The morning times., 1896-03-23
CENSUS Loss NOT HEAVY
Statistics On Occupation In
jured by the Fire.
VALUABLE PAPERS ESCAPED
Need OF Hall of Records Again
Demonstrates by the Blaze Mt
Marini's Hail-Tons of Priceless
Records Are Liable 10 Destruction
in Many Old Bulidings.

,! II
1t is now believed that the loss TO the
government from the fire in the old Marini
building where the unfinished work of
the eleventh cehSusis being carried on, as
told in The Times yesterday morning, is
so small as to amount TO practically moth
ing. The damage caused by the flames and
smoke amounted to naught, the greatest
loss coming from water. A hasty survey
or the premises yesterday by the officials
resulted i'll the abovt. announcement.
In the first pldce there was comparatively
little to destroy, for the work of the last
census has been so'nearly completed as 10
be brought within q few weeks of a close.
Thirty clerks were TO have been discharged
today and that would have left thirty-five
TO have finished up he work The govern
ment VIII he delayed by the disaster.
LOSS Is NOT HEAVY.
Il am not able TO put an estimate on
the loss TO the government" said Hon
Carroll D. Wright, commissioner of the
census, to a Times reporter last night,
but there was really nothing destroyed.
The chief loss is in the delay and in the
necessity OF preparing over again some of
the copy that has been blurred by the water.
The fire was right in the center Of the
building. Had il been further TO the front
it might have caused the loss of $50 900
volumes that arc now being worked upon
There will quite likely he considerable re-
copying to do, and that may cost the govern
menta few thousand dollars, possblyfive, or
maybe ten, no one can tell yet.
There was only one branch OF the work
incomplete. That was the schedule on
occupations. The work on that viii be
thrown back, possibly two weeks. The
report in some way WAS current that some
unfinished work and tables from former
censuscs were in the building but that was
mistake. They are all kept in the dis
tributing room OF the Interior Department
main building.
OCCUPATION SCHEDULES INJURED.
We moved last fall from the Intcr-ocean
building, where We began the work. The
Marini building was the only one available
and though 1T was old we were compelled
TO go in there. II might be said that only
a few hours work would have finished up
the occupation tables and then with gather
ing together the odds and ends the WORK OF
the eleventh census would have been done
Do you not think tits fire has empha
sized the need Of iraf of records al the
seat of government
''Oh, undoubtedly il has. but have
urged that all along. There are tons ard
tons OF documents in the various depart
ments that a re lying carelessly about, en-
tircly unprot eCted. or course much OF
these are wort HESS but the valuable las
TO be placed away with the yalueless and
the space prepared for it in he various de-
partments is already overcrowded. There
should be some fire-pTOof quarters for
all records. and every branch Of the gov
prnment should have fireproof quarters
where il mag carry on its opera ations.'
INSPECTING THE BUILDING.
Mr.. Wright did not make close personal
examination OF t ne building after the fire,
though he was there early yesterday morn
ing. George s. DonneIl, ehief OF the census
division OF thei Interior Department, and
" illiam c. Hunt, head OF the population
schedules, made MS perfect an inSpe ton,
as the conditi0nS yesteplay would permit.
The latter said, that he thought the
damage would be very light though he
would put 10 estimate on, the loss. There
Were several inches OF water in the base
ment yesterday morning and it was then
impossible TO tell whether any OF the
schedules had been' thrown down in it,
Those that WIRE would probably be en-
tirely spoiled. But one series Of papers
had been touched by the flames and they
had been only scorrhed a little on top,
he said. The origin OF the fire is still
un kno wn.
work will be resumed in the division
as soou as possible. II the old building
is not Immediately put in shape by the
agents OF the owner the force will mo e
into another building TO finish their
laborS The loss to the building viii
probably approximate 81 800 and is fully
covered by insurance.
SECONDARY FIRE
About O'Clock yesterday morning fire
again broke out in the building. Hardly
had the fire department cleaned up their
engines and tools and made prepa ra tons
for bed, when an alarm was sounded by
the watchman from the same box, No.
131.
Engines Nos. / 4, 6, :, chemical engine.
trucks A and once more dashed to the
scene. To 4'e astonishment of the fire
laddies the blaze was in the Census office.
but how it started the second time is not
known.
II was only small sequel, however and
was eXtinguished before it gained head
way. The damage done is said to be about
$50.
Bit Him in the Hand.