Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-10-02
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

On the morning of September "a,
1877, the United States Government
suffered it's heaviest
Fatent Umce loss by fire in it's his
purrad tory, when the Patent
ooAAoo' Office Building, on the
square bounded by Seventh. Ninth, f
and G. streets, was partially destroyed.
This fire. which started in the roof, had
gained considerable Roadway before
the alarm was turned in, owing to
efforts by the building force to ex-
tinguiSh it. Immediately thereafter
summons for aid was sent to Alexan-
dria and Baltimore, and engines were
sent from the latter city by special
train. The flames ragged for more
than three hours before they were
brought under control, shift of wind
favoring the flremen and permitting
effective work. The Star of that date
issued two extra papers telling the
story of the fire, which was one Of
the most spectacular ever witnessed
in this city. The situation was rem
dered especially dramatic by reason
of the fact that another fire broke out
shortly after o'clock in Gheen'S liv-
cry stables on G. street near Seventh.
So high was the excitement and so
great We're the crowds that assembled
that the District militia was called out
to aid the police in preserving order.
In The Star of September %, 1877,
an estimate Is given of the loss, which
was difficult to compute because of the
uncertain value of the models stored
- to Patent Office, of which. accord
ing TO various reports, from 10000 to
10000 We're destroyed. One of these
was the original model of the cotton
gin, invented by Eli Whitney. 1t was
believed that the aggregate loss would
reach $1,500,000.
This fire prompted The Star to re-
mark editorially in it's issue of Sep.
TENDER 25, 1877, as follows:
1.-THE fire of yesterday illustrates the
necessity for Government building
purely for the storing of archives. as
has been recommended in the past by
Government officials. AS fast as any
documents, etc, cease to be needed for
current business they should be re.
moved to this department Of archives
for safe keeping. The building should
be constructed entirely of brick ant.
iron, divided into fireproof compart-
ments. 1t should, in fact, be made
actually impregnable from fire exter-
nally or internally. The pennywise
pound-fooliSh economy that has COM
PEELED the Government to store invalu-
able public papers in buildings that
are not fireproof, and frequently in
rented buildings, constructed for ten.
ant houses. must give place to an
other policy in view of this costly
lesson"
Relative to the work Of the local
firemen at the Patent Office blaze,
which received the highest official
commentator, The Star of September
Is. 1877, says:
"The District Of Columbia Fire De.
partment did not need yesterdays
record to prove that 1t Is good-what
there Is Of it. Nor did 1t need yester-
days experience to demonstrate that
excellent as it is in activity, intelli-
gence and thorough discipline, it
would be almost powerless in case of
a great conflagration, or two large
fires occurring simultaneously. The
National Government, which has all
the time in this city millions of public
property and invaluable records ex.
posed to danger from fire. has in this.
as IN all other matters pertaining to
the District Of Columbia, shown a mig.
gardly meannesS unworthy of the
country and it's interests, too often
endangered by a costly economy which
saves thousands and sacrifices mil
lions"