The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-07

WASHINGTON. Nov. e--An exr,osionl
and fire al s:i3 o'clock this afternoous
wrecked the supreme court room and taer
rooms immediately adjoining IL en- theIi
main floor OF the capitol. The damage isis
enormous. The entire central-eastern parsp
OF the great marble pile. from the main5.
floor 10 the saoierrauean basement. practi-F
cally is a mass of ruins. The fierce Of THEFT
explosion Was So heavy tina, the copingf'
stones on the outer walls Just east Of sheI,
point where the explosion occurred, werei
bulge3 ou, nearly two inches. and iockedkl
doors were forced from their hinges quitei
$50 feet from the scene Of il. Il
Fire followed the explosion so quickly ASP
to seem practically simultaneous with Il. =
The explosion shook the immense stricturoI
10 It's foundations and was heard seseyalI
squares from the capitol. II occurred in Asl
small room tightly enclosed by heavy stonsl
walls. In the suhserranean basemen. imme-fI
dia;ely below the main entrance 10 the oldi
capitol building. In this room was 50o- "a
light gas meter. which was fed by four-sss
inch main. Very little gas Is used in that
part OF the building. bat az the time OF iheY
explosion the gas had not been turned OH
wrecked and the gas pouring from thee
main caught fire. The flames oriSinatinss y
from the explosion darted up the shaft oil
the elevator. which had been completely
destroyed by the force OF the explosion, j.
and communicated with the record room oege
.hs supreme court. the office OF the MARI
shal Of the court and the supreme court q
library. Before the flames could be SUBJ
dued the priceless documents In the recordl
room had been aimos, totally destroyed and
serious damage had been done In the mar
shals office and some minor roorns Is thegs
immediate vicinity. p
The library OF the supreme court. located Y
Immediately beneath the supreme court n
room. was badly damaged by Arc smoker
and water. practically destroying the grcatf
collection OF law reference books. The li-hl
hrary contained about n.oOa volumes ands
was used not only by the justices OF the su-a
prcnae court, bur by members OF congresxt +
and lawyers practicing before the supremef
court Mr.. Justice Harlan said tonight u
thai the library was very valuable. Many!
OF the works Ii contained would, hess
thought. be difficult 10 replace. IabrarlanI /,
Clarke, after a curs1ry examination neces-i !.
sariiy made by the light OF lanterns. ex-a
pressed the opinion tha, many Of the books 4.
could be saved. although 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 ths opinion i!
o. the justices OF the supreme court. Ii 10
the records stored In the sub-basement. g
These Included all OF the records OF eases
and opinions rendered hy the fathers Of
judiciary OF the government Apparently I
the documents iia this room are either to- Y
tally destroyed or so badly damaged by fifc Z
and water as TO be useless Justice Harlan 4
said ,ha, while the loss Of the records was Il
.rreparahie IL was fortunate that the later Il
records Of the court. which are kept tn the
office OF the clerk on the main noor. were z
nor injured. As documents for reference a
al this time AMI later. Justice Harlan /.
thought these were Of FAR greater vasus T.
than TIE records destroyed. Fortunatelysl
the clerks office was NOT In the least dam
aged hy the IRE and the explosion did no
damage In II except 10 blow enc window
out.
Mr.. james McKenny. clerk OF the sa- Il
prerne court expressed the hope. after a
making an examination OF the old room.
that -ome 81 least. of ;ae documents.
priceless from the view point OF the his e
Il. T.
owing 10 the inadequate lighting facilities
In that portion % the bdiifing where the
explosion and fire occurred. 1, was ltnpos-
sitge for him to make an intelligent or q
thorough Investigation Of the damage. Tho
supreme court room wis damaged prlnei- G
pany by water and smoke. the IRE not
reaching .ha. point. Adjoining the court
room however beth the marshafs ofHcs
and the senate barbersisop furnished food Z
FOR the rafnes. 4
While many theories arc offered az 20 =
the cause cf the explosion. u seems be- 2
yond doubt 10 have been due 30 escaping Il
gas. AZ ss7 o'ciock. I.eut. Nelson. OF ths y
capitol police detected an o3or of gas
from the corridor adjoining the supreme &
court roam. NOT being allie Ia locate II. .
he proceeded 70 Ssatuary hs.l-the old hail
~ the house o. represent tattve.-thiuk!ng b
the gas might be esesF'ns from burner \
in that vicinity While ne was endsa vor.ag il
20 i1ease The escape oS the gas the ex- II
principally ofreers Of the cspstoi police. i
were IL the building as the time. but ses~ Il
erzI Of them bad narrow escapes Before h
the Ere department which responded 70
an alarm seus In by a policeman rares l.
squares from TIE csptos had arrived c. |
r. Giiers. chief electrician % sss capitol. t,
AID H. W Taylor. chief engineer of sna /,
hozsse size. Aaa a stream playing shso tie /,
s@pFerns eoSsgi record Foom, which b. inA& |