The Washington times., 1913-02-26
FLAMES THREATEN
YEERHOFF GALLERY
Fire in Basement Also Endan-
gers Survey Annex and Valu-
able Copper Plate Store.

ffal,4y discovery of fire in the base
nant az the Baker building, 1902 T
stlnef orthwest, shortly after O'Clock
this morning, prevented what for few
minutes threatened to I've a disastrous
blaze.
Besides the thousands of dollars
worth of paintings in the veerhoff gal
leries directly above the blaze. only
twelve feet away in the annex" of the
United States Geological Survey. are
stored machinery and tools valued at
plates, representing the work of thirty
years. There are more than 5000 of
such plates.
The fire was in the furnace room d.
rectly under the Veerhoff galleries. The
colored janitor employed b. the Veer-
hon Company, discovered the blaze
when he opened the store. Smoke was
coming through the cracks in the floor
and the flames had spread to an area
way in the rear of the store where there
was quantity of excelsior and other
infianmable stuff
Janitor Sounds Alarm.
The janitor ran to a nearby box and
sounded an alarm. The hremen, realiz-
ing that water or chemicals would do
serious damage to the paintings, fought
the flames from the rear entrance of
lue DdSenicut anu SUCCEEDED IN comm
ing them to the cellar. The damage
was Slco.
Immediately following the discovery
of the fire, officials of the Geological
Survey communicated with Congress,
with a view of acquainting that body
with the dangers attending the occupa-
ton Of the present building, which is a
rented one. by the Survey.
The greatest loss which would re-
suit from a fire in this annex" wrote
George Otis Smith. director of the sur
vey, in his message to Congress. would
be the destruction Of 150 or more manu.
script maps in process of engraving
This would mean the resurvey of the
areas represented, and thus necessi-
tate at once the double expenditure OF
from SOC, 600 to s, 900 The fire loss
possible in the main Survey building
would total between three and four mil
lion dollars In addition to the losses
already mentioned.
Urges New Building.
These facts present an unanswerable
argument for the authorization of the
building proposed in the pending pub
lie buildings bill, for the Survey"
Damage estimated today at $500
was done by fire last evening to the
clothing store Of Henry Sackerman
Son, S1s H street northeast.
Seckerman carried $1,000 stock,
which was completely ruined and on
which he had 5000 insurance. The
building. owned by Cornelius Reagan.
was damaged $1,000. insurance COW
ers the loss.
The fire was caused by an employe
dropping a lighted match in a pile
OF waste paper. The blaze proved a
stubborn one and traffic on the
Eighth street and the II street car
lines was tied up for nearly half an
hcEr. Sewers were stopped up and
cellars OF several buildings in the
nelghborhood. were flooded.
Gas Meter Explodes.
Explosion of a gas meter yesterday
afternoon in the basement Of the home
Of James Yochum, Washington manager
of the Otis Elevator Company, at 5a2
Kenyon street northwest, was RESPONSE
bic for a fire which did 81, 500 damage.
1t lis believed that gas leaked from the
meter. and was ignited by the furnace
Fear by. Insurance covers the damage
TO the building and furniture.
A defective fiue caused a small blaze
last evening in the home Of Dr. r. H
Naylor, S13 r street northwest Dam
age was $40.
Fire of unknown origin was discover
ed last evening on board the launch
Della, owned by Harry Wright, and
lying at the foot of Ninth street south
west The f1reboat responded to an
alarm, and extinguished the, blaze after
$40 damage had been done.