Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-03-14
@C5HF PAmBLERzE[1s's

his experiments +" the resistsuc. -
fluids and various estimate, Of to,
power required to prorel vessels e.
various tonnage and form through ~.
water At q greater or less speed Th'a
volume. which should HAY" been pre-
served among our choicest archives.
shared the fate of everything else o.
the office. what sum would he t""
great TO he expended in replacing T.
In the old record viii Il lie. opru ~
the Rambler's table it is r"citcd
Shortly after II o'clock on Monda'
the 24th OF September. 1885,. an alarm
of fire was sounded. i, was soon fol
lowed by the general alarm But li,tlr
attention was given 10 IL nv the Pc,
pie until the rumor flew through ir~
city that the patent ON was on IRE
Columns of smoke were seen is-utrr
from its roof and shower OF nvtue
cinders gave evidence that a serious
fire had begun its work II seemed n
most incredible. however that II could
do much damage 10 the heautlfu,
building upon which II had fsst.neo
itself fet'the fact that so imrortanl
government edifice was on NE
created great excitement"
There was vain belief that the pas.
ent Office was fireproof. yet the roof
sheathing, the purlines. trusses auu
ceiling were pine, Under the souti
end of the roof on the sth street sd.
was a conservatory for the winter care
of plants. and the walls. shelving ana
flooring of this room were wood
North OF the conservatory and extend
ing to G street was a room in Whit
were stored 1900 rejected models
The staging and shelving in this lott
IKE room were wood. Beneath the tu
fammable roof and the loft full o.
inf1ammable material was the mode
room, which occupied the third Zoo
OF the building. The model cases wer.
pine wood and glass. and in tho hal
were 100000 models of inventions
many historic curios and memento.
and the necleus of the National caller,
Of Art.
The origin of the fire was never de-
termined. There were various theories
When the engines arrived there was
long delay in getting water on the
hre The fremen were obliged to carr,
their hose up two stairways anu
through 500 feet of hot and smoky
corridors before a stream was turned
on. and entrance to the loft, where til.
hre was fiercest, was by a narrow and
crooked stairway. There was also
trouble with the water pressure, the
fire being eighty feet above the street
The whole west wing was ablaze be-
lore the lines of hose began their PLAY
on the flames After half an hour OF
fighting Washington called for help
from other places, and an engine from
Alexandria and four engines from Bal
timore came fast as special trains
could bring them. There was great
activity on the part of the people OF
the patent office in removing books
papers and such other valuables as
they could. At about 9 o'clock in the
men were getting the flames under
control Great efforts had been put
forth to keep the buildings on the OPP
posite sides of 9Th and G street from
taking fire. and a small army of mel
were busy wetting down their roofs
and fronts. Detachments of regular SOL
diers and marines and Of the District
militia were ordered to the scene of tn.
lire to hold in check the crowds and
keep guard over the entrances TO the
building. All night they remained OH
guard, while officers and clerks of the
patent Office worked in replacing in tn.
. undestroyed part of the building the
things which they had removed from
the burning building. The engines
pumped all night.
The roof and the model rooms and
their contents, on the west and north
sides were destroyed In those two
halls we're $1,000 models. among them
being several thousand known as
pending" or Issue" cases So much
material impossible to replace was de-
stroyed that no effort was ever made
to estimate the loss by the fire in dol
lars and cents.