THIRTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS, 1863-65. 687 



• 



occurrence of fire %vas supposed to exist in tlie two wings and the towers, 

 and to guard against this contingency especial precautions were constantly 

 observed, viz.: 1. No smoking was allowed in any part of the building at 

 any time. 2. jSTo lights were allowed to be carried from one part of the 

 building to another except in lanterns. 3. Three coils of large hose were 

 •deposited, ready for use, one in the upper story, and the other two on the 

 first floor of the building ; and there were water-pipes in the basement with 

 faucets. 4. Barrels and buckets, kept constantly tilled with water, were 

 placed at ditferent points of the building. 5. The rule was observed of 

 •cleaning the flues every autumn before the commencement of fires. 6. A 

 watchman was employed each night, who made every hour the rounds of 

 all the rooms in the building, giving special attention to those in which fire 

 had been kindled during the day, including the apartments occupied by the 

 family of the secretary. 



These precautions, however, as it has proved, were of no avail — the fire 

 having occurred at a point where no danger was apprehended, and to which 

 a,ccess could with difficulty be obtained. 



II. — THE CHARACTER AND EXTENT OF THE LOSS SUSTAINED. 



The loss to the institution was as follows : 



1. The contents of the secretary's office, consisting of the official, scien- 

 tific, and miscellaneous correspondence, embracing 35,000 pages of copied 

 letters which had been sent, at least 30,000 of which were the composition 

 of the secretar}', and 50,000 pages of letters received by the institution. 

 Here, moreover, were lost the receipts for publications and specimens ; re- 

 ports on various subjects which have been referred to the institution ; the 

 records of experiments instituted by the secretary for the government ; four 

 manuscripts of original investigations, which had been adopted by the in- 

 stitution for publication ; a part of the manuscript material of the report 

 of the secretary for 1864 ; a large number of papers and scientific notes of 

 the secretarj^ ; a series of diaries and memorandum books, and a duplicate 

 set of account books, prepared during the last twelve years, with great 

 labor, by Mr. Khees, the chief clerk ; also, about one hundred volumes of 

 valuable works kept at hand for constant reference. 



2. In the apparatus room, the large collection of scientific instruments, 

 including the donation of the late Dr. Hare. 



3. A part of the contents of the regents' room, including the personal 

 ^ff'ects of Smithson, with the exception of his portrait and library. 



4. The contents of the rooms in the towers, including the meteorological 

 instruments, the workshop, containing a lathe and a large number of valu- 

 able tools, nearly all the stock on hand of the duplicate copies of the annual 

 reports, and many other public documents and books intended for distribu- 

 tion to libraries, as well as a quantity of stationery, hardware, &c. 



5. The wood-cuts of the illustrations contained in the Smithsonian publi- 

 •cations. 



The loss to other parties was as follows : 



1. The contents of what was called the Picture Gallery, viz.: a. About 

 two hundred portraits, nearly all of life size, painted and principally owned 

 by Mr. J. M. Stanley, formerly of this city, and now of Detroit, Michigan, and 

 •which were on deposit in the institution, b. A number of half-size Indian 

 portraits, painted by Mr. King for the Government, c. A copy, in Carrera 

 •marble, of the antique statue known as the " Dying Gladiator," by John 

 <5ott, and owned by Mr. J. C. McGuire, of this city. 



2. A number of surveying instruments belonging to the Government. 



3. The clothing, books, and private effects of several of the persons con- 

 nected with the institution, and of those engaged in scientific studies. 



4. Tlie librarj- removed from Beaufort, South Carolina, by the army, and 

 also that of Bishop Johns, from Fairfax Theological Seminary, given in 

 charge to the institution by the Secretary of War for safe-keeping, which 

 libraries were stored in an upper room in the south tower. 



