642 CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



inally made is not known, but it is remembered that a stovepipe was put into it as 

 far back as 1854, at the time of tlie exhibition held by the Mechanics' Institute in 

 the buildinji. No fire, however, had been in this room for ten years previous to 

 Monday, January 15, when the machinist and carpenter of the Institution were 

 engaged, with several other of the employees, in rearranging the pictures of the gal- 

 lery, the weather at the time being unusually cold. These persons, for temporary 

 convenience, set up the stove above mentioned, intending to remove it as soon as 

 their task was finished. A coal fire, kindled with wood, had been burning in this 

 stove for eight days previous to the conflagration, yet it ai)pears from the testimony 

 that no evidence of combustion was observed by a person who passed through the 

 loft six hours before the breaking out of the flames. It is probable, however, that 

 the wood had been undergoing a process of charring for several days. 



On account of the very expensive style of architecture selected for the building 

 and the limited means at the command of the board, the plan had been at first 

 adopted of finishing the interior of the whole edifice with wood and plaster. A 

 large portion, however, of the interior woodwork of the main building, after the 

 roof and exterior had been finished, gave way and fell; whereupon the Regents 

 ordered the removal of the woodwork and its place supplied with incombustible 

 materials. Thus the main building was rendered fireproof with the exception of the 

 supports of the roof, which, being covered with slate, was assumed to be safe. The 

 only danger of the occurrence of fire was supposed to exist in the 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) No 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 liuckets, kept con- 

 stantly filled with water, were placed at different points of the buildipg. (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 i:)oint where no danger was apprehended, and to which access 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 ofllicial, scientific, 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 Secretary) , and 50,000 

 pages of letters received by the Institution. Here, moreover, were lost the receipts 

 for publications and specimens; reports 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 Institution 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 Secretary; 

 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. Rhees, the chief 

 clerk; also about 100 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 effects of 

 Smithson, with the exception of his portrait and library. 



