Omaha daily bee., 1885-03-31
ST. J0E'S BIG LOSS.
The Great County COu,t Hone Almost
Entirely Destroyed By Fire,
Nearly All the County Offices Ruined
BY the Conhagraiion-Mauy
Books and Papers Lost.
Kansas City Times.

Kansas City TimcJ,
About 3 10 Saturday morning printers from
the Herald office discovered flames issuing
from the court house. An alarm was imme-
diately given, but to no purpose and by day.
light the magnificent structure was q mass Of
ruins. The loss has not yet been accurately
computed, but it will reach $500, 600 or the
county and $50, 90 or more for private iudi.
viduals.
The origin of the fire is unknown, the frat
seen of 1t being when the flames were burst.
ing out OF the roof in the west end, over the
probate court room There was trouble in
getting water at first, but six streams were
soon turned upon the flames. The flames
were smothered from view for q while but
they soon burst ont of the windows and short.
ly leaped high in the air and attacked the
dome. h part Of the structure was of wood
covered with tin. Inside, in the lower part,
was q shell OF dry pine lumber, and lath and
plasteflng. Above it was simply q frame work
of dry pine lumber.
THE DOME CRASHES TO THE GROUND.
As soon as this part of the building was
reached the flames ran up like fiery yipsrs
and leaped high In the air, lighting up all that
part OF the city not shut out by the high hills
on the outskirts, In n short time the dome
fell in with q crash that could have been heard
Tor miles, and q volume of sparks shot upward
that lent additional light. From that time it
was evident that the main building was
doomed.
1t was impossible to do anything in the ZEN.
trail part of the building. The floor, doors
and windows ard statrcasing were all that
was to burn, and these were soon disposed of,
leaving che bare walls standing.
HOW THE OFFICES SUFFERED.
The chief attention of the fire department
was now turned to saving the wings and pre-.
serving the vaults. The upper story of the
southwest wing, where the Northwestern med.
ical college was located was burned out. but
part OF the floor remained, thus protecting the
county court room Just below it. The latter
room was but little damaged, excep. by
water.
The United States engineers room. over
the probate court, in the northwest room, was
burned out. and all the plans for the river i'm.
provement destroyed.
The county clerks office was provided with
a %fire-proof vauls, in which all the records of
the office, with the exception of q few INN
portapt papers, were kept. Nearly all the
records were safely in the vault, and it is be-
lieved that they have not been materially in.
jursd, although the interior of the office was
ruined.
Directly above the city clerks Office is the
circuit clerks office. This was DESTROYED but
fortunately it, too, was provided with a fire.
proof vault, a continuation of that in the
county clerks Office. This records of the court
and nearly all of the old papers were in this
vault, and it is believed are safe from harm.
All the papers for suits now in court and those
recently brought, were in cases IN the room
and were entirely destroyed.
Across from this, on tao second floor, and
Immediately adjoining the rotunda, was the
sheriff. office. Everything in it, comprising
the Jail records of commitments, etc., was con. |
sumed, not a scrap of paper being saved.
Dow stairs in the central south wing was
the county collectors office. In it was all the
remaining outside of the vault un-
burned. The regular current tax books were
in the vault, it is believed, but the back tax
books were nearly all on tho desks in the
office. Deputy Collector Homer Osborne and
@. G. Colt were in the office until IL o'clock
night working on the back tax books, con-
them for collection. The night
~atchman, Sam Tolin, having his room in
hat adjoining the collectors 1t was not
thought necessary to place the books in the
vault, and they were left on line desk till
Copies of the delinquent books,
are in the county clerks vault.