118 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS. 
fire, however, had been in this room for ten years previous to Monday, 15th 
January, when the mechanist and carpenter of the Institution were engaged, 
with several other of the employés, in rearranging the pictures of the gallery, 
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 appears 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 build- 
ing, and the limited means at the command of the Board, the pfan 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 Re- 
gents ordered the removal of the woodwork and its place to be supplied with 
incombustible materials. ‘Thus the main building was rendered fire-proof, 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_al- 
lowed 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 depesited, 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 filled 
with water, were placed at different 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 insufficient—the fire hav- 
ing occurred at a point where no danger was apprehended, and to which access 
could with difficulty be obtained. 
1].—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, 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; 
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 memo- 
randum 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 one 
hundred volumes of valuable works kept at hand for constant reference. 
2. In the apparatus room, the large collection of scientific instruments, in- 
cluding the donation of the late Dr. Hare. 
