The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-09-25
ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORT.
TO TIE DAILY YTELLIGESoRR
FIRE IN THE PATENT OFFICE.
Fifty to sevsnty-tlve Thousand
Models Burned.
Origin Of the Fire Patent Chem.
icals.
A Case of Spontaneous COmbns-
tlOn.
Public Work Suspended Through
out the City.
FIRE IN THE PATENT OFFICE,
Papers and Drawings Saved in a
Damaged Condition.


WAsHINaToN, September 24.-Thc Pa.
tent Office building is on Ere. The flames
broke out in the Msdel Room, burnt
through the roof and is blazing iuriously.
All tho engines in The District have gone
to the scene.
1880. The fire sill RACES, particular.
ly in the Land Office wing. Atthe Inte-
rior Department building the heat Is
intense, making approach 10 the fire
difficult. Doubtless valuable papers and
records will be destroyed, many being
stored in the attic. The upper portion
Of the West wing on OH street, ia in
flames, which are creeping along between
the ceiling and the roof OF the North
wing and OF The main building facing f
street. An immense number Of valuable
models have been destroyed. Secretary
Schurz and assistants are experimenting
the removal Of the files Of models and
records.
The clerks are removing books and pa
pers and are organized as guards. Guards
OF the District militia are at the main
stairway of the model room, in the CEN
tire Of the building, where large number
Of models yet remain. Firemen are in
the room endeavoring 10 save il.
The flames first appeared in the con.
servatOry, near the roof. There we're
an immense number of rejected models
packed in the attic above the model
room, and it is believed spontaneous
combustion there caused the conftgra-
ton. The Land Office records are stored
in room Two stories beneath.
l:30 p. MAT this writing the fire is
under control. Most Of the damage has
been confined 10 the upper stories. Sew.
eral fire companies from Baltimore ar.
rived about 1890. The time from max.
iLg application for them until their ar.
rival IN the city was less than an hour.
The government engine from the navy
yard and another from the arsenal are at
work with those belonging 10 the city.
Hopes are entertained that the firG will
not extend below the floor OF the model
room. Most Of the valuable records Of
the Patent, Land, Indian and Pension
offices, as we'll as those Of the Interior De.
partment, are stored on the first two
floors Of the building beneath the model
room, and none Of them have YET been
reached by the names. The hea. was so
Intense at one time that the window
frames and awnings on G street we're ig.
nited, but the Gre was extinguished be.
fore making much progress. 80
The number Of models is yariou,ly e.
timated at from $4,000 to 5000. A
Of the more important were on ex-
hibition in the west hall, which with the
north hall is completely wrecked.
The fire at this time, 2:3O P. NJ, is con.
fined to the attic OF the east hall, from
which all the models have been removed
to the lower floors.
In the Patent Office building are all |
the Offices subordinate to the Interior
Department, except the Pension Office.
The Land Office, Patent Office and Indian
Office suffer by the mixing of documents
in the effort to save them. Many Of the
rooms on the lower floors are covered
with water.
A Gordon Of police has been thrown
around the building and detachment
placed inside, while detachment OF ma.
rines are between the burning building
and the PoStoiFice.
At 8 o'clock the fire was confined to |
The northwest corner and under control.
$40 p. M.-Wrighrs building, on G |
street, opposite the Patent Office, is now |
on fire, and two or three houses on Sew.
enIh street, opposite the Indian Bureau,
have caught. The General Pos.olFicc has
been closed aud public work seems aus.
pended throughout the city.
The irc originated from spontaneous
combustion among lot Of non.patentel
chemicals stored in the attic on the 9th
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 Office. The original
copy Of the Declaration Of Independence
and relics OF General Washington were
saved, as was also Franklins printing
press. Nearly all the specifications and
original drawings OF the patent Office are
safe, and. from these models can be re.
produced il necessary. Many OF the
clerks Of the Interior Department, Land,
Patent, Indian and Pension offices have
been ordered on duty tonight, asserting
paper and books and drying all which
have been damaged byivater. The mill.
tary are on guard duty at the building,
where they will remain till all the records
and public property shall be secured.
None Of the land Office records have been
destroyed by the fire, but many are seri.
oualy damaged by water. The records Of
The application division OF the patent
Office which first receives the appli-
cations from the patentees, and Of which
papers no copies were made, were saved.
Most OF the valuable models saved were
those relating to sewing machines, IRE
arms, printing presses, locks, saws, etc.
All the models relating to reapers, now
nrs aud variousl agricultural machines
were destroyed. A temporary room will
be erected at once.
The damage to the building ia various.
y estimated from 100000 to $500, 900,
while that growing out OF the destruc-
lion ot the models and other valuables
belonging to the patent office Is almost
incalculable.
The arches which formed the ceiling
Of the second story, and upon which the
door Of the third story rested, are 80
badly damaged that many Of them
must be torn down. The marble Of the
outer walls is considerably discOloursd
BY the flames.