Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-02-05
REDUCED TO A RUIN.
State Capitol Building at Harris
burg, Pa, Burned.
LEGISLATURE DRIVEN OUT BY FLAMES
Fall of tho Great Dome-Many Valuable
Records Are Destroyed-The Loss
Is Estimated at Fully
o7SO,OOO.

Harrisburg, Pa. Feb. a.-Fire was
discovered in Lieut.. Gov. Lyons room
on the second floor of the main building
OF the capitol shortly before one o'clock.
The room is directly over the senate
chamber and close to the senate eleva-
tor.
The senate had taken recess at 1886
until one o'clock, to await the reception
from the house of the amended Mitchell
treasury resolution, and it was just as
President Pro Ten. c. Z. Carroll was
preparing to take the chair that page
boy gave him the information that fire
had been discovered. 1t was thought
at first to be of trivial nature, and
Chief Clerk Smiley directed bucket
brigade to go into service.
Meanwhile an alarm had been sent In
from the senate library.
The efforts of the men with buckets
were futile, and they returned with the
information that the flames were be-
You'd their control.
The senate was we'll filled when this
news was received and it spread rapid
ly among the senator's and spectators
that the fire was of most serious ma
ture. There was scrambling for over
coats and hats and under the chief
clerks direction the senate records wers
carried to places Of safety. With the
arrival of the fire department 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 build
ing it was found that the flames were
beyond control.
The dome fell soon after. Before it
fell one patriotic citizen crawled
through the mass of flames and hauled
down the flag. He was loudly cheered.
Several men were slightly injured by
falling timbers.
It was apparent that the entire build
ing was doomed and that the best thing
that could be done was to take precau.
tons toward saving the ad joining struc.
lures. Twenty minutes utter the ar
rival Of the fremen the ceiling in the
senate chamber fell.
1t is probable that the fire had been
burning for some time before discov-
cred, for there was smell of smoke in
the senate for some time and there were
frequent remarks that the smoke was
growing offensive.
Senator Saylor, of Montgomery, and
Librarian Miller went to the lieu
tenant governors room, aud look.
ing around found that the smoke
came from o place back Of the
book case. When the Montgom.
cry county senator took Ratchet and
cut a piece Of the floor the flames shot
out over the senator. The timbers were
dry as dust and burned like powder
When it was seen that the building was
doomed efforts were made to save some
Of the furniture, but very. little wat
saved.
A large number of persons were
slightly injured by falling glass wher
the crash came. The origin Of the
fire is in doubt. The insurance on the
building is placed at 100000. The in
terror of the house had just been re
modelled at cost of $150,0O0. In add
ton to the insurance given above, tn,
contractor had an insurance of $4,000
The loss will probably reach $75o,0oo
with about 100000 insurance.
The most valuable OF the state ant
legislative records which were In tn
building were saved, but the records ant
statistics of the department of publ
instruction, which included much valu
able information bearing upon the pub
lie schools of the state, were destroyed
The state capitol was handsome bricl
structure, situated on a knoll in park o
ten acres. It was 100 feet long, so fee
wide, with circular Ionic portico in from
and was surmounted by fine dome.
was begun in 1873 and first occupied o
January %, 1922. The original cost of tn
structure. including grounds, was $29l,6S
but since its erection 1t has frequentl
been embellished at large cost. Within tn
last two years 1t has been remodeled at
cost Of 100000, and the handsome frescoin
IN the legislative chambers was oven ye
uncompleted. The capitol was occupie
by the house and senate, the Offices of tn
clerks and senate librarian. house and ser
ate committee rooms, the state forestr
commission, the game commission, tn
lieutenant governors apartments, room
for the president pro TEN. of the senate an
the speaker of the house. Offices Of the 8,
perintendent of public instruction, the res
dent and chief clerks apartments an
newspaper rooms.