The Worthington advance., 1881-03-10

AOHccl AlcOo IuIOuSus Wo OOt0AucO
copies of March I'd and Sd, giving a full
description of the burning of the State
Capitol. The fire occurred on the night
of February 28tll, about nine O'Clock,
and was first discovered in the roof and
cupalo of the building. Both Houses
of the Legislature were in session at the
time and the members barely escaped,
50 rapid was the fire. The halls filled
with smoke and the falling and burning
timbers cut off escape through the main
hall. Some of the members escaped by
jumping out of the windows to the
snow below, distance of thirty feet.
The members of the Senate escaped
through window in the cloak room
and dropped distance Of eight feet to
the first landing of the main stairway,
whence they escaped safely.
THE LOSS.
The damage to the building is esti-
mated at about SCI 900, that is, a COM
petent architect estimates that the
building can be restored for that a.
mount, as the main walls remain in
tact. The building originally cost
Sl1S,00O. Nearly all the archives were
saved. Those III the vaults and safes
were unharmed and the bulk of the
loose ones were carried out to places of
safety. Nearly all the valuable docu-
,po,,ts rol;os onrino;t;oc oto IF tho
State Historical Society were saved.
TIE STATE LIBRARY LOST.
This valuable collection of books,
however. said to be the finest west of
Columbus. Ohio, was mostly destroyed.
OF the II, $50 volumes, only l,343 re-
main, and oi the law books and reports
there is not one unbrokpn set. The
library was valued at $4,000, and was
insured for $4,000
THE LEGISLATURE MEETS.
The mayor OF st. Paul rendered the
new market house to the State officers
and the Legislature, and the Eext day
after the fire business WAS resumed in
the new quarters.
THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.
The fire is generally supposed to have
been incendiary. Just before the alarm
WAS given, three boys were seen to rush
down stairs and out of the building,
their manner indicating something uM-
usual and criminal. They disappeared
in the darkness.
THE SCENE IN THE SENATE.
From the graphic report in the Pho.
neer Press we copy below sufficient to
give our readers an idea of the sudden
ness of the fire and the CONSERVATION
which ensued:
The senate suddenly and formally ad-
journed. President Gilman, however,
stood in his place, gavel in hand, and,
as he raped his desk loud and often
yelled in stentOrian tones,
The cry was taken up by Col. Crooks
and other senators, and the order was
finally obeYed, after which, the smoke
clearing away, the senators were ena-
bled to collect their senses and to de-
eide what was best to be done. Presi-
den Gilman, still standing high up in
his place, calm and collected as if moth
ing unusual had happened, was encOur-
aging the senators to keep cool. Col.
Crooks WAS giving orders as If a battle
was raging around him. Other sena-
tors were giving such advice as Occurr-
ed to them, but unfortunately no advice
was pertinent. except to keep cool, and
that was all. Some we're impol tuning
the secretary and his assistants to save
the records, and Gen. Jennison was seen
with his arms full of papers, waiting a
chance to walk out with them. But
that chance looked remote, indeed, for
there, locked in the senate chamber,
were at least fifty men, walking around,
some looking at each other in daZed
sort of way; others at the windows look
ing out at the snow-covered ground,
now illuminated from the flames that
were heard roaring and cracking over
head; from some windows men were
yelling to the limited crowd below:
Get some ladders!'' For Gods sake.
send for ladders!'' Other windows were
occupied by two and three men each,
VINO were gazing down, rs it ready to
leap for their lives. All this time men
were pacing to and fro in the senate ut
terly at \ loss to discover how to escape
from what seemed a fiery prison. About
this time terror actually seized the
crowd. when Senator Daniel Buck re-
marked that the fire WAS raging over
head, and 1T the same moment, burn
ing brands began to drop through the
large ventilator upon the desks and
floor beneath. Then, for Il moment. it
seemed as if all hopes Of escape were
cut off. Mr.. Daniel Buck looked out
Ct All east window AMI shuddered at
the idea of dropping his $50 pounds of
senatorial dignity upon the frozen
ground, thirty feet below; Senator
Kinds took one look 1T the Illuminated
elevator over his head, and became par
alyZe'l; Col. Crooks stood ut Il south
window, and begged the men whose
legs were li;.nging out not to jump. but
to keep cUol and wait; G. ID. GiltiIlan.
ilatIess and coatlrss, walked around
with deliberation, but by NO means
happy; some men were mpditating Il
plan of i,npr"vising ropes out Of the
carpet, that being about the only thing
available for that purpose, while still
others ran hither and thithpr from one
window to another, utterly helpless and
demoraliZed. But, happily, the flames
having made their way through the
dome, Il draught was created strong r.
nough to clear the halls of smoke. The
dome was almost directly over the ell
trance to the senate chamber, and hur.l-
ing brands and timbers had fallen
down through the glass ceiling in front
OF the door, rendering escape in that
direction practically impossible. But IA
small window leading from the cloak
room of the senate chamber to the first
landing Of the main stairway furnished
an avenue of escape, and through that
little opening every man in the senate
chamber managed to get out. The
windows were about ten feet high, but
Mr.. Michael Doran and several other
gentlemen stood at the bottom, and no.
bly, rendered muscular assistance to the
men who came tumbling out, some
headlong, some sideways, and some feet
foremost. AS the reporter of the Pho.
neer Press came out and landed on his
feet, he paused for a moment to survey
the scene that WAS presented. Almost
inn, n Snkn