Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1898-11-12
FIRE IN THB CAPITOL.
Estf@ates ef Damage 90 th>
Vary From $4,000 20 eSo~
n..t. or ch,~f S.sti~. Narshasf $50
Other Distinguishes &emrsrs %
supretn@ Court Were Eufnsd-

wasHSSorox, d. C.. especial )--Aa ex-
pIosi0u Aad ars a. SIS o'clock sunday -.
gernoon wrecked ne suprsme Courr roo"
aud the rooms imneilatsiy Ndioinieg " oA
the nain aoor OF the CspiroL 1ce
'astsrn part OF the great marble psie- fFo4
tte nain foor 20 the subterransnn na>S
=. practically a mass of rnias- TIE iofes =.
tbs explosion was 50 heavy THAI the eoP..&
tones on The outer walls just east on -
poins where the explosion occurred ~se
bulgsd cut nearly two faches. Windows m
ali that part OF the building were oiov1 oes.
and locked doors $50 feet distances rers
forced from their hinges.
Fire followed The explosion 40 qufc<ly as
10 seen practically stmuitaneous VIZ -
The explosion shook the immenss ssracsurs
10 its foundations and was heard scssr&
squares from the Capitol II occurred ~
snail room. tightly inciosed oy heavy s-o-'
walls ia the subterrznean basement tnns
iiateiy below the main entrance 10 the ol1
Capitol building. Ia this room was soe-lRnt
gas meters which wers fed BY . four-tncH
main Very little Gas Il used In that part %
ne building. but AZ the tize OF rae rAf
I sion the gas had not Oeea turned on ~ -
/ meter The meter itself was wreckc1s -"
The gas pouring from the main caushs
Flames In Eisvssox SHAFT
The flames originating from tho ez Ns--~
tarted up the shaft OF tue elevator. --~-~
bad been compietsly destroyed - - ~fth
% the explosion. and comm 80. 80 of-
/ -..o-a - -, "a. Snnrens C0urt, u"
ac- Of N. nar,nall OF .he court,
/ Suprerno Court library. Before 'ss -.
-onId y. .,hSnet the priceless ooe.,.e ooe.-s-,,--
\, an. r.co-a room had been sircss sos@1
se.t-o~~a ara serious damage nao
done In the uarshalrs ofiice ana SONS ------'
rooms In the imnedlate vicinity
The library OF tho suprens Court -. -,
,zmediatslv beneaEh the Suprsne
wns hadIy damaged bv are, ruo<@
wnter. DrsctIealiv destroyins fee <re1I coz
lorslon OF law relersncs books- Ane -. :. :
. contains s.oaE t~o5T2 fS0d-Sr1 f1..l,'sl
. and was used not oniy ~ tae 5astsess o. th'
. suprems Court. bat by nsnbers % Corsr-ss
7 and lawyers practicinx before tbs suprsm'
. Court Mr. Justice Harlan said that the II
1 brary was very valuable. Many OF n
! works IL contained would, he thought, b
> diricult 70 replace. Librarian Clarke. ate
a superficial examination necessarily mad
by the light Of lanterns. expressed the opln
( ton that many OF the books could be saved
= although they had been drenched BY waite
. from the streams poured into the library 70
two hours or more after the explosion oc
Cured.
Valuable Records Destroyed.
The most serious damage, In the oplnicl
OF the Justices OF the Supreme Court. Is
the records stored In the subterranean base
> menf. These included all OF the records I
, the supreme Court from 1792 70 ls32- Th
room contains records % eases and opinion
= rendered by the fathers CT the Judiciary
= the government Iastle= Harlan said thi
> while the loss Of the records was irrcpar'
ble. Il Was fortunate thai the later records
the court. which are kept In the ocice OF q
clerk. on The main foors we're not. inigre
- A. documents for reference. at this time &C
later Justice Harlan thought these were
= far greater value than the records destroye.
- Fortunately. the clerks ONCE was not dar
~ aged. either BY IRE or BY the explosion
While many theories are offered a. 10 Il
'1 cause ot the explosion. Il seems beyor
- doubt 20 have bern due 20 escaping gas.
DC -.OT Z. NJ. Lieutenant Nelson. OF the Capt.
y, police. detected aa odor Of gas IN the CO
:" riior adj dining the supreme Court rooi
-e Not being able 20 locate II. he proceeded
siatuary Hal,--she old hall CT the House
Representativrs-thinki the gas might
escaping from burner in that vfeinii
We While he was there the explosion occuxre
Only few persons. principally officers
the Caritoi police. were in the building
= the time. but several OF them had nRrrs
= escapes. Before the Ere department h
- arrived. c. r Gism. chief electrician
- the Capitol. and II. W Taylor. chief q
- gineer OF the House side. had stree
- playing into the Supreme Court record roo
- which by that time WAS n roaring furnace
Fire soon Under Control-
4. Within a few minutes after the arrival
- the fire Department the raues were un,
80 80 control. although. as a precautionary me
'A ure streams were poured into the marshl
ofiee. TIE library and the suoterr 2nean b>
ln ment for two hours. The nremen were
A1u A1u aole however, for = considerable time
o-' extinguish the flame OF gas whicD shot
vi OF the fouF-inch man in the meter ro<
q Frora this main the Gre swept through
orince In tie basement noor c2usc3 By
~ explosion aud attacked tho consultai
gocm OF the Supreme Coar< Justices on
maia floor. Some damage was done to
urnitnrs aud nstings of this room, but
was inconsiderabss as compared with
the done elsewhere-
IL was evident that the nre could not
tor sxtineelshsd untii ths gas frora the a
Iov- Was eur OF. That this might ps sccoraplis
by | ne nrezaen turnet two streams upon
ory | main. caeking tbs 1ow OF gas nnd nt
b<- | same time eeoi>ng the pfpe- E.c<tri
In Glen. Drawing the iDtease heat, eapsrsd
ss2. meter room AasS s';s od tne s@s e shs .
A., valve OF tho mniu-
Fatal nine Expsssse..
,her By al accidental explosion Ia = sonz
,see. xeEt shaft at the Trio Nina. Jam<s<<
49,. I rof, naxf3 >tswars AMI Rromk< x<~<r