The Saint Paul globe., 1898-11-07
FORCE OF EXPLOSION
FELT $50 FEET AWAY
CENTRAL EASTERN PART OF
CAPITOL is VERY SERIOUS
LY WRECKED
GAS RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE DAMAGE

A Library of 10000 Volumes Soak
ed by Water From Fire Engines
for Two Hours-The Books In
cIude the Records of the SUI
preme Court From 1892 to 1885
The Loss IrreparabIe.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6.-An explo-
sion and fire at 5:15 o'clock this even
ing wrecked the supreme court room
and the rooms Immediately adjoining
1t on the main floor of the capitol. The
damage is enormous. The entire CEN
trail eastern part of the great marble
pile from the main floor to the subter-
ranean basement practically, is mass
of ruins. The force of the explosion
was so heavy that the coping stones
on the outer walls, just east of the
point where the explosion occurred,
were bUlged out nearly two inches.
Windows in all that part Of the build
ing were blown out, and locked doors
were forced from their hinges quite a
hundred and fifty feet from the scene
OF 1t.
Fire followed the explosion so quick
ly as to seem practically simultaneous.
The explosion shook the immense
structure to its foundation, and was
heard several squares from the capitol.
1t occurred in a small room tightly en-
closed by heavy stone walls in the sub
terranean basement Immediately below
the main entrance to the old capitol
building In this room was a gas me-
ter which is fed from the gas main
Very little gas is used in that part of
the building, but at the time of the ex-
plosion the gas had not been turned
on at the meter The meter itself was
wrecked. The flames resulting from
the explosion darted up the shaft of
the elevator, which had been complete
Iy destroyed by the force Of the ex-
plosion, and communicated with the
record room Of the supreme court, the
Office of the marshal Of the court and
the supreme court library. Before the
flames could be subdued the priceless
documents in the record room had been
almost totally destroyed, and serious
damage had been done in the marshaPs s
Office and some minor rooms in the i'm
mediate vicinity.
THE LIBRARY
OF the supreme court, located immedi-
ately beneath the supreme court room
was badly damaged by fire, smoke and
water, practically destroying the great
collection of law reference books. The
library contains about 10000 volumes
and was used not only by the justices
of the supreme court, but by members
of congress and lawyers practicing be-
fore the supreme court.
Mr.. Justice Harlan said tonight that
the library was very valuable. Many
Of the works 1t contained would, he
thought be difficult to replace. Libra
rim Clarke, after g. cursory examina-
ton, necessarily made by the light of
lanterns, expressed the opinion that
many Of the books could be saved, al
though they had been drenched by
water from the streams poured into
the library for two hours after the ex-
plosion occurred.
The most serious damage, in the
opinion of the justices Of the supreme
court, is to the records stored in the
sub-basement These included all of
the records Of the supreme court from
1892 to 1882. The room contains records
of cases and opinions rendered by the
l1hthers Of the judiciary. Undoubtedly
the volumes in this basement are eth
er totally destroyed by fire or so dam
aged by water and fire as to be ut
terly worthless.
Justice Harlan said that, while the
loss was irreparable, 1t was fortunate
that the later reports of the court
which were kept in the office of the