Evening star., 1911-05-27
THE TREASURY FIRE.
By James Croggon

Early Sunday morning. March 81, 1893.
the building occupied by the Treasury
department. following the removal of the
government to the capital i'm 1901. was
totally destroyed by fire. but fortunately
most of the old papers were saved. 1t
was thought at the time to have been
caused by accident. but subsequently, II
was proved to have been the result of
lincendiarism in the interest of a claim
ant who had presented fraudulent ella i'm
on the government.
The building, the site of which is now
covered by the present granite structure.
was of brick, two stories In height. with
a basement and an attic, and faced south.
There were some fifteen rooms on each
of the two main floors, and some OF the
rooms in basement and attic were also
utilize for office purposes. The Secre-
tary's and first controllers offices were
on the second floor and the three rooms
occupied by the treasurer and others by
the first auditor and registrar filled up
the main floor.
Il But Two Fireproof Rooms.
Two Of the rooms in the west end of
the building were fireproof. and preserved
their valuable contents. The building
was heated by hard and soft coal. and
wood was burned In the f1replaces. This
building, as we'll as the State Depart
ment was surrounded by a yard. in
which were several outbuildings. A small
fire engine for the protection of the de-
partment, which had before been manned
by the Alert fire company. was in one
of these buildings. with a small hose reel
This apparatus. however, was out Of or
der and the hose in very bad condition
SparSely settled was this section of the
city.
l. Immediately opposite on 18th street
was the residence Of James H. Causten.
and near the corner were two or three
other buildings, while at the northeast
corner of F and 18th the old Fenwick
! Tavern building was then occupied by
the Bank of Metropolis There was a
pump in the Treasury yard, one on F
street near 18th street. and a little dis
tance south of the building a pond of
water. The pumps soon gave out at the
fire and the water I'm the pond could only
be reached by uniting the hose of the
different companies, but such was the
condition of the hose that It was but of
little service. In fact. the building was
beyond saving before the arrival OF any
engine company.
Story of the Fire.
In the National Intelligencer, Monday
April I. the following account is con-
tanned:
I'VE are sorry to have to announce that
the public building east Of the Presidents s
| square. occupied as the Treasury Depart
ment was consumed by fire Yesterday
morning between O'Clock and sunrise.
The fire was first discovered in the room
adjoining that of the chief clerk OF the
department, usually known among the
clerks and other officers by the name OF
Mr.. Laub's room. 1t is not known wheth-
er the fire originated in the floor or the
| ceiling of the room, the whole being In
a blaze before any one approached 1t:
but no doubt appears to be entertained
that the fire was accidental. The whole
room was on fire before the alarm was
given. and until the alarm was given
even the watch walking the pavement In
| front Of the Branch Bank (near the spoO
perceived nothing OF the fire the build
ing of the State Department interposingl.
Every exertion was made. as the people
gathered to the spot, finding that 1t would
be In vain to attempt saving the build
ing, to rescue the books and papers OF
the several offices. A great deal was
saved by the clerks and other citizens.
considering the circumstances. Indeed,
1t is hoped that few books or papers
Of much consequence are destroyed.
| ''All the books and papers on the
ground floor are believed to have been
saved Gn great disorder. Of course) and
all those in the third story were destroy
ed OF the books and papers in the apart
ments of the second story. much the
/ greater part were saved.
Books Saved From Destruction.
THE Offices on the first floor. the
books of which are saved. were those of
the register of the Treasury. the treasur-
er and the first auditor. On the second
floor nearly all the books Of the hrst
controller whose of1ce occupied the
| greater number OF the rooms, were saved,
| and a part of those belonging to the Of
| fee of the Secretary Of the Treasury. in
whose immediate apartments the fire was
| first discovered.
| "Of the Offices connected with the
| Treasury Department several of the most
extensive are kept in other buildings than
that destroyed. and are, of course, entire
| ly safe. viz, those OF the second con-
troller. second. third, fourth and fifth
| auditors and the solicitor of the Treas
ury.
THE papers destroyed were many Of
| them obsolete and almost all OF a date
prior to 1870. The most important papers
destroyed were perhaps the correspondence
! OF the head of the Treasury Department
which was kept in the room wherein the
fire originated.
when the fire was first discovered It
was the dead hour OF the night and the
whole population of the city was so deep