Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-03-22
FREAKS OF TIE FLAMES
The New Jersey Capitol Building
Partially Destroyed Valuable
Records Lost.
Nine Lives Lost in a Chicago HOtel
Fire Many Dallasitss Forced to
Don their dry Shirts.
GLAZE IN rHg srArE.HoUsE.

~
TRENros, n. j., March al.--A large
portion Of the capitol building was
burned early this morning. The
fla nes were extinguIshed sfter q four
hours isht. The loss will be enor-
nous, The chancery ofii,e contain
all the records Of the courts, the states
deeds, etc. were destroyed.
Two explosions were heard In the
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Office on the
first floor at the northwest corner OF
the state-house at 3 O'Clock this morn
ing The explo 'iOns were followed by
flames that shot through the windows.
In ten minutes the apartments were
in ruins The Il .mss followed the
steam pipes TO the floor above, and
quickly set fire TO the offices OF the
clerk in chaucery. From these. the
conf agra'ion extended TO the geologi-
cal museum ON the third floor. In thi~
there were many valuable state relics,
but m Vt Of the valusoles were sent To
the New Orleans exposition month
ago rhe battle days were rescued by
the firemen ut the risk OF their. lives
The sword and saddle OF G. N. TX sar-
ney were destroyed. The fire then
moved back toward the dome, and
ID looked as though the supreme court
room, the chancerv court room and
the legislative chambers would have to
60. The books aud documents were
removed hastily from the offices of the
comptroller, the state treasurer and the
secretary of state, The fire was finally
checked at O'Clock, although the Gu
gines are still playinE on the ruins In
order that access may be had tn the
chancpry vaults where exceedingly
valuable papers relating TO thous
ands of estates were kept.
The vaults are not burned.
but thev are believed to be full of
water, which will cause almost as
much damage AZ fire The loss will
not fall below 800 ono The part de-
stroyed was la the facade of the
original state house, built in 1895
Only the museum, the qIsrtermss'er-
generals Office aud the chancery Office
were completely destroyed. The other
departments were somewhat damaged
by water. The chaucery and supreme
court-rooms and the senate and assem-
bly, chambers remain intact. The en-
tire building IL worth 500 900 There
Ia liberal Insurance on the structure.
The explosions IN the quartermss'
ter's room, It Is thought, were caused
by confined gas, which in some way
ignlted.
CHICAGO wIra ONE HOTEL LESS.
CHICAGO, ILL, March 2l.--At a fire
this evening eleven fire engines
poured water into the Langham hotel
which was in flames from the base.
ment ~ the garres The fire originated
in one OF the rooms from kerosene
lamp which was accidently over.
turned. AT the time the restaurant
Of the house had one hundred
guests at supper and rs many
more were In their rooms The peopl,
In the restaurant had no trouble In
getting out butts veral persons In tn,
upper rooms had very narrow escapes
The flames spread with maveiou.
rapidly, aud before the second alarm
was turned in the flames were BURT,
ing through the roof. A general
alarm was give half an hour af
ter the fire broke out. but all the en-
glnes which could be brought to pla,
upon the II inca could not get the Il Il
under control.
Mrs. B+lKnap, an elderly lady, was
killed In jumping from the fourth
story into the alley Subsequently 8
falling and that Ii Il winkle's fire insu
rance pstrolmen we're inside the build
Ing. A portion OF the south wall wa,
seen to totter, aud then IL came down
with crash purolmeu aud two
truckmen have riuce been taken out
many ofth,m horribly mangled