The age-herald., 1898-11-08
SUPREME COURT
 ROOM DAMAGED Explosion Of Gas in the Capitol Building
 at Washington WAS FOLLOWED BY FIRE Many Valuable Papers and Records Ol
 tue Court Destroyed. SCENE OF WRECK AND DES0LATI0N Yesterdays Session Held in the Room of the Senate Committee on Dis trict of Columbia-Damage
 to Building $2o,ooo.
SCENE OF WRECK AND DEsoLAIIoN

Washington, November 7.-An explosion and fire at 5:13 o'clock last afternoon par tially wrecked the supreme court room and the room immediately adjoining 1t on the main floor of the capitol
 The force of the explosion was so heavy ,4.al the coping stones on the outer walls just east of the point where the explosion occurred were buged out nearly two inches, windows in all that part of the building were blown out and locked doors were forced from their hinges, quite 15O feet from the scene of it.
 Fire followed the explosion so quickly as to be practically simultaneous with 1t. The explosion shook the immense structure to it's foundations and was heard several squares from the capitol.
 It occurred in a small room tightly en- closed by heavy stone walls in the sub terranean basement immediately below the main entrance to the old capitol building. In this room was a 500-light gas metre, which was fed by a four-inch main.
 Darted Up the shaft
 The flames originating from the explosion darted up the shaft of the elevator, which had been completely destroyed by the force
  the record room of the supreme court the office of the marshal of the court and the supreme court library. Before the flames could be subdued the priceless documents in the record room had been almost totaliy destroyed, and serious damage had been done in the marshal's office and some minor rooms in the immediate vicinity.
 The explosion, it seems beyond doubt, was due to escaping gas. At 5:07 o'clock Lieutenant Nelson, of the capitol police, detected an odor of gas in the corridor ad- joining the supreme court room. While he was endeavoring to locate the escape of the gas the explosion occurred. Only few officers of the capitol police were in the building at the time.
 Within a few minutes of the arrival Of the fire department the flames were under control. although as a mere precautionary measure streams were poured into the marshaTs office, the library and the sub terranean basement for two hours
 Scene of Desolation
 The big capitol building was the scene of wreck and desolation today following the explosion and fire which wrought such serious havoc last night. The engines and firemen had gone and in their place small army of workmen were carrying off the de- bris of brick and mortar, charred wood- work, soaked and ha1f-burned official pa- pers and documents, which had been heap
 
 basement under the quarters occupied by the United States supreme court.
 On examination of the court room 1t showed that the damage was confined to discolored walls and ceilings and soaked No substantial damage had been done. The bench occupied by the justices was uniniured and even the briefs and papers left by some of the justices under paper weights remained undisturbed. But while the fire had made no progress here. smoke and water had left this chamber, which has long been regarded as model of official and classic beauty. in a sorry condition. The windows and sash of the old colonial windows f1anlsing the bench are In ruins The frescoed ceiling, which had recently been done over. are b'uish and spotted. the carpets and draperies are soaked while the whole chamber has the damp smoked aspect usually following fire
 The Main Loss
 The personal effects of the justices, robes, etc.. are uninjured. The main loss of the court was in the narshaps office and in the storage room where valuable old records are kept. The extent of this last loss is not yet exactly known, but the court officials expect to make a critical examination dur ing the day.
 Sergeant-at-Arms Bright was busy during the morning making temporary pro- visions for the session of the court. Sena- tor McMillin's committee room on the Dis trict of Columbia was hastily prepared with bench and seats for the justices and a dozen rows of seats for attorneys and spectators. The quarters are rather cramped and the chief justice and five jus tices will have to sit on one side of long oak table.
 Architect Clark, of the capitol, Is ad- vanced in years and very feeble, so that active work of Investigating the cause of the explosion and clearing away the wreck is in the hands of Assistant Architect of the Capitol Wood. MT. Wood finds that the damage sustained is not as heavy as at first supposed The heavy foundations to the buildings do not appear to be disturbed and the walls blown down are confined to the thin encircling walls built to cover steam pipes, etc. None of the heavy sus- taining arches or pillars have given way.
 Meter Blown to Pieces
 An examination of the meter room where the gas supplied to the capitol is measured showed that the big meter had been blown to pieces. This satisfied most of the capi-