The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1885-03-22
THE STATE HOUSE BLAZE.
THE DESTRUCTION WORKED By YES
TERDAY MORNINGS FIRE
Caused Probably by the Explosion of
two Bombs i'm Quarfermaster-Gen-
eraI PerrIne,s Headquarters.

two BUnnbs IN QuArheEmasteE-ofch-
eraI Perrfne's Headquarters.
TRENTON, March 21.-The fire that de-
stroyed the front part of the State House
this morning was discovered shortly before
o'clock by Daniel L. Platt, who saw q
light in the front window of the Quarter
master-General's Office. He ran inside
and met another watchman named Robert
Kennedy, who smelled fire and was search
ing for it. They tried to break in the door
of the Quartermaster-Ge Generals Office, but
had to retire, owing to the fire breaking
out with fresh fury. Alarms were sounded
and brought the Fire Department prompt
" on the scene, but it could not get into
operation for forty minutes, owing to the
fre-plugs being frozen. In the meantime
the flames shot up through the ceiling to
Chancery Clerk Duryee's Office and up to
the third floor, where the Geological Mu-
scum is located, tearing everything out in
its mad progress. By this time the Fire
Department was at work, directing its
efforts to prevent the further progress of
the flames. The various State officers and
clerks were on the scene shortly after the
fire broke out They got to work remov-
their effects to places of safety.
Comptroller Anderson and Supreme
Court Clerk Benjamin F. Lee rendered
invaluable services and were especially eff
tective in directing the work with system
and despatch. The museum was badly
Quilted, but the battle flags were saved;
other relics and some exhibits are fortu-
nately at New Orleans. Every Office that
is not damaged by fire is flooded with
water The vaults in which the records of
the Court of Chancery were kept are safe,
but did not escape damage. Major Ander-
son says the damage to the building will
not exceed S60,000,. and that there is an
insurance of $250,000.
Governor Abbott, Senator Sewell snd
Treasurer Toffey arrived at 10 o'clock, and
conferred over the situation. The
Governor suggests that the Legislature
appoint commission to construct new
extension and fire-proof buildings. This
will be recommended on Monday to the
Legislature. The Secretary of State has
engaged rooms in house across the street
for his office, and Treasurer Toffey is NOV
ing into the Executive parlor. The Clerk
of the Supreme Court will occupy part of
the State Library and the Clerk in Chan
Gerry the Ohancery Court room. The out
walls and pillars of the building are intact,
but the roof has fallen in, and the interior
as far as the rotunda. is in chaos.
A thrilling scene this morning occurred
when the fremen and policemen, many of
whom are old soldiers. rushed into the
Museum in the midst of binding smoke
and streams of water to rescue the battle
flags, amid cheers Every one of the
sacred relics was saved. 1t is generally
believed now that the fire originated in
Quartermaster-G Generals Office. There
was blazing fire of soft coal in the CRATE
and soft rug in front. On the mantle
piece was miniature powder magazine
composed of balls, shells, and other such
things. They were kept there on exhibit
ton, and when the soft coal fire got red
hot, it is conjectured, the sparks set fire to
the rug and, communicating with the man
tie piece set the bombs on fire, and two
explosions which were distinctly heard fol-
lowed. The Office was literally dynamite
box, and the confagration owes its origin
to it. The INSTRUMENTATION and his
clerks, however, insist that the fire origi
mated in the Ckancery Clerks Office, but
this is absurd. That it worked up through
the second and third floors is very evident,
and fire seldom or eyer works downward.
The fire illuminated the city and woke up
hundreds of people, who flocked to the
scene.
The fire was subdued, it seems, when it
had swept through the rooms described
above. The point where it was stopped
was at the rotunda, where the dome, which
was marked feature in the landscape
roundabout, rose high in the air. Here the
building was only few feet wide, and
heavy stone walls divided the rear part of
the State House from the 'front.' Shielded
by these, the Governors rooms, to the
right, and the offices of the Adjutant-Gen
eral, Comptroller, Sinking Fund Com
missioners, etc., to the left, escaped dam
age. Back of these are the Senate and As
sembly chambers, on the right and left
wings respectively. Over the main hall
leading to the river front is the State Lii
brary, with its valuable collection of books,
and above the Executive Chamber is the
large room of the Supreme Court. A SINH
lar room on the second floor, on the other
side of the building, was also used by
the court. On the third floor were low
rooms used to store documents.
State Treasurer Toffey, who was seen at
his house on the Hill last evening, said
that several of the vaults in the Clerk of
Chancery's rooms were opened yesterday,
and the papers were found to be practical
ly uniniured. His Office was not burned,
but it was flooded with water. He had
moved new safe into the Office, and put
all his securities into it on Friday, and the
loss in his offices is only that done to the
furniture and floors and walls by water.