Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-08
WRECK AND RUIN
The Principal Attraction at
National Capitol, Monday.
Court Room Not Much Damaged But
Justices Seek Other Quarters.
D smage 10 the Main Structure Not So Serious
Is First Thought.

washington, Nov. THE big Capitol
building was the scene of wreck and
desolation, today, following the explo-
sion and fire which wrought such sert-
Gus havoc, last night. The engines and
iiremen had gone, and in their place a
small army OF. workmen were carrying
off the debris of brick and mortar.
charred wood work, soaked and half
burned official papers and documents
which had been heaped in confusion in
the basement and sub basement, under
the quarters occupied by the Unite1
States supreme court.
/ An examination of the court room
showed that the damage was confined
to disordered walls and ceilings and
soaked carpets. No substantial dam
age had been done. The bench occu-
pied by the justices was uninjured and
even the briefs and papers left by some
of the justices under paper weights re-
manned undisturbed
! But while the fire had made no pro-
gress, here, smoke and water had left
this chamber, which has long been re-
garded as that model of classic beauty,
in sorry condition. The fine old colon
ial windows thanking the bench are in
|
Gently had been done over, are blurred
and spotted, the carpets and draperies
are soaked, while the whole chamber
| has the damp, smoked aspect usually
| following fire.
The personal effects of the Justices
We're found to be uninjured. The main
loss of the court was in the marshaIs
| office and in the storage room where
1 liza, h IL, II
| tent of this last loss is not yet exactly
determined, but the court officials ex-
| pect to make critical examination
during the day.
Sergeant Arms Bright of the Sem
ate, was busy during the morning max
| ing temporary provision for the ses-
sions of the court. Senator McMillins
committee room, on the District of
Columbia. was hastily prepared with
a bench and seats for the Justices, and
a dozen rows of seats for attorneys and
spectators. The quarters are rather
| cramped, however, and the -chief Jus
tice and five justices will have to SIT
on one side of a long oak table.
Architect Clark Of the Capitol. is adj
| vanced in age and very feeble, so that
! the active work of investigating the
cause of the explosion and Of clearing
away the brick is in the hands of the
assistant architect of the Capitol. Mr..
| Wood.
| Il have made a preliminary examin-
ation,' said Mr.. Wood, today, land ann
not yet ready to say what caused the
explosion, although the main attention
is being given to the gas supply. 5
find that the general damage sustained
by the building is not as serious as at
| first supposed. The heavy foundations
of the building do not appear to be dis
turbed and the walls blown down are
| confined to the thin encircling walls
built to cover steam pipes, etc. None
of the heavy sustaining arches hav:
given away so far as can be learned
I will make fuller examination with
better light, later, to make certain on
these points. For the present it does
not seem that rebuilding Of any part
Of the Capitol will be necessary
An examination of the meter room
| where the gas supplies to the Capitol
is measured, showed that the big meter
had been blown to pieces. This salts
fed most of the officials that gas ex-
plosion was responsible for the damage
but they would not express this view
openly until an official inquiry should
be made.
Several supreme court justices made
a visit to the scene of the catastrophe.
during the forenoon. Chief Justice
Fuller and Justice Harlan walked
through the various departments guild
ed by man with a lantern.
The only damage that cannot be made
good was done in the file room of the
supreme court, where were stored all
the official records and the original
copies of opinions from the foundation
of the government. All these opinions
have been printed but the original
manuscripts were highly valued.
Among them were many manuscripts
prepared in the handwriting of the jur-
lists of the days of Washington, Jeffer-
son and Adams
The supreme court of the United
States sat, today, in the room Of the
Senate committee on the District of
Columbia. This is the first time since
1914 that the court has sat outside its
own chamber.
No written opinions were rendered,
but this was not due to the fire. The
only matter of any Importance finally
passed upon was a petition for man
damus upon the southern district of
New York, filed by Emma S. Fayer-
weather. The case involves a part of
the estate of the late Daniel Fayer-
weather, who left property to number
of educational institutions The mo-
ton was denied.
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
careful examination. The crack
proved to be in the outer, or veneer
wall. and not in the 6-foot foundation
wall. This main wall has stood over
100 years and Is still in fairly good con-
dition.
1t is estimated that the loss in the
library will be covered by $500. The
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