Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-08

Prof. Riley Tells About the Pests which
Overrun the Treasury Department.

Overrun the Treasury Department.
A pamphlet just issued from the Department Of
Agriculture on insect life reports the result OF
experiments In the destruction OF reaches and
water-ougs that were eating the valuable files OF
the Treasury Department. The secretary wrote
letter last May stating that the files were being
seriously dlmaged by the ravages OF insects or
vermin, and asking Prof. Riley for some means Of
protection. An expert was sent 70 the Depart
ment 10 battle with the bugs. The report says:
"The basement or the building was first visited,
and many books examined which had the entire
backs eaten on. These were old as well as more
recently bound books and were on shelves away
from tue floor, al being In as dry and favorable
situations as are 70 be found in the basement No
specimens were found at work. Those found had
been killed by the insect-powder which had been
applied ali over and around the records the arler-
were the large native species only, Peripldnetd
americana, there being none OF Ecto5ia german
e tue smaller eotnmon roLcn Scai n aSo CroIon
been noticed that day, not having up To that time
reappeared All those that had been covered
vita the powder had died Lrge number OF
copies OF the "Senate report upon mel hods bust
ness in the Executive Departments" winch mad
just been bound (printed March 8, 1889, and were
piled up from the floor were hall OF tfem eaten
Into In patches over the backs and covers outside
presenting corroded appearance. These reports
and importance. A specimen set, showing the in
Juries oy the rolcheS will sent to tni5 division
were UOunu IN Dlack Cloth and had
been eaten Into for tine paste with which the cloth
Was put on tue covers. |. was IOr the same rea-
son That the backs OF the other older, leather
bound books had been eaten away. Specimens of
eXcreInent found on the shelves near these books
no doubt Oeiong u r. americana, and the places
eaten mad similar excrementitious spots upon
ln@ln- Many records stored mere are OF the utmost
value and Importance, some Of which IL would be
utterly Impossible To replace. but all are liable
10 be treated alike by the roacnes In the
maceratlng rooIn large reaches also occur
the Large species seems TO go no 4, CHER than one
or two stories, and very sfew OF them above the
BASEMENT. The basement Is nalurIly somewhat
Camp, Is heated u steam In winLer and the
rodcneS nave oeen worst In the darker PAGES.
They have not been 10 trouble some In winter liz
also seems that there were them in the west
wing vi the building, and not many on tue east
size Of The wing, the WINDOWS OF wnicn open into
Tue Inner court, on the west sid e. Tine injured
records are scored In the basement OF the west
wing The walls are very soul, being of stone or
none In Immediate vicinity OF books most ea,en.
Inc corridor outside these rooms Is said be fun
OF the reaches in the carry morning.
EcToBIA GERMANICA.
upstairs all above second floor, only this species
occurs. None whatever occur In the library,
which is kept very clean and neat by the lady in
charge, and the rooms are light and dry. In file-
rooms on top noor,. where Only papers are Kept
(eist wlngl. tnera are no roacAeS either large or
small. There are no pasted records OF any Kind In
these nle-rooms, anu employees are not allowed 20
take any luncd there. The rooms are dry anu
light, havln. sAy-Iignls In the roof No insec,, OF
any Kind are I0und there unlesS brought from
otner parts OF the building, wnen they soon dis
appear The bildlns-room ON same floor, and con-
necsed with the nie-roUmS Dy narrow passages,
Was Visited ami T.. gerHadaicd found there aud
also In printing-roon next to IL. Numerous
i've specimens In drawers and under books
In Office, OH prlntlng-room, were found.
Also Specimens were seen In these drawers, which
from the description given me, were probably the
Image or the cloth.s-lnotn. The printing oI1ice
was formerly IN basement " here the eaten records
are now stored, ana these records We're at mat
time kept IN The room now occupied by the print
change Was made out OF humanity 10 the en- poyeS,
Ior wnom the basement proved TOO unhealthy
But the easement seems 10 b. equally Unhealthy
10: the records, though from not exactly the saline
cause. In room Ga Top floor, Where some ligul-
house records are stored, or tue smaller spe-
cies are found and nulnuer or small paoer -oound
reports lOounI In Due paper had the backs partly
ea,en away, evidently To get III the paste. TniS
wUrN did not resemble that or mice, Lor did any
thaL examined steam heater in this ROOM
OTHER INSECTS.
"No flights OF white ants nave been noticed In
basement Dy employees questioned. No other in
sects which could have any bearing on this ques-
ton had ever been seen there, and the rooms are
hot troubled with mice.
"Ml. Youn Ans believes that dampneSs or dryneSS
affect the insects very little, but That they sJay
where there Is looj TO tuer likiug. The safety Of
THESE neS before referred TO Is Oh very serious i'm
poftance 10 the officers Ol the ID pirtment, as tue
culeG CLERK Is ned responsible Ior tne all lwhether
eaten or otnerwfSe), ami Is supposed 10 be at
any thine 10 produce any recJrL called Tor He
not say III Is not there, because a Copy has been
HE'D with him; nor Can ne sag II mas been de-
Stroyed, because there Is no law Tor the dcstruc-
tioa OF any record. The law does not recognize
the agency VI Insects In this regard Ia all these
cases Of Injury II Was only those parts perneated
win paste tnaL had been noie,ted; therefore, as
"A remedy Ior the future, II would seem advisable
10 Use a poisoned paste In tue UlndIng OF the Gov
eminent publications"
A Specimen OF the 0ugs was sent to Prof. Riley
lie PRONOUNCED IL a comlnOl cOckrOach, and sug-
gested tnat California bunacn" De used for their
determination.