The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-11-07
United States Supreme Courtroom
Wrecked.
Priceless Records of the Courts Proceed
lngs Destroyed.
A Tremendous Explosion OF Gas
Shook the Vast Structure of the
Capitol and Was Heard for
BIock-The Valuable Library
of the Court Almost Ruined by
Fire and Water.

Fire and Water.
WASHINGTON, Nov. Gan explo-
sion and fire at 5:13 this afternoon
wrecked The Supreme Court room ana
the rooms Immediately adjoining II on
the main floor of the Capitol. The dam
age is enormous. The entire central
eastern part of the great marble pile
from the main floor to the subterranean
basement practically is a mass OF RUNS.
Fire followed the explosion so Quickly
as to seem practically simultaneous
with it, The explosion shook the i'm
mcnse structure to its foundations ana
was heard several squares from the
Capitol. 1t occurred in a small room
tightly enclosed by heavy stone wallis
in the subterranean basement lmmedl-
ately below the main entrance to the
old Capitol building. In this room was
a 500-light gas meter which was led
by a four-inch main. Very little gas is
used in this part of the building, but
at the time of the explosion the gas
had not been turned off at the meter.
The meter itself was wrecked and the
gas pouring from the main caught fire
The flames originating from the explo-
sion darted up the shaft of the elevator,
which had been completely destroyed
by the force of the explosion, and COM
Elunicated with the record room OF the
SUPP eme Court, the office Of the Mar
snal of the Court and the Supreme
Court library. Before the flames could
Ice subdued the priceless documents IN
the record room had been almost totally
destroyed and serious damage had
been done in the Marshars office and
some minor rooms in the immediate
vicinity
The library of the Supreme Court,
located Immediately beneath the Su-
preme Court room, was badly damaged
by fire, smoke and water, practically
destroying the great collection # law
reference books. The library contains
about 10000 volumes and was used not
only by the Justices of the Supreme
Court but by members of Congress and
lawyers practicing before the Supreme
Court. Justice Harlan said tonight that
the library was very valuable. Many
of the works it contained would, n
thought, be difficult to replace. Lii
brarian Clarke. after cursory eXanii-
nation necessarily made by the light OF
lanterns, expressed the opinion that
many of the books could be saved, al
though they had been drenched by
water from the streams poured into The
library for two hours or more after
the explosion occurred.
The most serious damage, in the opin-
ion of the Justices of the SUPP enc
Court is to the records stored in the
sub-basement. These included all of
the records of cases and opinions rem
dered by the Fathers of Judiciary of
the Government. Apparently the docu-
nents in this room are either tCls.ily
dest1 Dyed or SO badly damaged by fire
and water as to be useless. Justice Har-
Ian said that While the loss of the rec
ords was irreparable, it was fortunate
that the later records of the court,
which are kept in the office Of the Clerk
on the main floor were not injured. AS
documents for reference at this time
and later Justice Harlan thought these
were of far greater value THAI the rec
ords destroyed. Fortunately the Clerk
Office was not in the least damaged by
fire and the explosion did no damage in
j. except to blow one window out.
Games Mckinney, Clerk OF the SUI
preme Court expressed the hope AFTER
making an examination of the old
rec n, that some at least Of the docu-
ments, priceless from the view r.cint of
the historian, could be saved. No.
night. however, owing to he inadequate
lighting facilities in that portion of the
building where the explosion and fire
occurred, it was Impossible for him TO
make an intelligent or thorough in
yestigation of the damage. The Su-
preme Court room was damaged pr:n-
Cipally by water and smoke, the fire NOT
reaching that point.
adjoining the courtroom, however
both the MarshaPs office and the SEN
ate barber shop furnished food for the
flames
While many theories are offered as to
the cause of the explosion it seems be-
You'd doubt to have been due to es-
Gaping gas. At seven minutes after
nve, Lieutenant Nelson of the Capitol
Police detected an odor of gas from the
corridor adjoining the Supreme Court
room. Not being able to locate it. he
proceeded to Statuary Hall-the old
nail of the House of Representatives
thinking the gas might BE- esca ping from
burner in that vicinity. While he
was endeavoring to locate the escape
Vi the gas, the explosion occurred Only
lew persons, principally officers of
.he capitol Police, We're in the build
ing al the time, but several of them had
narrow escapes. Before the fire de-
partment, which responded to an alarm
seit IN by policeman three squares
IIoIh the Capitol, had arrived. c. p.
Gnem, Chief Electrician of the Capt.
toi' ana h. W. Taylor Chief Engineer
OF the House side, had a stream play
ing INTO The Supreme Court record
room, which by that time was a. roar
ms furnace, Within a few minutes
AFTER the arrival of the fire department.
names were under control. although as
precautionary measure streams were
poured into the MarshaPs office. the
library ana the subterranean basement
for two hours.
The firemen Were unable. however. for
considerable time to extinguish the
fame of gas which shot out of the 4
inch main in the meter room. From
this main the fire swept through an
orifice in the basement floor caused by
f1a oyn10SiOn and at