The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-03-03
Loss, $4,000 /!
PARTICULARS.

PARTICULARS.
The State capitol of this State burned
Tuesday evening, while both houses
were in session. ana but for the timely
arrival of the ladders, frightful fatal
itv would nave been recorded. No
cause as yet can he assigned for the fire
but the suppo>ition is, it was incendiarY
work.
The Senate chamber was the first
place that the flames were seen, and
from there they spread SO rapidly that
they Were almost Immediately beyond
control.
The scene, as the roof of the senate
chamber fell, and the cones of yellow
and crimson roarcd upward was indie
Scribably grand, and later, when the
west wing-thc last to yield utterly to
the dcstroycr-also burst forth in majes.
~ aS molten air, shouts of compelled
admiration burst forth from the assem-.
hlcd thousands.
Eating their way steadily downwards,
the flames, 10y a quarter OF eleven, had
IN their grasp the woodwork of the
basement, and for a few minutes showed
even more terrible intensity and fury
than before.
The first care of those up stairs was
70 save the bills passed 10y the legisla-
turc during the present session, while
most OF those signed 10y the governor
and. dc lure, valid are either securely
locked in his tirc-proof safe or rescued
among the other papers found in the
melee Many documents and articles
of use or value were thrown from the
windows into the SHOW.
The supreme court records, the pa
pers in the offices of the secretary of
state and the STATE treasurer, the flags,
and memanros in the adiutant generals
Offices, and goOdly part of the books
IN the rooms of the superintendent Of
public instruction, rs well ~ those of
the railroad commissioner. We're carried
out.
In the huge vault Of the state treas
urer are $4,000, 900 worth of trust funds
ani bonds. which are of course intact.
II took but a few minutes for the SEN
ators TO get out. after which they assem-.
blcd on the outside, and they had no
sooner gained the street than the cell
ing Of the senate chamber fell in, and in
ten minutes ihat whole wing was a mass
Of flames.
NC "a" .'',,, .'i-; ,''''tt %s
became the scene Of riotous tumult.
ne memoer7 iushci from their seats
, ,,,r' naI1,,.,. ,ycr. ,hrnon nmcn -
yealjna vast pillar Of fire in the
rotunda AT il, end.
Most 81 me documents were rescued.
al 'I'E U..'.', ", ;SiI,"i y, -nu''
The Minnesota Historical society had
lie apartments in the basement OF the
new "ing, where II hah accumulated rs
i ''' N''"'' do ~. - ','! I"'u'"'' '''t"'f
NJ ~ .I,,.rr .;,,. ..,,, o., ,h,ut s5o oo0
II Is gratifying to state that all were
saved
ha!"' LAW ~'n' "h"eIe" ''l' new au"
-. ,I,.. ,',,l, ,.,,-...si,', Nyadra.
dov mouiuo.
The building was completed and
-.
u!I'oiiI NAVE ''Sm ',''" ,,; ','lr '',nI I 10
inrIUda. Rrnrc.rntatiyc. hall bcing
completed in ISIS. and occupied for the
first time during the session of 1879.
one IN""ry "' '"' aus VI ,''c i'c'
j,,, va, ! >" i-,. nJ Iowor rhc t,og and
who Is ,uppo-aI to have been the last
person in the cupoIa may have set the
fire. II neins h, ''flhIay II was sur
' ",oI ;,,,' H.. ,,,,, Lavn Jronnei g..
cig.,. 1r matrh and tim, kindIad the
liam. TIE Young man denies such
palpal'.c carc.r-~n">~. and the fact that
to D"G y. cn ,',-' "a, ' nosIi i IL