Year: 1877

WARRINGTON, October S.-The Board
Of Inquiry appointed by Secretary Schurl
to investigate the cause OF the FIRE In the
Interior Department to-day submitted q
report will, the testimony. The Board
states that there ia no foundation for the
supposition that the FIRE was caused by
incendiarism or spontaneous combustion.
They find that a FIRE was built OF pine
boards and blower placed over the crate
in the ladiefs copying room in the Ninth
street basement. on the morning Of the
day the fire occurred. The roaring ol
the FIRE excited the attention Of persons
in the room and was the subject Of COM
ment by them at the time. The testimo-
ny Of several witnesses who were on the
roof some time before the alarm was
given shows that section Of the wooden
grating covering the gutter on the roof,
and lying Immediately against the hue,
was found on FIRE and was thrown of the
roof TO the yard.


The report says: eve think there can
be no doubt but that this dry pine grating
was set on fire from sparks or burning
cinders that came up through the ilue.
'"'he amount OF this grating which had
been burned ut the time the witnesses
discovered il, is variously estimated by
them, but we conclude that not less than
thirty square feet OF boards had been de-
stroyed. The witnesses say they found q
large quantity Of live Goals lying on the
roof and in the gutter, and that the copper
WAS so intensely hot that it had changed
color, and in some places had snnk down
as though there was a hole underneath.


In conclusion they call the attention of
the Secretary 10 the condition Of several
OF the chimney Aues under the roof Of the
eth and F street wings Of the building,
which appear from personal inspection
10 have been defective and unsafe for a
long time and which, il not speedily re-
paired will be the cause Of further dis-
aster.


POSTAL AFFAIRS.


A. II. BisselI Of the law division Of the
Postofiice Department, who has for a
long time had charge Of the controverted
questions concerning what consti-
tutes legitimate newspaper mail mat
ter, addressed communication 10
the Postmaster Geueral on the subject Of
the classification Of rates Of postage and
suggesting new plan for registration,
second class matter under second ratea 10
be denominated as privileged" and COR
dinary." These Suggestions we're to-day
approved by Postmaster General Key
and will be incorporated in his forth
coming annual report. The plan pro.
posed Is that all publications claiming
10 be rated us second class matter shall
be submitted to the department, by
sample, quarterly or semi.annually for
examination, and If found to be matter
exclusively in print issued from regular
publication Office and designed for pub.
lie use and devoted TO publication and
and discussion Of current news and topics,
either several or specific, shall be admit.
ted On the payment OF an annual fee OF
one dollar for each publication to the
privileged rates Of 2or cents per pou nd,
according to the frequency Of issue, the
same as are now charged for regular
newspapers, magazines, etc. All other
matter now embraced or sought to be en-.
braced in the second class, such as ad.
vertising sheets, reports Of books, etc., is
10 pay the ordinary rate now charged for
third class matter, which is one cent for
each two ounces.