The Washington herald., 1921-01-11
Irreplacabh Records Are
Ruined by Smoke
And Water.
FUMES OVERCOME
TWO FIREFIGHTERS
Blaze Confined to Base
ment of Commerce
Building.

Water-soaked and uIegible. MIL
lions of priceless records of the Gen.
sus Bureau are under water this
morning in what was yesterday a
''hreproof" cellar vault, following a
fire in the basement of the Depart
ment of Commerce Building, Penn
sylvania avenue and Nineteenth
street northwest, shortly before z
o'cloCk'last night.
Two firemen-Frank Newman,
Truck ., living at 2I2a Morgan street
northwest, and William G. Parater,
Engine %, whose home is at 3I7 d
street southeast-were overcome in
Drawing the dense smoke and by
leaking gas in the cellar. Both re-
sponded quickly to treatment at
Emergency Hospital
The blaze was confined to the base
ment, but clouds of thick smoke
found ready drafts through the eIe-
Vator shafts and stairways of the
building. and left its marks in every
office. 1t is believed to have origi-
mated in the carpenter shop in the
basement of the building. Three
alarms and a general local call were
turned in.
Census Records In Cellar.
Adjoining the carpenter shop in
the cellar is vault" 100 by 45 feet,
containing the nations irreplacable
census records of the first thirteen
censuses. dating from 1880 to 1910.
The 1920 data, with the exception
OF that dealing with manufactures,
mines and quarries, at present on the
fourth floor of the building. is still
housed in the temporary building at
Sixth and streets southwest
T. NJ. Chancellor. an employe
working on the fifth floor, shortly
after $50 o'clock noticed smoke is
suing from the elevator shaft
Realizing its significance he turned
in the first alarm. Two more alarms
in quick succession brought all of
the downtown fre-fighters and ap-
paratus to the building!
Smoke Clouds Hampsr PIremcn.
Twenty streams of water were
into the building, checking
the blaze, but hampering the fire.
men with dense clouds of smoke.
Closely packed files of original CEN
sus. papers sent a smudge rolling
out of the windows of the basement
and lower five floors. A laboratory
on the first floor directly over the
seat of the blaze, in which are ad-
Justed and repaired the delicate
enumerating and card-punching de-
vices OF the latest census-taking
system. escaped damage
combination of escaping gas and
smoke fumes forced the fremen to
seek relief in the open air. Frank
Newman
until he had to be carried out, has
already shown his grit in his chosen
profession. He was recently awarded
a medal, being named by the three
District Commissioner as the brav-
est fireman on the force. One o.
Newman's recent feats was bringing
to safety Madame DeGuzman, widow
of the former Minister of Nicaragua.
who was trapped in the Hotel
Everett blaze.
Records Ruined BY Water.
T. ]. Fitzgerald, chief clerk of the
Census Bureau, stated that it was
unlikely that the records had been
actually burned. but that much of
the valuable and original data COL
lected by the bureau during the past
12O years had been rendered worth
less by water and smoke.
The 1890 census, which was the
most detailed and voluminous of any
of the fourteen censuses taken by
the government, was placed in such
a position in the vault to be first
in the path of the firemen. They
contained detailed data on the coun-
try's S5,O00,000 people of that time.
Records Used for Reference.
The census records were valuable
principally in looking up old estates
and pension claims and in tracing
history and genealogy. 1t was said
by Sam l.. Rogers, director of the
census. who expressed keen disap-
pointment over loss of the records
and over the fact that little atten-
tion was paid some time ago when
he urged their storage in a safe
place.
, Water covering most of the rec
ords was ankle deep. Director Roger"
said the water probably had finished
the work of destruction already well
begun by age. He said it had heen
intended to preserve the records by
transferring them to other paper.
Records of the 1920 census, in
daily use are on the first floor of the
building. and were undamaged.
Revolutionary Data Lost.
Included in the destroyed papers
are records of all families of the
American Revolution. The early CEN
suses were taken, Director Rogers
said probably with the view of
learning the country's military
strength. AS time went on the value
of the census Increased he said
The room which contained the pa
pers is constructed almost exclu-
sively of concrete, and was thought
to have been fireproof, but Director
Rogers pointed out that because of
their irreplacable character the pa
pers should have been protected as
thoroughly as human ingenuity
could devise. .s.