Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-03-02
THE OUTSIDE SCENE.

Seldom has more picturesque scene been
witnessed in the West than that afforded by
the destruction of the State capitol. A dense
crowd of spectators thronged the streets on
either side of the square and gazed awe-strick-
en- at the fearful spectacle. The flames,
which at first made but lurid circle around
the base of the dome, soon licked their way to
the summit and great tongues of fire darted up
into the heavens, Illuminating the whole city
and the country for miles around.
"Leaping higher, higher, higher,
In desperate endeaver,
Now, now to sit or or never,
By the side of the pale-faced moon"
With astonishing rapidity the destroying
element flew from hall to hall and room to
room, bursting through the windows and
madly seized upon everything it could de-
YOUR. The highly combustible roof burned
like tinder and disappeared as the melting
snow. 1t went up in smoke and cinders, for
the material was light This was q fortunate
circumstance, for but small fragments fell to
the floors beneath, and there was no great
crash such as usually accompanies great
confagration. 80
The Senate chamber was a mass of fire
almost before its occupants had reached the
outside of the building. Within fifteen min.
utes the serpent-like tongues were seen dart.
ing into the hall of the House of Representa-
tives, pallng to insignifcance the gas lights
from the mammoth chandeliers. Anon the
State. library was enveloped by the fell de-.
stroyer, and the great tones of stored lore
were given over to appease its Unsuitable ap-
petite. The accumulation of law books for a
quarter Of century, was wiped out in brief
half hour The court room, where for
many years grave judges have sat
and learned lawyers contended, had other oc-
cupants now. Down through the floors the
embers fell. First puff of smoke was seen
through the windows, then a fork of flame,
and finally an all consuming furnace filled
were first completely gutted The firemen
directed their energies to the treasury, and q
constant stream of water was poured into it
and upon the outside of the vault. So effec-
tual were their efforts that but little damage
was done by fire. The cord by which small
picture hung over the door of the vault was
not even burned, and the vault was scarcely
heated.
The progress of the fire on the main floor
was exceedingly rapid. Now and again an
explosion of gas would take place, Sending
clouds of cinders far above the grim and smok-
ing walls, and causing ordinations of awe
and regret from the thousands of people sur
rounding. The heat was intense, but not of
long duration, for that which was left to burn
was of the iimsiest description. The hour of
midnight had scarcely arrived before
the fire, satisfied by Its mad
carouse, had began to subside,
and by2 o'clock this morning naught re.
mained but the blackened walls, broken by
windowless openings and fringed with char.
red fragments of the cornice swinging hither
and thither in obedience to the wind, while
within was mass of smoking debris, lit up
here and there by ftful CLEANS of fire, and
smou ldering ruins.
The windows of all the buildings around
the capitol square were thronged with inter-
ested spectators Of the grand and imposing
scene. Anxiety was depicted upon every coun,
tenance, and as it became evident that no part
of the structure and but little of its contents
could be saved general regret was expressed.
The only cheerful faces that were seen were