The daily gazette., 1877-09-26
Washington Letter,

THE PATENT OFFICE, F1RE-A pEscRIp-
trroN OF THE ,BUILprNG-THE EXTENT
OF THE DAMAGE-THE MODELS DEs-
TRoYED, ETC.
From Our OWn Correspondent.
80" WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. "a.
The Patent Office building in which
much Of the work connected with the
Department OF Interior Is performed
covers two squares, it measures 453 feet
from east to west, 331 feet from north to
south and has an elevation of rs feet.
TIE building contains 19l rooms and
cost about S2,700.000 dollars. 1t was
commenced in 1897. Four halls on the
second floor compass the whole extent Of
the vast building and have on exhibition
every model Of every patent issued since
1886, both foreign and American, num-
bering about 100000 models. This part
of the building is what is called and
known as the museum of msdels.s
About II o'clock this morning an un-
usual column of smoke was noticed over
the west hall, arising from one of the
chimneys when soon thereafter the cry
of fire was heard all over the neighbor-
hood The fire department did not re-
spond as promptly as it might have done,
something more than fifteen minutes
having elapsed before the fire engine
had arrived. This was stationed on, 9th
street between f and G streets, and
about IL o'clock the first stream of water
commenced its play. The next engine
was stationed an the corner of 9th and F,
and the hose hoisted up on the roof ofthe
south hall. The fire originated in the
attic that runs just under the roof along
Ninth street front, which had been used
as a astore-room, for something near $4,000
rejected models and some thirty tons of
drawings and specifications. The flames
were carried with the greatest rapidlty
all along the whole side of the building
and at about 1916 the entire roof over
| the west hall fell with most tremend-
our crash. At this time the fire had Its
own way in the model room where it
spread with the greatest rapidity. Co.
umns of fire arose and threatened all
buildings in the neighborhood with i'm
mediate destruction. The large and eX-
tensive offices of Louis Bagger & Co, ,one
of the most prominent patent offices in
the city of Washington, located right OPP
posite Patent Office, had their entire
stock models removed for safe-keeping'
NARROW ESCAPES.
August Petershon of the firm of G. A.
Snow & Co., patent attorney was one of
The first on the scene of disaster and
while attempting to enter the room
where the fire was first discovered with
| one of Babcock's fire extinguishers came
near being killed by the falling of the
western roof. James Morris of No. 8 en-
gine was nearly dragged into the fire at
the same time as he fell down suffocated
with smoke.
BALTIMORE RENDERING AID.
| When it became apparent that our
| fire department was insufficient to cope
with the devouring element, Secretary
Shurz telegraphed to the Mayor of Balti-
more for help. The Baltimore fire de-
partment responded at once and the first
engine arrived soon after one o'clock,
having made the run from Baltimore to
Washington in 80 minutes.
SOLDIERS ON GUARD.
Shortly after one o'clock detachment
of U. s. Marines of about 100 men were
placed at various points in and out of the
building to guard the Government pro-
perty. The model room or the upper
| part of the building contained perhaps
the finest collection of models in the
world, which it is impossi BILE to replace
as many of them date back to the early
days of the patent office. There was also
on this floor large numbers of maps and
valuable drawings. These all being in
wooden cases, the fire spread rapidly
60 9TH Dl.a Of
building are on brick arches and conse-
quently the lower part of the building
was not reached by the fire, but the
water played sad havoc with the books
and papers below.
THE ORIGIN OF THE FIRE.
Many reports as to the origin of fire
were circulated. The one that was gem
orally credited at first was that the fire
started in the Green House on the top of
the roof by the rays of the sun coming
through the glass roof which made
focus and ignited some cotton which was
placed around valuable plant. Another
theory more generally accepted, that the
f1ue for heating the Greenhouse commum
Gated the fire. The most plausible eX-
planation was however given to your
correspondent by Mr.. Wilson who was
at the time the fire was first noticed en-
ployed in storing away old files and the
first one who gave the alarm of fire, and
stated between y and 10 o'clock fire of
wood had been lit in one or more offices
on the basement floor of the west wing,
the heated air from which would ascend
through the very chimney from which
the first smoke was visible, and that a
spark from this chimney ignited some
boards which were placed on the roof to
keep the spout of the chimney in posi-
ton.
THE SCENES ON THE STREETS.
At 1880 o'clock the fire was at its
height. The scene was one of awful
grandeur.
Your correspondent witnessed the pro-
gress of the fire from the office of y. A.
Snow & Co., Patent Attorneys who have
their rooms located not more than fifty
yards from the spot where the fire ORR
ginated The cold classic outline of the
building was warmed up with back
ground of seething flame, curling, his
sing, darting first here and then there,
taking no fixed course, but devouring
everything with its reach. From each
of the heavy windows on g and 9th
street front there were sheets of flame,
curling upwards until lost in volumes of
smoke, swept away by the wind. Thou
sands were upon the streets and upon the
roofs of adioi ming huillinpS Policemen