The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-03-10

petty streams of water by this time playing up
on the building from all sides, produced no eff
feet, but fell harmlessly and hissing as if in
hooking of mans preventive mechanism
Eating their way steadily downwards, the
flames, by quarter of eleven, had in their
grasp the woodwork of the basement, and for
few minutes showed even more terrible inten
sity and fury than before By eleven the acme
hose commenced to have perceptible effect, but
nevertheless the whole structure, save the brick
walls and iron pillars was reduced to ashes.
SCENES IN THE SENATE CHAMBER.
ia THUNDER BOLT,
ACCOMPANIED by terrific flash of lightning,
had descended upon the senate chamber, il
could not have produced o more startling i'm
preston than did the sudden appearance OF
this fire. Before the first alarm had time to
make an impression upon the tympanum of
those who first heard ii, the flames and smoke
OF the contiagration became instantly visible,
and a panic at once took possession of the
senators, about thirty being in attendance, and
about as many spectators filling the Hobbies in
the rear.
THE SENATE WAS AT WORK
on third reading of house bills, Lieut. Gov.
Gilman in his seat, and Secretary Jennison
reading something about restraining cattle in
Rice county or somewhere having just called
the roll on the saw-dust memorial, and the
senators were lying back listening carelessly
to the monotonous proceedings, when the door
opened and Hon. Michael Doran announced
that the building was on fire. All eyes were
at once turned in that direction, and the flash
of the flames was visible from the top of the
gallery as we'll as from the hail. which is on
q level with the floor of the senate. The
panic that ensued had a different effect
upon different persons, those occupying places
nearest the entrance, pushing open the door
and rushing pell-mell through the binding
smoke Two or three ladies happened to be
in the vicinity of the door and happily escaped
uninjured But the opening of the door pro-
duced a draught which drew into the senate
chamber clouds of smoke, the fire in the mean
time having made it's appearance over the
center and in the rear Of the gallery. All this
occurred so suddenly that senators standing
near the reporters table and the secretary's
desk, which were on the opposite side of tho
chamber from the entrance, stood as if par
alyzed, gazing in mute astonishment at the
smoke that passed in through the open doors, at
the flames over the gallery, and the rushing
crowd that blockaded the doorway. The senate
suddenly and formally adjourned. President
Gilman, however, stood in his place, gavel in
hand, and, az he raped his desk loud and
often, he yelled in stentorian tones,
'ssHUT THAT DOOR! SHUT THAT DooR!''
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 enabled to collect their
senses and to decide what was best to be DONE
President Gilman still standing high up in his
place, calm and collected as if nothing unusual
had happened, was ENCOURAGING
the senators to keep COOL COL
Crooks was giving orders as if battle
was raging around him. Other senators were
giving such advice as occurred to them, but
unfortunately no advice was pertinent, except
to keep COOL and that was all. Some were i'm
portuning 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 looking
out at the snow-covered ground,
now illuminated from the flames that
we're heard roaring and cracking overhead;
from some windows men were yelling to the
limited crowd below: sect some ladders!'
s.For Gods sake, send for ladders!" Other
windows we're occupied by two and three mon
each, who were gazing down, as if ready to
leap for their lives. All this time men were
pacing to and fro in the senate, utterly at q
loss to discover how to escape from what
seemed to be a fiery prison About this time
terror actually seized the crowd, when Senator
Daniel Buck remarked that the fire was raging
overhead, and, at the same moment, burning
brands began to drop through the large venti-
lator upon the desks and floor beneath.
Then. for a moment, it seemed as if
all hopes OF escape were cut off. Mr.. Daniel
Buck looked out of an east window and shud-
dered at the idea of dropping his $50 pounds
of senatorial dignity upon the frozen ground.
thirty feet below; Senator Kinds took one look
at the Illuminated elevator over his head, and
became paralyzed; Col Crooks stood at south
window, and begged the men whose legs were
hanging out not to jump, but to keep cool aud
wait; c. D. Gilfllan, hatless and coatless,
walked around with deliberation, but by no
means happy; some men we're meditating plan
of improvising ropes out of the carpet, that
being about tho only thing available for
that purpose; while still others ran hither and
thither from one window to another, utterly
helpless and demoralized But, happily, the
flames having made their way through tho
dome, draught was created strong enough to
clear the halls of smoke. The dome was al
most directly over the entrance to the senate
chamber, and burning brands and timbers had
fallen down through the glass ceiling in front