Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-02-12

RESULT OF THE INVESTIGATION OF THE
SIGNAL OFFICE FIRE.-The board of officers to
| investigate the signal Office fire failed to dis
| cover any new facts to throw light on the
| origin of the fire. The damage was confined to
stationery and furniture and some meteorolog-
1cal charts. The loss of the latter will cause
about months delay in the,work to which
they refer, but can readily be replaced. The
more important records were uninjured, and
the valuable instruments were saved.
MR. SLArER's SUccEssoR-The Postmaster
General to-day appointed A B. Hurt, of Miss,
| the clerk Of the House committee on post offices
and post roads, to be chief of the railway ad-
)ustment division, vice Mr.. Slater, resigned.
| NAVAL ORDERs.-Lieut. John NJ. Helm, Or
| dered to duty in the coast survey; P. A. Pay
| master Jno r. Martin, to the Alliance; P. A.
Paymaster VIM. C. MCGOWAN, detached from
the Alliance, ordered to settle accounts and
wait wa orders; Chief Engineer B. f. Garvin, from IN
instant, and placed on the retired list from that
| date. Capt. R. F. Bradford, ordered to duty as
I'd March; Lieut.. Wainwright Kellogg, to spe-
| ciai duty at the Navy Department.; Assistant
e dnty at deaed the o
| board OF Inspection, I'd March, and placed on
waiting orders.
PURCHASED BY THE NAVY DEPARTMENT.
The American Impregnating company for the
preservation of timber which goes into the
construction of naval vessels was paid $4,000
| y
works in the Boston navy yard.
THE ASSAY COMMISSION appointed by the
President began its session at the Philadelphia
mint yesterday, Judge Butler presiding and
| III. L. Spachman, of the mint bureau in this
| city, acting as secretary.
| THE RECORDS MUST STAND AS THEY ARE
| A clerk in the Treasury department., having in
| mind the Omingchangeof administration asked
permission to withdraw from the files certain
VI anna la Oni i'm in
regard to political row in his own state, which
Charges had been investigated and not deemed
OF sufficient Importance to call for his dismissal.
| Secretary McCulloch declined to permit the
Withdrawal OF single paper which had been
properly fled. 1t is said that the records of
the Treasury department will be turned over to
the incoming administration in the same con-
dition in which they have stood during the
present regime.
| DECISION AS TO TELEGRAPH RATEs.-First
Controller Lawrence has decided that the Post
master Generals order of September 4th last
fixes the rate of compensation to be paid by the
| government to the telegraph companies from
June 3Oth, 1884, to June Both, 1885. It has
been the custom to issue such orders at the ex-
plratlOn OF each fiscal year, but the last order
was not issued until September 4th, and,
although the rates fixed were lower than for
meriy, the nrst contr1lier noids tnat & the oGder @
and september 4th, 1854.
7 Mr.. BREWSTER CAMERON Is in the city. He
was formerly general agent of the Department
of Justice, and, later register of the land office
at Tucson, Arizona, which position he recently
resigned to give his whole attention to his pros
porous cattle ranch in that country.
YELLOW FEVER ON THE HELACKAwANNA.-Cap.
tain Cooke, of the Lackawanna, reports to the
Secretary of the Navy from Acapulco that two
enlisted men named Owen Griffith and William
Mild have died from yellow fever, and recon-
mends change of climate for the benefit of Off
GERS and crew of the vessel. The Secretary has,
by telegraph, ordered the vessel to proceed as
far north as San Francisco.
THE UNION PACIFIC INDEBTEDNEss.-On
the 5th instant the Senate passed order call
ing upon the Secretary of the Interior for in
formation as to ''whether the annual settle
ment was made by the Union Pacific railway
company February list, 1885, provided in
the Thurman act" Chas. F. Adams, jr., presi-
dent of Union Pacific, has written to Secretary
Teller to say that the company will promptly
settle the account referred to whenever the de-
partment informs 1t of the amount due.
Treasury Employees.
THE SECRETARY DOES NOT DEEM REDUCTION
OF OR CHANGES IN THE FORCE ADVISABLE
The Secretary of the Treasury in compliance
with law to-day transmitted to the Senate list
Of the persons employed in his department dur
ing the calendar year 1884, and the salaries
paid to each. In his letter of transmittal Secre-
tary McCulloch says: $50 far as am informed
the persons named We're assigned to useful
labor. am not advised that an extended re-