Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-03-22
| BLAZING CAPITOL.
- Nav Jersey State House Al
most Destroyed.
v,asbIe State Papers and Other
Documents Burned
r,ssing Enormous Loss, Besides
CELEBRATING
1 Land Mark and one Of the Finest
Architectural
pIics Of the Last Century---LOss
irreparable.

Tezsrov. y. J., March 2l.-A large por-
80, Of the Capitol building was burned ear
~, his morning. The flames were extin
.-;,bei stsz tour hours fight. The loss
III be enormous. The Chancery office,
,,.siain, all the records of the Courts,
S,,,e deeds, etc, were destroyed.
Tie ire started in the Quartermaster
Generals Office, on the first floor, at the
-,r,hssst corner Of the Capitol Building.
-vo explosions, one Immediately after the
she. shortly before three o'clock, were fol-
r,vsd 5y DANES that shot through the wiz
l,ss sad lighted up the ancient building
.,a vivid glare. The explosions tore out
80 windows and shattered the doorways
,-3 CEILING. and the flames that followed
rsr, through the apartment ike a whirl-
md.
TIE danger 10 the State House Was so
-,sst the: Immediately on the discovery of
he Ire The watchman sounded a general
La.n and the entire department was bought
70 b. scene.
spread of the Flames.
ua IL arrival Of the 6remen, the flames
are slr,siy bursting out into the corridor
and tie high wind threatened to sweep the
.-r,e building. Before the fremen had
,-ccssj,d il getting 8 stream on the fire,
L. steam pipes on the upper floor burst
,.s-;p, wr ne floor and shattering the win
.,rs aud ne dsnes, sweeping up from the
urs-srmsster's Department, euyeloped the
.-sss o., me Clerk in Chancery. These
- we're on the north side of the State
House. and Immediately over the Quarter
-sster Generals room. The handsome
:-,Ri,ure and carpets, with all the valuable
court papers dOcketed in the department
sentup in smoke and blazing ashes, and the
re sril, unchecked, burned through the cell
~ and. extending to the State Geological
Museum. on the third floor, completely gut
id itout.
Oa all these floors there are long corri-
iofs extending through the building. The
corijor on the first hoor runs the entire
.srg,h Of the building; those on the second
snd third floors lead to the Supreme Court
and the State law library. The flames swept
MO the corridors, but by their aid the FIRE
-ea were enabled to follow the FIRE, and
ysre thus able to check it and prevent it
Ereaiing either to the south side or to the
rsE
At enc time il seemed as though the On
sce building must go The high wind car
red the flames toward the dome, and the
ODea stairway carried the Ere upward ike
ansuuoth chimney. A stubborn fight on
he Part Of the 6remen, however, saved the
3one, aud at o'clock the FIRE was under
c9uirol
The Losses by the Fire.
The damage BY fire will not fall short oi
S,0OV 700, and the destruction by water will
,each $4,000 more. The building is worth
100000, and Is fully insured. The vaults
Of the Chancery department we're not des-
GOyed, but they are filed with water, and
immense damage to the valuable papers
stored there is feared. The papers relate
20 some Of the most valuable'estates in the
city and State, and injury to them would
prove an iucalculsble loss.
TLa Museum on the third floor was one OF
De most complete State museums IN the
country. It contained a vast number Of geo
.ogicSl 2Rd agricultural specimens, together
Hl'b a gtcularly valuable collection OF war
aud SAFE relics. The most valuable part OF
.ae gSola. ical aud agricultural collections
see teat % the New Orleans Exposition 3
month G-o, and several stands of State and
Na'ioual Je,tle aags-much-prized relics
Eere ,a.o by the fremen at the risk OF
heir ACs Many other valued relics, III
:CdiL. IN sa0-d and saddle used By Gen.
Phil k,agaay, at the battle Of Chancellors
nile, wera destroyed.
The cEcas OF the Comptroller, State
IreaSUr~r sa3 Secretary Of State, on the
south sijeof the corridor, escaped destrue-
aon, but ihe danger at one time was 80 I'M
nlren' tha: all the books and papers OF
Ae>e departments were carried out OF the
'Clding. The departments suffered con,
adersJy from water, however and escaped
cestrgction only bv the most strenuous
stoSts on the part of the 6remen. The
CbanCery and Supreme Courts, together
Tith the Senate and Assembly rooms and
library, escaped uniIjured. The Museum,
ChsnCery Office and Quartermaster zen,
era! department were completely burned
0lt
History OF the building.
Tbs New Jersey State Capital at Trenton
Eas built in 1895. Il is dsIk, sandstone
Guiding. and q fue old relic Of the a7chl'
lecture Of the last century. In form the
Guiding is nearly square, but numerous
graceful angles and an immense pillar sup
porting pOraco on the east front give It
oo'aole and striking appearance, On tne
.1ont It faces State street, a msgnlheen'
tee lowered avenue, bordered with the resi-
ceHCes crthr richest people in the city. On
he vest the view oreus upon the Delaware
0TtT- making beautiful and striking PIC
UEe IEebulding shows the effects OF nesriy
century og constant use, and the stones IL
Eo'rtCrs and doors are worn hollow WIZ
Ne Constant tramping OF feet. The ola
building has been improved in recent years
!ae grounds have been improved, an iroI
S'hng substituted for the wooden rslhne
nat graCed It a quarter Of century ago
and one by one annex buildings have beer
erected in the enclosure. The largest o
leSe annexes is at the southwest corner
|alolniUg the law library. Most OF TN
'ood work 10 the original building na
'''n recently renewed,
Governor Albeit Hears the News
Nv Nury March 2l.-Goveruor 40
o'H Of New Jersey, who has been IN TIM
t'iy for several days. received dispatcI
@iiy this morning notifying him Of the PaF
tades,rue,ion Of The State capitol buildini
. Trenton. lie left for Trenton at uin
oc.OcS
Eairmont Wants License
Spor.fl 70 ne SgRfay Regis'er.
tAIaSosT, W. VA, March 2l--Thl