The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-03-10
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
che base of the dome, soon licked their way to
:he 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 endeavor,
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 finder and disappeared as the melting
snow. 1t went up in smoke and cinders, for
the material was light. This was a fortunate
circumstance, for but small fragments fell to
the floors beneath, and there was no great
crash such as usually accompanies great
conlagration.
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-!ike tongues were seen dart
ing into the hall of the House of Representa-
lives, pallng to insignifcance the gas lights
IlOLA tllc uldAAuOlu CuduuellerS. 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
quarter of century, was wiped out in a brief
half hour. The court room, where for
many years grave judges have sat
and learned lawyers commended, had other oc::
emoers fell. First putt OF Smoke was seen
through the windows, then a fork of flame,
and finally an all consuming furnace filled
Office after office. The rooms in the east wing
were first completely Quilted. The fremen
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-
.ual 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
ct sas xe s1Sve % nd fs
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 fimsiest description. The hour of
midnight had scarcely arrived before
e sae re' had satisfied fed BY its mad "a
and by : O'Clock this morning naus htS' re,
manned 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 I'D
here and there by fitful CLEANS of fire, and
smouldering 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
Inc only cheerful faces that were seen were
those of the persons who had so narrowly
escaped q terrible death.