The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1897-02-05
PENNSYLVANIA
Loses Her Beautiful Capitol Building
by Fire.
The Efforts of the Firemen Were Futile
Thousands of Dollars Worth Of Rec
ords Were LOst-Fire Thought to
Be Cansed by an Electric Wire.

HARRISBURG, Pa, Feb. 3.-Fire was
discovered in Lieut.. Gov. Lyons room
on the second floor of the main build
ing of the capitol shortly before /
o'clock Tuesday. The room is directly
over the senate chamber and close to
the senate elevator
The senate had taken a recess at
1925 until 1 o'clock, to await the re-
ception from the house of the amended
Mitchell treasury resolution, and it
was just as President pro tenn Carroll
was preparing to take the chair that
page boy gave him the Information
that fire had been discovered. It was
thought at first to be of trivial ma
ture. and Chief Clerk Smiley directed
bucket brigade to go into service.
Meanwhile an alarm was sent in
from the senate library. The efforts
of the men with buckets were futile,
and they returned with the inforpa-
ton that the flames were beyond their
control.
/ Q The senate was we'll filled when this
news was received and it spread rap
idly among the senators and specta-
| tors that the fire was of most serious
| nature. There was a crambling for
overcoats and hats, and under the
chief clerks direction, the senate rec
ords were carried to places of safety.
With the arrival of the fire depart
ment came thousands of spectators,
and the capitol park in the vicinity of
the burning building. was soon mass
of struggling humanity. Before the
fremen could direct stream on the
burning building it was found that the
structure was doomed.
In the house the first intimation con-
corning the fire was the discovery of
smoke in the upper corridors. The
word was quickly passed around and
much excitement prevailed. Rapidly
the mem bers left their seats and there
were but few representatives. in the
hall when two or three shouted out
motions to adjourn. After the motion
to adjourn had been made, there was
rush for the doors. Employees
of the department of pu bile buildings
and grounds were hustling about in
an effort to do something toward ex-
tinguishing the confagration, but
were powerless to accomplish any
thing. Owing to the location of the
room in which the fire started the fire.
men had difficulty in getting a stream
on the flames. Finally lines of hose
were drawn through the corridors
on the second floor and the real
work of the fremen began, but it was
apparent that whatever work they
might do would avail little in saving
the main building. President pro TEN
McCarroll and Speaker Boyer watched
fl ON the east of the park with many
other members tho demolition of one
of the best specimens of'colonial archi'
lecture to be found in the country.
1t was apparent that the entire
building was doomed, and that the
best thing that could be done was tc
take precautions toward saving the
adjoining structures. Twenty minutes
after the arrival of the fremen the
ceiling in the senate chamber fell. A
large number of persons were slightly
crash came. The origin of the fire is
in doubt. The insurance on the build
idg is placed at $780, 900. The interior
OF the house had just been remodeled
at cost of $3.50, 900.
It was feared that the fire would
communicate to the department of in
ternal affairs, the building on the
right, where valuable land awards and
! other documents from the foundation
of the state are on file. The senate
and house will probably meet in two
| L L. - -
the insurance given above, the con-
tractor has an insurance Of $40, 600.
The loss will probably reach three
| quarters of a million dollars, with
about $500, 900 insurance.