into such a fevor of excite
ment as to day not even during the
height of the war times; when Cen
eral Jubal Early stood, with his
southern forces, within two miles of
the capitol. All business has sus
pended, and is still, for | write this
while the fire is burning briskly,
though said to be under control. and
all the government departments have
closed, so as to enable the clerks to
lend hand, either ss spectators or
active workmen. The marines are
on duty five engines have been tel.
egraphed for from Baltimore and
Philadelphia. as our local fire depart-
ment, excellent as it is, has proved
itself to be powerless the mounted
police have been called out, and Reg.
ulars are doing duty in the streets
adjoining the burning building, in
short such a stage of excitement pre-.
walls, as has noe been known here
since that memorable day in April.
1865, when Mr. Lincoln breathed its
last,
1t was a few minutes after ten
o'clock this morning, when one of the
messengers in the model room of the
Patent Office was seen to raise the
sash in one of the windows in the
south west corner of the building. and
cry out to policeman, who was
standing in the street below, to turn
in the alarm, as the roof of that cor.
ner of the building was on fire. A
little before that time, light clouds of
greyish smoke had been seen issue.
ing from the building; but no at.
tention was paid to it, as it was
known timers were at work upon the
roofs, and the smoke was supposed
to come from their frepots. The crv
of fire did not, at hrst, create much
excitement, but presently the flames
burst out, and the danger and extent
of the fire was appreciated at once
Exactly seven minutes after the
first alarm had been sounded, the frs,
engine arrived, aud four minutes after
the south portion Of the roof OF the
West Hall, where the fire originated
fell in with terrible crash. When
the roof fell, two ladies and several
gentlemen were IN that part of the
hall and as they had not been
seen or heard of since, it is feared
that they had been k lied. After the
falling of the roof, the fire spread
with extraordinary rapidity /; q sec.
ond general alarm was sounded, and
all the fire engines in the CITY of
Washington responded. The wind
was carrying the flames across the
street directly against the building
occupied by the firm of Louis Bagger
u Co, Patent Attorneys, which is
located Immediately opposite to the
Patent Office, but the building, and
the valuable records which it con-
tains, was saved by covering the roof
with wet blankets, and stationing two
hand engines upon it, by the aid of
which the sparks aud cinders, which
came across from the burning Patent
Office, were effeotually extinguished.
Meanwhile the fire gained head
way steadily. At twelve o'clock, the
entire West Hall of the Model Room.
an apartment 275 feet in length, and
65 feet wide, was one sheet Of flame.
In the hall were stored, carefully ar
ranged in glass cases, the models of
all the bridges, brushes, brooms,
butchering appliances, carpentery,
carriages and wagons, couplings,
railroad cars, excavators and ditch
ing machines, and models of all Pat.
ents pertaining to hydraulic engineer.
ing, journals. and bearings, masonry,
etc., which have been granted In the
United States for the past 80 years.
BY this time, thirteen fire engines
from Washington and Baltimore are
on duty, pouring streams of water on
the burning building yet the fire
crept steadily on, and by half past
three o'clock, the great North Hall
was in blaze. This Hall was
266 feet long, 60 feet wide, and con-
tanned the models of agricultural inn
plements of all kinds, bee hives,
churns, cotton gins, wagon brakes,
horse Shoes, metallurgy, plows,
pumps, builders hardware, etc., etc.,
in S8 cases. All of this
is destroyed, nothing but the bare
walls standing.
At this hour(5p.m. -four more engines
have arrived from Baltimore and two
from Philadelphia. There is some
hopes of saving the East and South
Halls, the last named of which con
tains many valuable relics, among
hem Benjamin Franklin's printing
press, General Washington's clothing
and furniture from Mount Vernon,
and many other articles OF national
interest. More than 10000 models
have been utterly destroyed, but for
Iunately, none of the drawings or
records Of the Office were damaged,
and business will progress as usual,
without delay.
In my next shall give you. more in
detail than il is possible to do at this
writing, the extent of the damage, to-
gether with a history of the building
and Of the great fire by which it was
destroyed in 1882 also q sketch of
Of the building, one of the
handscmest public buildings in
w ashington, after the FIRE. For the
present / must close to get this letter
10 the mail Alpha