The Washington herald., 1914-03-17
patent OFFICE
ISAfIRE TRAP
COMMISSIONER EWING.
Chief Of Bureau Asserts Build
ing Is Menace to En-
ployes' Lives. !
MANY RECORDS UNSAFE
Head Of Division Pleads Before House
Committee for New Structure
as Precaution.

Fire during working hours probably
would cause the death or injury OF hun
dreds OF employees in the Patent Office.
according to Commissioner OF Patents
Ewing. who appeared before the House
| Public Buildings and Grounds Commit
tee to plead for a new. modern and fire.
proof building for his department.
| The building burned down In 1871"
said Commissioner Ewing, but the pres
ent building Is even more dangerous than
was the burned building. II a fire should
start today when work is in progress.
II would not be question of saving any
| OF our records: It would be a question of
how many lives we could save.
| Il should feel absolutely derelict and
cr1minally liable IL / did not state the
real conditions in the building. 1t was
called fireproof construction when Il was
built. but there is a large amount of
wood and great quantities OF paper and
other infammable material In the interior
now. Part of the building has been con-
demned for years.
No Adequate Fire Escapes.
Has there ever been any adequate
system of fire escapes put into the Patent
| Office so that I'm case of fire persons on
the top floor could get out?' was asked.
NoF replied Commissioner Ewing.
If a match were dropped in the as
| signment and classification room. where
| they examine records and the employees
are packed together. II would start
nre that would burn up half the hun
dreds OF persons employed in that divi-
sion. would II not?''
Yes" answered Commissioner Ewing
How many stairways are there
Ihree stairways and an elevator. That
division is on the top floor" said the
Commissioner of Patents
Ihere are four floors in the Patent
oHce, continued Mr.. Ewing, ''and about
one-fourth of the building is occupied by
the Secretary of the Interior. II the
Secretary Of the Interior moved out and
building, It would not be adequate for |
cur work
The Ho0.0e0 copies OF patents are |
scattered over that building from cellar |
10 garret. Were fire to get started |
the papers unquestionabiy would be de-
stroyed, for they all are on open shelves
and covered with dust that has been
accommodating for years. The fire would
quickly get beyond control and the loss
tn the country at large by the dcstruc-
ton OF those papers would be incalcu-
able.
Danger of TubercuIo.i..
There is ventilation where the
papers are stored and the little bows
whom we employ to go in and pull out
the papers are subject to the contraction
OF tuberculosis. II is extremely bad for
their health and IL Is shameful that
boys should have to work as they do
Cannot the superintendent OF the
building remove the dust?''
do not think that II is possible"
"fou are SO crowded for room that
these records are piled up on pine
shelves clear to the ceiling?'
Yes. said Commissioner Ewing. THE
boys climb up on ladders and pull out a
patent paper and every time they pull
out a patent II starts the dust. There Is
no ventilation"
How large a force do you havc?'
There are $50 employees in the Patent
Office. but a large number OF the 400
employees Of the Interior Department also
work In the Patent Office Building All 4
ask Is building with four walls. with
air. light. lot OF floor space and all OF I
L fireproof.'