Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-10-15
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
,IAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE MONITOR.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 1877.


Mr.. Schurz has been severely CRITICS.
ed for the seeming slow progress made
in getting temporary roof over the
rooms of the north and west wings of the
Patent Office left exposed by the fire.
The wind and rain, terrific 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 ten
days favorable weather was frittered
away, and the tardy equinoctial found
those responsible wholly unprepared 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 remov-
al of everything liable to damage into
the corridors and rooms of the unscathed
portion of the building. Chaos ruled
Vic uOuI duO COuIuSiOu ran not. Even
now, some of the divisions have hardly
got down to routine work. Many of the
burned and calclned marble blocks of
the walls were reduced to doughty con-
sistency by the water, and came crash
ing to the pavement, nearly third of
the ceiling of the north portico cracking
across from its own weight, and tum-
bling through the opening, defacing the
ornamental work of the pillars and an
giles. Roofess and Frustrated houses,
uprooted trees, overturned fences and
stranded vessels down the Potomac at
tested the violence of the gale. From
/ insufficient sewers, hundreds of cellars
and Easements were flooded, and hund.
reds of chimneys, awnings and signs
were tumbled down or wrenched from
their fastenings and disappeared. The
streets were flooded, travel impeded
along the line of rail and other roads
leading outward from the city, while
flower gardens were unceremoniously in
vaded and the pride of many house
holder, the fruits of months of diligen
labor and culture, were scattered Gin the
twinkling of an eye" This morning
the heavens are frowning on us agar
and Old Probabilities has ordered on
the danger signals; and Mr.. Schurz
clerks gloonily contemplate recurrence
of Thursdays disaster. The commission
appointed to look after the other publ,
buildings report them, so far as the
have gone, 'literal finder boxes" await
ing an accidental spark to reduce to ash
es millions of dollars worth of matte
and material, the accumulations of years
and to blot out tons of government al
chives whose value cannot be computes
in money. We may regard our exemr
ton from destructive CONGREGATIONS here
tofore as wholly matter of luck 70
the practice has been uniform in crowd
ing Easements and attics with hundred
of tons of the most infammable matter
In Winder's building there is packe
under roof largely composed of wood
I'd Auditors vouchers representing. it
said, over $1.9OO,OO0.OOO. The Wa
and Navy Departments, with their re
cords of those arms of the service fror
the foundation of the Government. al
similarly imperiled. Even our magnif
| cent Capitol, representing the expend
} ture of S20.O00,0OO and containing a.
chives whose value cannot be calculate
by money standard is in constant dar
. ger from this source. In obedience
: an imperative demand, it is understood
: that appropriations will be asked |
: make the government structures fl
} proof.
Senator Patterson's arrest has arouse
much Indignation here. Many Repul
! licans gave in their adhesion, very r.