Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-03-26
Bridgeton, N. j., March 26, 1885.
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENTS.
TRENTON, March 25. 1885.

to the PIONEER, terrible disaster has
taken place at our beautiful State
House. The fire fiend has made sad
havoc with the front of the building,
and scene of desolation appears where
last week there was symmetery and
beauty. The loss amounts to nearly
one hundred thousand dollars.
The burned wing included the origi-
nal Capitol, which was located on that
spot in 1890. 1t was frequently en-
larged and reconstructed and in 1S4S
the rotunda and other extensions were
added. Still further additions were
followed in 1875 by the putting of two
extra stories upon the original founda-
tions. The weight was too great and
the walls have been settling ever since,
making necessary frequent and expen-
sive repairs. More room has also come
to be needed in the Capitol for the ac-
commodation of new boards and bu-
reaus.
Night Watchman Platt in the build
ing and Policeman Kennedy on the
street discovered the fire simultaneous
lyabout 2. 45 o'clock Saturday morning,
in the Quartermaster Generarrs o1iice,
on the west corner of tie ground floor.
They broke open the door and found
the flames filling the room. An alarm
was sent as quickly as possible from
the nearest box, block and a half
away. After the engines arrived there
was delay of fifteen minutes, owing
to the plugs being frozen, and the
supply of water even then was mad
fequate.
The fire had in the meantime eaten
its way into the Chancery office in the
second story of the building, and was
Speeding on the lower floor towards
the Secretary of States office.
The night was intensely cold, and
despite the heat of the flames, the fire
men were soon covered with ice and
their clothing so stiff that movement
was nearly impossible.
In less than an hour the flames were
bursting in long waving streamers from
the roof and it seemed as though the
Capitol was in danger Presently the
roof fell in. sending the flames and
sparks high into the chill air. This
gave the firemen their first opportuni-
ty. From the dome they poured a
dozen streams into the roaring furnace
beneath. There was little to burn ex-
cept the floors, ceiling and furniture,
and by o'clock the fire was mastered,
without damage having been done to
any portion of the building except the
front.
Fire proof vaults protected from dam
age, except by water, the valuable
documents and books of the Quarter
master Generals office, the records of
the Court of Chancery-except those
in course of passage through the office.
a,1x oil nf Al,
desks-the Supreme Court records, the
hundreds of thousands of dollars worth
of bonds and securities in the State
Treasurer's office and the priceless rec
Ords of titles. wills, etc, in the office of
the Secretary of State. The contents
of the Labor Bureaus office were to-
tally destroyed, including part of the
manuscript of the Forthcoming annual
report and a mass of important uncol
lected statistics. Nearly all of the val
liable exhibits of the Geological Mu
scum are safe in the States show at the
New Orleans Exposition.
On the walls of the museum, in glass
cases, were the States battle-flaes.
Adjutant General VIM. S. Stryker de-
termined to save these at all hazards;
he organized rescuing corps of ex-
soldiers, and led them up the stairs
through the heat and smoke to the
third story again and again, until they
had secured the last of the flags. Three
desperate attempts to reach the case
that had contained Gen. Phil Kearney's
sword and saddle failed, and General
Stryker gave orders that there should
be no further risk of life 1t was dis
covered later that the relics referred to
had been rescued by Janitor John
n - tIo Stota HonSa INba