The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-08

during the forenoon Chief Justice Fuller
and Justice Harlan walked through the
various apartments. guided by a man
with lantern. While they looked at the
scenes of destruction with manifest inter-
est. they made no remarks. They spent
somewhat more time in the court room
than elsewhere. They found the unhol-
stery and the courts new 1000 carpet
greatly injured, but the two court clocks
were ticking away as regularly and as
dignifiedly as ever. The busts of former
chief justices which line the walls of the
old chamber were also uninjured. and
this appeared to be a source of much
qualification to the chief justice and his
companions.
They found nothing but ruin and DESC
lation in Marshal Wrights' Office. This
room was completely Quilted. No furni-
ture escaped and the walls of the room
are as black as night, the effect Of the
smoke, fire and water combined. While
this damage was regretted. it was not
considered irreparable.
AN IRREPARABLE LOSS.
The only damage that can not be made
good was In the file room Of the supreme
court in the basement where were stored
all of the official records and the orig
inai copies of opinions from the founda-
ton of the government All these opin-
ions have been printed. but the original
manuscripts were highly valued.
This room was almost over the scene
OF the explosion, and II was one Of the
compartments Of the Capitol to be at
tackled. The documents here were stored
away in an orderly manner in wooden
cases, and none of them had any other
protection. except the records of the court
from 1872 to 1882, which were encased in
tin boxes. The flames appear TO have
completely enveloped this room byt they
were only sufficiently intense to badly
char all the woodwork and many of the
Documents.
PREVIOUS DOCUMENTS.
Comparatively few Of the papers were
absolutely destroyed but those which suf-
fered this fate were among the most valu-
able in the room They included the orgi-
nal opinions of the court in the early days
OF the Republic and among them were
many manuscripts prepared in the hand
writing OF the jurists OF the days of Wash
ington, Jefferson and Adams. There were
in the list many opinions IN manuscript
written by Morshall, Story. Samuel Chase.
Bushrod, Washington and others of the
justices Of the period between 1890 and
1850 and, therefore, priced as relics of the
early days of the country. They were oc-
casionally referred to to settle disputes
points concerning words or punctuation
marks. These papers were stored under
the arch of the room and seem TO have
been completely consumed. On the other
hand. the official records of the courts
proceedings, covering the same period, ap-
pear TO have been preserved, and probably
in good condition. These were encased in
tin boxes and these in turn in WOO len
cases. The debris is in such disorder as to
have rendered It impossible to open the
wooden doors. but these doors were net
penetrated at any place; hence the belief
that the records themselves ore intact
Many OF the odern documents, incluiing
letters and opinion of recent date were
also so badly burned that it will be i'm
possible to restore them, but none Of these
appear ~ nave SuncIeu SUN EOIIlD4Sle
demolition as befen the early opinions. No
documents affecting the present docket Of
the court were injured.
The fire at one time threatened to invade
the senate document room, reaching to
within four or five feet Of ii. Mr.. AMI
Smith, the superintendent OF the room.
was on hand. prepared to contest its prog
ress with the aid of the fire department,
but the chances are that If It had gained
any Roadway in this department the dam
age would have been far more serious. as
much exposed paper.
Srgeant-at-Arms Bright has telegraphed
Senator Mcmillan concerning the use OF
the senate committee room for the su-
preme court. II II is not convenient to con-
tinue its use, another committee room. or.
II need be. the senate chamber, will be
utilized as a court room.
THE CRACK IN THE WALL
A report was current during the morning
that the west central wall of the capitol
was cracked as a result OF the explosion.
Architect Wood made q careful examina-
ton and located the crack which had
aroused suspicious. It proved, however.
TO be in the outer. OF veneer, wall and not
in the six-foot foundation wall on the west
side. This main wall has. stood over 100
years and is still in fairly good condition.
When additions were made. a veneer wall,
about ten inches thick. was added outside.
The explosion last might blew out heavy
stone door frame in the outer wall and
this in turn loosened several stones Of the
vereer wall. Mr.. Wood is satisfied that
the main wall had not been disturbed.
His attention was called to crack in the
ma. n wall. but this he recalled as a we'll
known old crack which had existed for
years. Mr.. Wood said it is not surprising
that a wall which has stood a century
should have some old cracks, which do
not however. impair its general security.
He thinks this crack may have come from
The expansion resulting from the burning
OF the capitol by the British in 1914.
The library OF the supreme court, which.
next TO the congressional library. is the
most Va -uahla collection Of books IN Wash