The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1877-09-27
BURNING THEM UP.
The Patent, Indian and Public Land
Offices on Fire.
DESTROYING THE RECORDS
WITH A RUSH.
Loss on Building Estimated at
100000.
The Loss on Models and Other YaluableS
Almost InCalculable.

Washington, Sept. PA fire broke
out at half past eleven this morning in
the model room of the United States Pat.
ent Office. A general alarm was immedi.
ately given, and the entire force of the
fire department was promptly on the
ground.
The fire brok out in short time with
uncomfortable force, and the fremen
were powerless to stay its progress. 1t
travelled the length of the Ninth street
wing, proceeded on its course throughout
G street to Seventh, down Seventh to F,
making the entire round of the third story
and destroying nearly all the vast col
lection of models, and the interior of the
building.
Secretary Schurz and his assistants su-
perintended the removal of files, models
and records. The clerks removed books
and papers, and were organized as guards,
A guard of the District militia was sta
toned at the main stairway of the model
room in the center building, where
an immense number of models were
stored.
In consequence of the inability of the
firemen to arrest the flames, dispatches
were sent to Baltimore and Philadelphia
for aid Engines from Baltimore were
promptly sent, making the distance from
Baltimore in thirty minutes.
Origin Of the Fire.
The fire originated in the attic, it seems
Just under the roof of the Ninth street
front, in which were deposited 10000 re-
jeCted models and over twenty tons of
drawings. 1t is believed spontaneous
combustion caused the conhagratlon. The
Land Office records are stored in the
rooms two stories beneath.
The Damage SO far Confined tO.the Upper Stories.
1;90-At this writing the fire is under
control. Most of the damage has been
confined to the upper stories. Several
fire companies arrived from Baltimore
about 1890. The time for making ap-
plication for them until their arrival in
the city was less than an hour,
The government engines from the Navy
Yard and another from the Arsenal are
at work with those belonging to the city,
Baltimore and Alexandria, making to-
tai of ten engines. Strong hopes are en-
tertained that the fire will not extend
below the floor of the model room. The
most valuable records of the Patent Land,
Indian and Pension Offices, as we'll as
those of the Interior Department proper,
are stored on the first two floors of the
of the building beneath the model room,
and none of them have yet been reached
by the flames. a,f
The heat was 80 intense at one time
that the window frames and awnings on
G street were ignited, but the fire was
extinguished before making much pro-
gress. g
The number of models is variously es-
timated at from fifty to seventy-fve
thousand. A number of the more i'm
portant were on exhibition and storage
in the west hall, which with the north
hall, is completely wrecked and the roof
burned. . n..,
2.3O p. m.-The fire at this time is con.
fined to the attic of the east hall, from
which nearly all the models have been
removed to the lower floors.
The Loss in Models Enormous.
The loss in rejected models will be very
great to the Government. In the Patent
Office building are all the Offices subordi-
nate to the Interior Department, except
the Pension Office, Land Office and Pat.
ent Office. The Indian Offices suffer by
the mixing of documents in the effort to
save them. Many rooms on the lower
floors are covered with water. .
The fire originated from spontaneous
combustion among lot of uon.patented
chemicals stored in the attiC,on the Ninth
street front. No fire was made in the
conservatory to-day, nor had any been
made in the building.
The Principal Loss Falls Upon the Patent ONCE,
The original copy Of the Declaration of
Independence and relics of General
Washington were saved, as was also
Frankln's printing press. Nearly all of
the specifications and original drawings
ofthe Patent Office are also safe, and from
these the models can be reproduced, if
necessary.
Many clerks of the Interior Depart
ment, Land, Patent, Indian and Pension
Offices have been ordered on duty to-
night, asserting papers and books, and
drying all which have been damaged by
water. The military are on guard duty
at the building, where they will remain
until all records and public property shall
be secured.
Extent Of the Damage Done,
None of the Land Office records has
been destroyed by the fire, but many
were seriously damaged by water. Rec
ords of the application division, the Office
which first receives applications from
patentees, and of which papers no copies
were made, were saved. The most valu-
able models saved were those relating to
sewing machines, fire arms, printing
presses, locks, etc. All models CT reaper.
mowers and various agricultural imple-
ments were destroyed.
A temporary room is to be erected at
once. The damage to the building is
variously estimated at 100000 to $780,
900, while that growing out of the des-
truction of models and other valuables |
belonging TO the Patent Office is almost |
inCalculable. uJ N d. i.
Arches which formed the ceiling of the |
second story and upon which the floor of
the third story rested are so badly dam
aged by heat and water that many of |
them must be torn down. The marble
of outer walls is considerably discolored
by flames and cracked in many places.
It is supposed the fire has been emoulder-
ing beneath the roof which is not fire |