The Forrest City times., 1897-02-05
DeVOuRING FLAMES

Pennsyivsnia's Nagnifcen, c.
 huins-Loss Estimated at sI I.ooo. .nh
 Lawmakers Driveu from Tn.soveo-
 bers. some of Them in pern a, onsn-
 Live--Most of the states ihes
 Saved. "rehivs
 If HARRISBURG, Pa, Feb. aas which started in the rooms of urs Gov. Lyon some time yesterdav eae' , ing, swept through the aneien, fa' itol of Pennsylvania, and vi,h, ap hour and a half after the brs,L,ssa sa out of the flames the structure ,s ruins. ID
 The senate and house were ahon. reconvene for their afternoon ~" when the fire burst through the ,va wsm and the lawmakers were driy.n sA their lives to the open air. '0'
 As far as known no one vas In, but number of people were in ~ building trying to save furniture .as other effects when the dome fan aa and 1t Is possible that someone ma be buried under theSruins.
 The most valuable of the sta.a legislative records which were in .si building were saved, but the rsoo.s and statistics of the departmen, ', public instruction, which inolnas. much valuable information bear;ps upon the public schools of the s,a,s were destroyed.
 The legislature will find temnor,.. home to-day, the senate in the roo.!' of the supreme court and the hons. :, the United States district conrt
 The legislature will at once ,,L. steps to have the capitol rebuilt
 The total loss is estimated at ne.r. Sl,OD0, 000, on which there is an in,,s. ance of but S200,000. The origin ., the fire is unknown.
 During the morning session of ,h. senate smoke was smelt, but could no. be traced, and but little heed w.. given to it. Shortly before one o'elocL as the president of the senate va. rapping that body to order. a puff 2, smoke made it's way into the chambs, Some little excitement followed.
 Chief Clerk Smiley improvised hasty bucket brigade, made up of sen. ate attaches and senators. This anna. teur fire force traced the fire to tbs apartments of Lieut. Gov. Lyon. on the floor above the senate chamber. An ax speedily shivered the wood work, and d flame shot out. The et forts of the bucket brigade were use. less, as the dry aud rotten timber, composing the rafters and joists of the building burned like gun cotton. and the fire ate it's way downward and through the ceiling into the senate cham Der.
 When it seemed that the building was in serious danger the senate at taches turned their attention to saving the senate and state records and the handsome furniture, and before this work was completed many of the men were laboring at the risk of their lives in a stitiing atmosphere and amidst falling brands.
 In the opposite wing of the building the house had been about to recon. vene at the same time as the senate. Only an ordinary interest was at first given by the assembly men and the people in the gallery to the smell of smoke and the excitement and hustle in the rotunda opposite. By the time the people in the house had realized the seriousness of the situation they were in peril of their lives. The flames and smoke made their way into the chamber and drove the throng headlong before them. So rapid was their advance that some people had no time to even make thelr escape by the doors, but were compelled to jump from the windows to the ground This was the case with the Legislative reporters of the United Associated Presses. Not thinking the danger so imminent as it was they remained in the rotunda filing bulletins at the Western Union telegraph office While at this work the scaffolding which had been used by painters who were decora ting the dome fell with crash. To save their lives both men jumped from a window and escaped with slight injury.
 By the time the city fire department had arrived on the scene the flames were pouring through the roof of the building. A driving suowstorm and strong northwest wind doomed the building to destruction. The tremen could do nothing and soon the great dome of the structure crashed down wards The firemen then turned tneif attention to saving adjoining oeparF ment buildings and in this they were successful. Within an hour and nan after the fire broke out the building was in ruins.
 The state capitol was handsome brick structure, situated on knoll in a park of ten acres. It was lSo iee' long, 80 feet wide, with circuia' Ionic portico in front, and was sur mounted by fine dome. It was oe' gun in 1919, and first occupied on 1an' uary 2s, 1922. The original cost ol she structure, including the grounds, "S' S2sl, ,6SS., but since it's erection II hss been frequently embellished at lafge cost. Within the last two years !. nos been remodeled at cost of s.'o' 900, and the handsome frescoing 'a the legislative chambers was even y'' uncompleted. The capitol was occs- pied by the house and senate, the oi Graa nf ,na capatp nDtd-