Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1898-11-08
The Library Of the Supreme Court
Room Suffered Most, as yalua-
bic Books We're Lost.
THE EXPLOSION CAUSED
BY ESCAPING GAS.
The Main Entrance Was Wrecked and
POnderous flagstones Were
Wrenched Prom Their
Resting Places.

Washington, Nov THE supreme
court room and the rooms Immediately
adjoining 10 on the floor of the capitol
building were wrecked by an explosion
Of gas and fire late SATURDAY afternoon.
The damage isonomoous. The entire
central eastern part Of the great marble
pile from tine main floor 10 the subterra-
mean basement practically is a mass Of
ruins The fOrce OF the explosion was
20 heavy that the coping stones on the
outer walls just east Of the point where
the explosion occurred were bulged out
nearly two inches. Windows In all that
part Of the building were blown out aud
locked doors were forced from their
hinges quite 100 feet from the scene u
IL.
Fire followed the expo osion 50 quickly
a. TO aeem practically simultaneous
with IT, The explosion shook the
big structure 20 It's foundation 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 20 the old capitol
building. In this room was a 5O0.light
gas meter which was fed by 4.inch
main. Very little gas l. used In thar
part of the building. but at the time %
explosion the gas had not been turned
OIL az the meter The meter itself wss
wrecked and the gas pouring from the
main, caught frs.
The flames originating from the e1.
plosion darted up the shaft Of the clova.
tor which had been completely destroyed
by the force Of the explosion and com.
munioated with the record room OF tie
supreme court, the Office Of the marshal
Of the court and the supreme court %.
bary Before the flames could bo sub
duod the priceless documents In the
record room had been almost totally d..
destroyed and serious damage had
been done IN the marshal's Office AZ.
some minor rooms in the immediate vi.
cinity.
While many theories are offered as "a
the cause Of the explosion IL seems be.
yond doubt to have been due 10 escaping
gas Lieutenant Nelson Of the capitol
police detected an odor Of gas in the cor.
ridorc adjoining the supreme court room
and while h. was endeayoring TO locate
the escape OF the gas the explosion 90.
CURED. Only few officers Of the oapi.
tol police were in the building at the
time.
Within few minutes after the arriv.
al Of the FIRE department the flames were
under control, although a. a prccaution.
airy measure streams were poured into
the marshars Office, the library and the
subterrAnean basement for two hours.
The fireman, however had some diff.
Guilty IN turning OF tho gas TO stop a
fame which shot out Of a inch main.
Throughout the lower central portion
Of the old capitol building, doors, win.
dows and fittings in committee rooms
aud other apartments were badly dam.
aged. just north OF tho crypt an area.
way almost over tho meter room was
completely blown out aud great masses
OF masonry torn from the floor were
hurled 10 the ceiling with such force As
20 burst the stone and plaster OF tho
wall above. Ponderous hagstones were
wrcnched from their resting places, and
throughout tho corridors the froscoing
on the ceilings and walls Of the CORR.
dors were utterly ruined No damage
was done 20 the main foundations OF tho
buildings, a. those are OF solid masonry
deeply embedded aud % feet thick
Tho library Of the supreme court, 10.
gated Immediately beneath tho supreme
10 room was badly damaged by fire,
Aand water, tho water practically
luihe great collection Of law
and decisions rendered
" library contains ab int
20 was used not oniv