The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-04-13
THE CAPITOL AF|RE.
Illinois Costly State House
Greatly Damaged.
The Beautiful Senate Chamber
Almost Ruined.
THE LOSS 100000.
No Insurance and State Has to
Stand 1t.
Greatest Confusion Prevailed
Among the Employees.

SPRINGFIELD, Ills, April Is. - Illi-
nois' magnificent $5.OOO,OO0 state house
caught fire in the senate wing shortly
after noon today and in few moments
it looked as if that portion of the build
ing would be gutted. The fire is sup
posed to have originated in one of the
committee rooms, but from what cause it
is not known.
An alarm was at once turned in and
two steam and one chemical engine
reported. Fire Marshal Fountain soon
discovered he would be unable to control
the fire with the force and so turned in
a general alarm calling for all the en-
gines in the city.
The fire spread rapidly and soon the
whole immense building was filed with
smoke SO that it was with great difficulty
that the fremen found their way
through the labyrinth of Railways and
rooms of the upper part of the capitol.
In the wing of the building where the
fire was raging was whore the auditors
Office, state treasury and the office of the
insurance commissioner and agriculture
board are located
At once when the fire broke out wild
confusion prevailed among the clerks and
soon the halls were filed with excited
girls and women. The chiefs of depart
ments remained cool, however, and in
few minutes all the valuable papers and
records were locked up in the fire. proof
vaults. Assistant Treasurer Whittemore
at once ordered his clerks to lock up all
the money and the books of his Office,
and then with them beat hasty retreat.
In Auditor Cores Office matters did
not run SO smoothly. In that depart
ment many women are employed, and
they became badly frightened, increas-
ing the confusion. With much difficult
ty the books. papers and records were
bundled into vaults. Meantime the fire
continued to spread.
There were not enough fire plugs
near the state house to keep
the engines working, SO the
firemen had to labor at great disadvan-
tage. The fremen reported shortly that
all of the committee rooms in the senate
wing and senate chamber were ruined
and that the loss would probably reach
from $500,000 to $750,000, and unless the
fire was soon checked would probably
reach $1,000,000
While the state house has been re-
garded as practically fire proof. the floors
of all committee rooms and partitions are
of wood; this being extremely dry, burn
ed like tinder. The roof was made of
slate and beams of steel supporting it,
but it was seen that if the fire
was not soon checked the intense heat
might so warp them that the roof, with
the great dome 365 feet high, would COL
lapse In such event the loss would
reach 81 100000 to $2,000,000
The fire was probably started from d
timers stove, large force of timers
having been sent upon the roof to make
repairs. It is said they left their stoves
burning when they went to dinner. A
gale of wind was blowing during the
fire and the tiremen seemed to be unable
to cope with the flames.
The senate chamber was speedily
Quilted and all the expensive frescoing
is ruined.
VIM. Sands, custodian of the capitol
building, said while the fire was in
progress, that there were heavy fire
walls between the north wing and the
DOME so that thre was no possible
danger of the fire reaching the
dome He also said there was no possi-
| Bile way for the fire to reach the south
wing of the state house. The tiremen
kept working to get at the fire, but did
not seem to be making much head
way.
At1:45 D. NJ the firemen at last got
the flames under control. 1t is estimated
| that the damage to the senate wing of
the state house will amount from $780,
600 to 100000 Most of the damage will
result from smoke and water.
At2:15.p. m. the fire had been entirely
subdued,S but the senate wing of the
state house was. flooded with water The
state library escaped with slight dam
age.
The room occupied by the enrolling
and engrossing committee was flooded
and it is believed that many important
bills by the senate have been destroyed.
Should this be the case it will require
a vast amount of work on the part of that
body. As there was no insurance the en-
tire loss will fall upon the state