Morris tribune., 1881-03-10
SCENES IN THE SENATE CHAMBER.


SCENES IN THE SENATE CHAMBER.
IF A THUNDER BOLT,
accompanied by terrific flash of lightning,
had descended upon the senate chamber, il
could not have produced 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 tympauum Of
those who first heard it, the flames and smoke
Of the conhagration became instantly visible,
and panic at once took possession of the
senators, about thirty being in attendance, and
about as many spectators filling the lobbies 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 we're lying back listening carelessly
to the monotonous proceedings when the door
opened and Hon. Michael Doran announced
that the building was on fire. AL 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 hall, which is on
a level with the floor of the senate The
panic that ensued had q 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 draught which drew into the senate
chamber clouds of smoke, the fire in the mean
time having made its appearance over the
= ~ 49,
occurred so suddenly that senators standing
near the reporters table and the secretary's
desk, which we're on the opposite side of the
chamber from the entrance, stood as if par
slyzed, gazing in mute establishment at the
smoke that passed in through the open doors, at
the flames over the gallery, and the rushing
crowd that blockaded the door way. The senate
suddenly and formally adjourned. President
Gilman, however, stood in his place, gavel in
hand and as he raped his desk loud and
often, he yelled in stentorian tones,
''sHUT 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 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
were heard roaring and cracking overhead;
from some windows men were yelling to the
limited crowd below: 'sGet some laddersp'
'sFor Gods sake, send for ladders!" Other
windows were occupied by two and three men
each, who were gazing down, as if ready to
pacing to and fro in the senate, utterly at q
loss to discover how to escape from what
seemed to be 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 VENT
lator upon the desks and floor beneath
Then, for q moment, it seemed as il
all hopes of escape were cut of. 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 lool
at the Illuminated elevator over his head, anC
became paralyZed; Col Crooks stood at q south
window, and begged the men whose legs 'wer!
hanging out not to jump, but to keep cool ant
wait; G. D. Gilillan, hatless and coatless
walked around with deliberation, but by NJ
means happy; some men were meditating plal
of improvising ropes out of the carpet, that
being about the only thing available fo
that purpose; while still others ran hither and
thither from one window to another, utterl,
helpless and demoralized. But, happily, thu
flames having made their way through tn
dome, draught was created strong enough Il
clear the halls of smoke. The dome was al
most directly over the entrance to the senate
chamber, and burning brands and timbers hat
fallen down through the glass ceiling in from
Of the door, rendering escape in that director
practically impossible. But small window
leading from the cloak room of the senate
chamber to the first landing of the main stair
way furnished an avenue of escape, and through
that little opening every man in the senate
chamber managed to get out The windows
were about ten feet high, but Mr.. Michael Do
ran and several other gentlemen stood at thu
bottom, and nobly rendered muscular assist
ance to the men who came tumbling out some
headlong, some sideways and some feet fore
most As the reporter Of the PIONEER PRESS
GAME out anu lanueQ on MS reel, ne paused fOl
moment to survey the scene that was pre-
sented. Almost Immediately overhead, where
the flames were lashing themselves into fury as
they played underneath the dome and around
The flag staff burning Goals dropped down like
6ery hail At this time the members
Of the house were also passing out through the
hall, and tumbling over each other down the
narrow stairway. 1t took but few minutes
for the senators to get out, after which they
assembled on the outside, and they had no
sooner gained the street than the ceiling Of the
senate chamber fell In, and in ten minutes thai
whole wing was mass of flames. 1t was an
appalling sight as they gazed upon the fiery
furnace in which they were imprisoned SC
short time before, and from which they had
just escaped by almost an accident. Indeed
from the moment when the fire was first an
A,nounced until the whole roof of the senate
wing had tumbled into fiery ruins scarcely
half an hour had elapsed, showing thai
the flames had originated not far from the roo
of the senate chamber and that they were wei
under way before any alarm was given. Con
sidering the circumstances, it is almost mar
= vellous that loss of life has not attended thi
terrible calamity which has befallen the State
of Minnesota.