New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-03-22
FIRE IN A STATE CAPITOL.
PUBLIC OFFICES OF Ew,JERsEY BURNED.
TIRE FLAMES ATTRIBUTED TO ESCAPING GAS
RECORDS DAMAGED.
tBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUyE.]

RECORDS DAMAGED.
tnr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIpuyE]
TRENTON. March 21.-The State Capitol in this
city was damaged by fire this morning to the ex-
tent of about $4,000. Two explosions heard
IN the Quartemaster-G Generals Office on the first
floor OF the State House about 3 a. m. The
explosions were followed by flames that shot
through tho windows. In ten minutes all tho
apartments were in flames. The fire was discovered
at the same time by officer patroling the street
outside and by the night-watchman on duty in the
building. The two men broke open the door of the
Quartermaster- Generals Office and finding the
flames filling large part Of the room hurried to the
nearest fire alarm box, block and half away.
Ii was the hour when the cold most intense
and the iremen, delayed by the weather in
getting to the SPOT, suffered o still further
delay of fifteen minutes account of the
fire plugs being frozen, besides finding the
supply Of water insufficient. BY the time
they were at work the flames had followed the
steam pipes to the floor above and quickly set fire
to the offices of the Clerkn Chancery. From these
the fire extended to the Geological Museum on the
third floor. In this museum many valuable
State relics, but the most valuable were sent
to the New Orleans Exposition q month ago. The
fire then moved back toward the dome. and it
seemed though the Supreme court room, the
Chancery court room and the Legislative cham
bers would have to go. The books aud documents
were hastily removed from the offices of the Con-
troler the State Treasurer aud tho Secretary Of
State. The fremen got in through side entrances
and from various points between the floor and the
dome the front of the rotunda that separated
the front seatIon from the tire in the and fought
10 con6ne the tire to the wing in which 1t origin
ated. dozen streams were poured upon the
Qatu iron, nj hell Ilta pnlI Nyas N
intense that the spray from the nozzles almost
froze as II fell into the fire. The hremen were
coated with ice while the flames almost licked their
faces Tho bitter wind cut like a knife. and its
edge was sharpened by tho dense cloud of smoke
aud cindcrs that filled the air. Driven back from
the dome and the main part Of the building the hre
spread toward the front aud soon enyeloped the
whole roof and upper stories The white stone
walls cleaned icily with a coating OF frozen spray.
but inside of ther the flames rioted with the
rafters, floors, furniture and other combustible
material.
Just after o'clock the roof fell into the chasm
where the third door offices had been burned
ATT a. m the fire was checked. though the
engines continued TO play the RUNS 50 that
access may be had to the Chancery vaults, whore
msuy valuable papers relative to thousands OF
estates were kept The latter are not burned. but
they are believed to be full OF water which may
cause almost as much damage as tire.
The part destroyed is this facade Of the0riginal
State House built in 1890. 1t was alteredand I'M
proved in 1915. Ibe building contained
tho Quartermaster-Genefa office. aud the
Offices OF the Adiutant-General. Controller,
Clerk In Chancery, Clerk of the SUI
prene Court, Secretary Of State and
state Treasurer and the Museum. The entire
.builaing Is worth $ooo.ooo. On which there II q
liberal insurance.
In the Quartcrna ster- Generals Office everything
was burned that was not in the fre-proof vault
next 10 where the fire began. Comparatively few
really valuable documents, however. were outside
the vault, and serious inconvenience VIII be the
worst effect of the tire Oh that department In the
Office of the Clerk in Ckancery all the records OF
the court except those in course OF passage through
the Office we're in tire proof vault. and were saved
with 10 damage except by water. Most OF the
packages OF papers lying around the office and all
of tho books were SAVED. although thoroughly
soaked The one CO OF the Bureau OF Labor
statistics ON the third floor was Quilted completely
and all its contents burned, including part OF the
forthcoming annual report and large quantity of
important uncolated statistics. The rooms OF the
Geological Museum and OF the Chancery copyists
on the same floor were entirely destroyed. On one
side of the Museum were the old New-Jersey battle
flags objects of reverence aud affection TO all
veterans. AdiutantG General stry ker headed corps
of "A dozen 6remen and policemen. ex-soldIers' VINO
dashed again and again up the narTo" stairs
through the smoke and fire and saved every one OF
these old relics. The sword ami saddle OF General
Phil Kearney in another glass case were supposed
TO have been lost. when the AdJutant General
after repeated efforts to reach the spot had iailed'
peremptoriy ordered the men 10 risk tier lives no
longer. These relics were found afterward. how
Lssn flar mai
rescuers The clerks and assistants IN the offices OF
Supreme Court Clerk Lee, State Treas urer loney
and Secretary of State Kelsey had time 10 place all
the documents and books in their rooms in the fire
proof vaults connected with each Once, anu they
are ate except where injured by the ieakage Oh
water through the roofs OF tue vaults In all these
offces. however the furniture, walls aud ceilings
are rni ined by water and smoke -. $1,000,
There were no serious accidents, Dut seVera,
fremen and Others are suffering rom sPtalII an
bruises One fireman slid down the ICY rool almost
to the edge, but caught lightning roo In time u
save himself. o,,, a altar
n conference with Controller Anderson ana
Treasurer Toiey, ordered Architect swan " nah9 @
an immediate investigation into Tue Ca oauso ii uI
extent of the fire, aud appointed Robert Oonrad,
Councilman snedecker aud A. IL "V' i 49,
committee to appraise the damage M .aIsI .,a5 ,ui5
of workmen put 10 work to cut OH tlle puinoa
norton from the rest Of the building Dy temporary
partitions TO clear away the rubbish anu ;
arrange for the carrying on OF tne ota.o -; rs
without interruption. Temporary quarters IN tnc
Capltol and in tic buildings adjoining nave aIeauy
been put in read mess for the burned oqr Oh ,es.
The origin of the lire is a mystery lne quarter.
General says that there was no hre OF hgni
in his office after oeioIe' and
believes that the fire was an incehulaIS onSi SiL' %
was started in the floor of the Cnancery, CIcIk
Office The explosions heard about the time lne
fire was discovered have been traced 70 unhsca hsc
radiators the Chancery Office the "a'ei ~ ""'oH
WAS turned to steam by the heat. ~, oroooI
The insurance is as follows: koyal, Lyerpoooi ppo
$40 600; Queen of Liverpool and London, Sio'oooi
Lancaster, England, $1,000; standard Irenlon.
10000; Home, New-York; PhGnix, t9naoh t
Bremen Germania, American, Merehahts siI.ults, Wt,
Peoples City, Newark; Clinton, He"boin,
Germania New.York; Farmers. York, Penn.