The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-11-11

in the rotunda and in the entrance way
to the supreme court room
SOLID MASONRY SHATTERED.
Thomas r. America. an engineer In
he electric lighting department. Of the
building. was in the sub basement of
the senate wing. when the crash OF
the explosion shook the very ground
upon which he stood. Running rapidly
In the direction from whiah the report
had come, he saw heavy tagging OF
ioor and the solid masonry of the
arches Of the crypt shattered and per-
forated. From the observations made
by America the explosion too place in
a small p~assage-way leading to the
room in which the heating apparatus
Of the supreme court is located. The
elevator shaft had been wrecked. and
through the ceiling above the passage
he could see the wide gap made in the
heavy ceiling by the exposion. Fire
had aready started and was licking the
wood work of the elevator shaft.
No one was in the immediate vicini-
~ of the explosion at the time it oc-
Cured as this part of the building IL
not frequently visited. The sound Of
the explosion was heard distinctly at
Second and c streets southeast, and
frightened several people there.
PLAN OF THE SU3-BASEMENT.
In order to comprehend fully the ex-
tent of the fire and the probable dam
age, it is necessary to have a complete
understanding of its exact location,
with reference to different points in the
capitol. The explosion took place in
the sub-basement, east and a little
south of the crypt, about eighty feet
from the center of the building, and
about an equal distance from the cor
ner-stone of the old building. which is
just outside the law library. At his
point and directly under the little ro-
tunda known as the air shaft, at a
point twenty or twenty-five feet east
of the center, was located a. gas me-
ter about four feet in diameter and
of 200 light power. 1t registered the
amount of gas used in the older por-
ton Of the building, n particularly
the supreme court ROOM, the law Ii
brary and its connections. During the
past summer, however, the supreme
court room has been equipped through
out with electric lights and gas has of
late been but little used. Nothing is
now left of this gas meter. and the
only plausible theory that can be
advocated is that it exploded,
although the cause OF its eXplo-
sion is disputed. Above the meter
were strong arches of masonry, and i'm
mediately above where the explosion
took place the walls are cracked. Not
lilor NIO SlAIi iio'i "
the corridor leading to the law library,
on the basement or ground floor, is
completely torn up. n lies scattered
and in heaps upon the floor of the sub
basement. Beside the gas meter was
an elevator shaft, which had recently
been equipped with a new SIS. ZOO ele-
vtaor, which ran from the basement.
in front of the door leading to the law
library, to the hallway going to the
supreme court room. Through this le-
vatOr shaft and the opening made by
the explosion and the upheaval of the
floor, the roaring flame of gas shot
up, and caused a great portion of the
damage by fire.
STONE FLOORS TORN UP.
Immediately in front of where the
gas meter stood, and toward the crypt,
the walls are cracked in several
places. The force of the explosion
seemed to take a somewhat peculiar
course. The corridor leading to the
law library on the basement or ground
floor was entirely torn up for a space
of 800 square feet or more. 1t was
built over brick arches, and is sup
posed to have been weaker than some
of the other arches upon which the
columns and walls of the upper floor
stand, for the nearest point of dam
age was fully twenty feet from where
lIiC a blSkSl Slooo. III dlII 10 ~
a considerable extent true Of the base
ment floor, in the air shaft. There the
heavy stone tagging forming the floor
was bulged up surrounding the entire
shaft, to the extent of a foot. although
the weight of the pillars themselves
kept them in place. Heavy stone flag
ging several inches in thickness was
torn up and crumbled into bits, so
great was the force of the explosion.
(By Associated Press.)
Washington, November 7.-Assistant
Architect of the Capitol Woods, after
an inspection of the wrecked part of
the capitol expressed the opinion late
this afternoon hat the damage to the
building could be repaired for $40, goo.
1T is by NJ means so serious as /
first thought it was" said Mr.. Woods.
Il found that the foundations of the
buildings were not damaged in tho
least and that the only injury done to
the structure by the explosion was
done to the arched floors. These were
struck from beneath and, affording the
least resistance, gave way SO rapidly
that the foundation walls were not
injured in any respect
Mr.. Woods believes the explosion
was caused by gas, but says he has
not yet been able, on account of the.
debris, to make a sufficiently critical
examination to place the exact spot
at which the ignition occurred. Other
architects who have inspected the
scene OF the catastrophe also attrib-
ute it to an explosion of gas, but,
like, Mr.. Woods, decline to go :iito de-
tails in their theories. Some express
the opinion that a broken main and a
burning jet are responsible for the oc-
currence.
The work of removing the rubbish
caused by the explosion proceeded rap
idly all day, seventy-five or one hun
dred men being employed for this pur-
pose. AS soon as the refuse is suffi-
GENTLY cleared out the work of re-
pairing the damage will begin. Mr..
Woods thinks that the supreme court
room will be ready for
within two weeks. Here. as elsewhere,
the damage was less than was
thought and the opinion is expressed
that nothing more than repainting of
the walls, putting in new doors, new
skylights and new upholstery will be