Daily Press And Dakotaian

Government Buildings Burning at Washington.

The Model Room of the Patent Office a Mass of Flames.

In the Land Office Wing of the Interior Building the Fire is Raging.

Our Latest Advices Indicate that the Fire Is Spreading Outside the Government Buildings.

WASHINGTON.

THE GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS ON FIRE.

BULLETIN-Washington, Sept. 24--The patent office is on fire.

Washington, Sept. 24. The patent office building is on fire. The flames broke out in the model room, burst through the roof and are blazing furiously. All the engines in the district are gone to the scene.

LATER.

The fire still rages, particularly in the land office wing of the interior department building. The heat is intense, making the approach to the fire difficult. Doubtless valuable papers and records will be destroyed, many being stowed in the attic. The upper portion of the west wing, Ninth street, is in flames, which are creeping along between the ceiling and the roof of the north wing and of main building facing F. St. An immense number of valuable models has been destroyed. Secretary Schurz and assistants, are superintending the removal of files, models and records. The clerks are removing books and papers, and organized as guards. The guard of the district militia is at the main stairway of the model room, in the centre building, where an immense number of models yet remain. The firemen are in the room, endeavoring to save it. The flames first appeared in the conservatory, near the roof where there were an immense number of rejected models and papers in the attic above the model room.

HALF PAST ONE P. M.

The fire is now under control. The damage is chiefly confined to the upper stories.

The Baltimore fire companies got here in an hour from the time of making application for them. The government engine from the navy yard and another from the arsenal are at work, with those belonging to Baltimore and Alexandria, making a total of ten engines.

Strong hopes are entertained that the fire will not extend below the floor of the model room. The most valuable records of the patent, land, Indian and pension offices, as well as those of the interior department proper, are stored on the first and second floors of the building, beneath the model room and none of them have yet been reached by the flames.

The heat was so intense at one time that window frames and awnings on G street were ignited but the fire was extinguished before making much progress.

HALF PAST TWO P. M

The patent office models, estimated number from 50,000 to 75,000, some of the more important, were on exhibition and in storage in the west hall, which with the north hall is completely wrecked and the roofs burned. The fire is now confined to the attic of the east hall, from which nearly all the models have been removed to the lower floors. The loss in rejected models will be very great to the government.

In the patent office building are the offices subordinate to the interior department, exclusive of the pension office, land office, patent office, and Indian office, which suffer by mixing of documents in the effort to save them. Many rooms on the lower floors are covered with water. A cordon of police has been thrown around the building, and a detachment placed in the inside, while a detachment of marines are between the burning building and the post office.

AT THREE O'CLOCK P. M.

the fire was confined to the north west corner, and under control.

3:10 p. m.

Wright's building on G. St., opposite the patent office, is now on fire. and two or three houses on 7th St., opposite the Indian bureau have caught fire. The general post office has been closed and public work seems suspended throughout the city.