Evening star., 1935-07-14
arrived here and got into service about


! o'clock.
Fifteen minutes after the Baltimore
department was telegraphed to sew
eral pieces of apparatus. including
Nos. ! and 2 steam engines and hose
carriages were In the railroad yard.
Through what seems to have been
stupid handling Of the situation the
train was delayed in the yard SO min
utes before starting, not leaving there
until pm, and not arriving in the
Washington depot until 2:l2 o'clock,
taking l hour and minutes to make
the trip. At the time it was reported
that the 40 miles were made in 81
minutes. but obviously this was not so.
A second train from Baltimore with
engines and 4. beat the first train
time by II minutes, arriving here IN
54 minutes. Upon a previous occa-
sion when Baltimore asked help from
Washington, the trip was made in Al
minutes.
When the Baltimore engines arrived
at the depot. they were drawn from
there to the fire by the horses Of our
department In the meantime. the
roof of the western wing had fallen
in and the fire had made its way
along the G street wing toward Sev-
enth street.
LTHOUGH this was said to be
"A fireproof building, yet the loft
under the roof near where the fre
had started was mostly filled with
immense piles Of papers and docu-
ments from the bureaus in the lower
part Of the building, making an ideal
place for q fire to start.
AS it so happened, the nearest
place to obtain water, which was
from a tank which stood outside the
south end of the attic, was cut on by
the rapidity with which the flames
spread, and it became necessary to go
fully 500 feet before water could De
obtained. Although the employees
worked heroically. yet the handicap
was too much to be overcome.
At lis pm, before the arrival OF
assistance from Baltimore, the flre
was brought under control, but con-
tinued to burn for some time after
ward.
As bad as the fire was, when we
consider what might have been the
result, we gladly offer praise that IL
was no worse, for rescued from the
flames were such national treasures
as the Declaration of Independence,
now on exhibition in the Library OF
Congress; Washington's commission
as commander in chief Of the Ameri-
can forces, his uniform and his camp
chest: the coat Gen. Jackson wore at
the Battle Of New Orleans, and many
other relics and trophies, including
the original Elias Howe sewing ma
chine: although the original model
OF the cotton gin which first made
cotton a profitable product, the con-
ception Of the genius Of Eli whitney,
the Yankee schoolmaster who went
to Georgia to teach school, was lost
in the flames.
One may get an idea Of the intense
heat from the fire when he is told
that the occupants Of the houses op-
posite the Patent once on the Ninth
street side only saved their property
and kept the FIRE from spreading by
suspending wet quilts from the roof
Of their dwellings.
On the @ street side the heat was
Just as great, and for a time 1t was
thought that the Thompson ana
Wright Buildings must CO. but these
also were saved by excellent work
and the fire prevented from spreading
to adjoining property.
NN THE northwest corner OF Nintn
" and r streets, prior to the clear
ing Of the site for the Masonic Iem-
pie in 1858, stood the Model House,
"a blueish- gray brick" as described
by Henry z. Davis. 1t was practically
the old-time tavern, was well pullt
and quite large for that time. IN
1860 Seth w. Kipp and Albert Brewer
were its proprietors. In 1858 Brewer
had dropped out Of the firm and his
name does not appear in the city
directory. A son, by the same name.
a member of the Metropolitan police
force, was then residing at the Model
House. -.
The Herndon House which preceded
the st. Cloud Building was OF brick.
and, In 1855, was being conducted by
p. q. Murray. Many will recall 1t as
the st. Cloud Building, razed in 1890,
to make way for the Washington
Loan g. Trust Co., whose granite
building has since that year occupied
this corner.