Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-03-22
The Fire IN the CITY Hall,

cred in the City Han building In the Circuit
Court room. An alarm was at once sounded
from box a Columbia building). ard soon after
wards general alarm brought out the entire
fire department. In the meantime the chamber
door was forced open, and il was found that the
IRE was Just at the platform on which the judge
sits and had got into the partition in the rear OF
this platform. ON the entrance OF OFFICER
Byrnes, Fire Commissioner Bacon and the fire.
men. the fine Oil painting of Washington was
removed with some difficulty. 4 portion of the
roof was soon cut away by the ffremen, under
direction OF Chief Cronn, exposing the names
which were thus soon extinguished; not, how
ever, until the entire western wing of the build
ing had been flooded. There was fear at one
time that the fire would communicate to the
extreme western end OF the building. which is
occupied by the register of wills but this fear
was soon dispeled, as the tiremen worked with
viii and soon had the flames under control.
They thus prevented what might have been,
except for their efforts, most disastrous con-
The room where the fire started was pretty
well saturated with water and the carpets
burnt pan TALLY. The room was formerly Occ,l-
pied-fn the days OF the old municipal govern
ment-as the chamber of the board of common
council, and at one time It extended to the east
rooms being needed the partition was erected
cutting off two rooms.
HOW THE FIRE OR1GINATED-PINE BOARDS OVER
REGISTERS,
The room was heated from furnace In the
easement. The registers being on either side of
the Judges platform. and in order to divert the
OlItCt fSCtDt VI The HeaU ana at Ilf same time
enlarge the platform to accommodate the IN
creased number of judges, the plan was adopted
and carried into execution OF extending the
platform on bricks about inches above the re-
glsters. 1t is pretty certain that the constant
heat converted this flooring into material as
1Dfammable as finder, and as the fire in the fur
race was quite low when the platform was
found 10 De on fire that 1t must have been
smolderfng for some hours previously. Some
builders who examined the work to-day state
that the only proper plan TO have adopted was
hay NH Qr I1fu fyaa I,ria
and the flooring. The actual loss will not eX-
coed s, 600 by fire and water, and fortunately
no papers or records were lost. Had the
alarm been half an hour later it is likely
mat IL would have been totally impoS-
sible to save the building. Had the loft been
reached this being filled with old dry tim
spread over the entire building, which is occu-
pied as follows: West wing by District Attor-
ney's Office, Equity Court room on left of main
story, Bar Association and judges consultation
room on right on the main floor Circuit Court
(No. p room, Register OF Wills Office. which is
the only hre-proof depository in the hall In the
are the Criminal Court room. the Marshafs
Office, Clerks Office. witness room. Recorder OF
Deeds Office and grand jury room. Had the
flames spread the loss would have been beyond
calculation.
HISTORY OF THE BUILDING.
The building was erected about 1928. and was
occupied untii after the war by the city govern
ment and the courts OF the District but under
the board OF public works the city's interest in
the building was acquired by the general gov
eminent. Al present the building is entirely
insufficient for the purposes for which it Is used
and 1t Is VIGOROUSLY unsafe. For the present
the Court in General Term has been compelled
10 seek quarters in the Columbia Law School
building, and there Is now bill pending In
congress TO erect an addition on the original
plan. which provides for wing extending
northward from the vestibule. This fire is about
the pest argument which can be made in sup
port Of the bill
REPAIRING DAMAGE
Deputy MARSHALL Williams last night ordered
me room In the Column bia College building TO be
prepared. and Judge Macarthur, holding Cir
cult Court No. l. convened IL there this morn
ing. Mr.: Architect Clark (of the CapltoD who Is
In immediate charge or the building, was pres
ent last evening While the fire was in progress
and Immediately gave orders on its extinguish-
ment for clearing away the rubbish and for the
work or repair to commence to-day. ConSe-
quently the carpenters and brick layers are at
work to-day. and In few days al most the
Court may resume its old quarters. The office
OF the register OF wills was flooded with water
but the records were unhurT. There viii he no
Probate Court however until Saturday.
IN addltlon 10 proper credit to the fire depart
ment and police for good work, not a little is
due TO the employees OF the several courts and
officers in the building. who when they ascer-
falned the building was In iames repaired there
and worked manfully.
COMPLIMENT TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Chief Engineer Cronin this afternoon received
the following:-"The undersigned persons. who
witnessed the successful efforts OF the fire de-
partment, under your management, in putting
out the fire at the city Hall last night deem IL
proper to say that you are entitled 10 the special
thanks OF the entire community for the prompt
and effective work performed on that occasion.
IL was satisfactorily demonstrated that the fire
department OF Washington deserve the COM
mendation that they have received In the past.
ID. X. Cartier, Arthur Macarthur Charles c.
James, George b. Corkhill. II. Ross Perry r. j.
Meigs, X. j. Meigs, IT., A. Webster"
DEEDS IN FEE have been recorded as follows:
Z. II. Thomas to j. c. Miller, lot 1904, So. 3I5;
$3.50 NJ. G. Munson to r. G. Deuson. part g.
So 19I: 1900. Z. II. Thomas to Ellen Murphy
lot 9, block II OF Mount Pleasant; 81, 900. j. W.
wright to D; p. Wright, lots 30 and 81, block
OF Mount Pleasant; s.. District of Columbia
10 d. L Kendall, lot 9, so. $50: $l7.2T.
MARRIAGE LICENSES have been issued to HI
nam kenner, OF Northumberland county, Va,
ana sidney A. Taloert; Chas. N. coleman and
annie Nash; Charles E. Brown and Mrs A. Ii.
Iinney; VIM. keesecker and Francis Cornelia
brelsiord; w. f. 50. Clair and Addie c. Simms
both OF Norfolk, Va. - '''''
at Pngg's. '' '-s' ~ sotd'
YOUTHS BOYS AND CHuDRRN,s sprinp ovsr
coats, at the Boys Clothing House OF II Rohin
son Co, 500 Pennsylvania avenue,
WASHINGTON FISH MARKKrASold by r. A. Col.
den, agent-s00 shad, from $50 to $Se per 100.
n, 900 behring's, nom Si2 to SIS per j. 600: yoe
rrnR md % 70 ca