Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-03-02
Notes of u Rambling Reporter.

more minutes WOulQ naF6 CuC Oh IQlS aYenue
of escape.
Notes of u Rambling Reporter.
About 9:15 o'clock GLOBE reporter left
the sanctum of this paper in quest of an item
The scribe reached the foot of the stairs on
Wahashaw street, when his attention was at
tracted by a bright and fitful reflection, as
though caused by sheet lightning, on the
walls of the department headquarters, Fourth
and Wabashaw streets. At this time the
alarm of fire had not been turned in. The
news instinct asserted itself, and from the
building named the eye glanced to the old
court house, the dome of which was aglow
with light, as though flooded with molten sill
yer. A knot of men stood in the street, and
someone said, "It is the Capitol; the building
is on fire.
The clatter of hurried feet set in and in less
than ten minutes afterwards all st. Paul was
vending its way in the direction Of the doomed
building.
The approach to the building was peculiar
ly grand and magnificent. Conspicuously.
brilliant from q gloomy background rose the
dome or cupola of the capitol. At this juno
ture. about 925 o'clock, the dome was col
umn of living flames.
Tapped to the breeze, high over all, waved
Luc udGlOudl cOlOTs, III s6cIuluS ueuauCS OF Inc
fierce heat which ragged beneath. Millions of
sparks leaped into the air, like tremulous fire.
files on field of the cloth of gold. The
spectacle was one of great grandeur and
beauty.
The scene in and about the building, at this
juncture, is indescribable. --
A thousand furies could not have made con-
fusion worse confounded The clang of the
fire bells, rush of steamers, shouts of men
and shrieks of women, mingled with host of
other strange noises, all combined to make
perfect bedlam. Staid and sober statesmen
forgot their accustomed dignity and rushed
from the building in paroxysms of excite
ment. Anything approaching presence of
mind or equilibrium of conduct seemed out Of
the question.
Ladders were speedily raised to the windows
of the House and Senate chambers, and tinid
members were making hasty and very undig-
nifed exits. A few indeed, seized the off.horn
of the dilemma, and risked the chances of
breaking their recks by leaping from the
second story windows. Luckily the violence
of the fall was broken by foot or two of
snow.
The square and grounds surrounding the
capitol presented the appearance of vanity
fair et1oose and run to seed.
Men and women jostled each other and
everyone seemed to be in everybody else's way.
Meantime the crowd kept increasing, and the
packed with people as to be almost impassa-
BILE. Trees, porticos, windows and the tops
of houses were garnished with spectators who
gazed awe-struck at the eonhagration.
About $40 O'Clock the dome fell in with
crash; a few minutes afterwards and the center
of the building was fend's furnace. With
the rapidity of lightning the flames communi-
Gated to the main portions of the building, the
Senate Chamber and House. The progress of
the fire could be clearly traced through the
open windows. The flames crowded around
the flre-trap cornices and garish trappings Of
the House aud Senate, which were licked up
as though they had been so much chaff.
The fire boys worked earnestly enough but
to little purpose. AS well throw water from
pipestern as to attempt to quench the seething
cauldron of flames.
During this time the attaches of the various
offices, assisted by an army Of outsiders, were
engaged in removing the portable effects from
the building. Hundreds of men and boys
rushed from the structure laden with books,
files, documents and furniture OF every de.
scription.
Valuable tones were carried out by armfulls
and heaped promisciously in the street
Wabashaw street, In front of the capitol,
looked like a secondhand bookstore
that had been paralyzed by q sirocco or q
simeon. Furniture and books were piled
shoulder high in the square, and the collec-
VI
looked especially funny.
At $40 o'clock the entire upper portion of
the building was in flames.
The scene was rich in incidents of the gro
tesque and ludicrous. During the excitement
GLOBE reporter was approached by an
attache of one of the State offices, when the
following incident took place:
Attache-"Want to know the cause of the
fire?''
Reporter-"Yes."
Attache-"You won't give me away if tell
you?'
The reporter swore that he wouldn't
Attache, drawing nearer, exclaimed in a
whisper, Estate bonds," and vanished.
Notwithstanding the great confusion, the
work of removing valuables from the Offices
on the first floor went bravely on, and large
proportion Of the books, files, documents and
furniture were removed to place of safety.
The files OF the supreme court were saved, to-
gether with the furniture Of the Office. The
furniture, files and documents were also res
cued from the office of the superintendent of
public instruction.
The valuables in the State auditors Office
and governors rooms were also gotten out, the
furniture of the latter being removed, includ-
ing the carpets.
The most serious, and, to some extent, the
most irreparable loss, took place in the State
library, very small proportion of which was
saved The catalogue issued February 18th
last showed 12,50l volumes in the library,
since when 70 volumes have been added, max
ing total of 12,5 $50 books.
Mr.. Chappell, janitor of the library, thinks
that nearly all the old and modern English
and New York reports were gotten out.
The library was insured for $4,000 in the
Liverpool, London and Globe Insurance com.
pany, placed by Prince & Shandrew, and was
valued at twice that amount
Most of the.books and papers of the State
Grange society are reported as lost, together
with 800 in money.
Among the valuables rescued from the
House of Representatives, was the elegant