Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-11-07
CAPITOL DAMAGED
Apartments of the United States Su-
preme Court in Ruins from
Gas Explosion.
PRICELESS DOCUMENTS GONE
However, Later Records Escaped Uninjured
and Building Gan Be Repaired Ere Con-
gress Meets -Busts of Distinguished
Justices Destroyed.

Washington, Nov. An explosion
and fire last evening wrecked the SUI
preme court room and rooms immedi-
ately adjoining on the main floor of the
capitol, with@a damage to he building
OF $500, 600. The entire central and east
ern part of the great marble pile, from
the main floor to the subterranean base
ment, is practically mass of ruins. The
force Of the explosion was such that the
heaVy Gaping stones on the outer walls
just east of the point where the explo-
sion occurred, were bulged out nearly
two inches and the windows in all that
part of the building were blown out.
and locked doors $50 feet away wera
forced from their hinges. Fire followed
the explosion, which occurred in small
room tightly inclosed by stone walls in
the subterranean basement immedi-
ately below the main entrance to the old
capitol building. In this room was a
big gas meter fed by a four inch main.
The flames originating from the eX-
plosion darted up the shaft elevator.
communicating with the record room of
the office of the court marshal and su-
preme court library. Before the flames
could be subdued the priceless docu-
ments in the record room were almost
totally destroyed. The library OF the
supreme court was badly damaged by
fire, smoke and water, which practically
destroyed the great collection of law
reference books. Justice Harlan said
that the losses most regretted are
those of the busts of Chief Justice Mar
shall and other distinguished members
of the supreme court, which were ar
preme court chambers.
Later-The big capitol building was
the scene of a wreck of desolation to-
day. small army Of workmen was
official Documents but an examination
of the court room showed no damage
done there. The main loss to the court
was in the marshaPs office and storage
kept. The extent of the last loss is not
yet exactly determined. Senator Nc
Millin's committee room was hastily
prepared for the justices.
The assistant architect of the capitol,
Mr.. Wood after preliminary eXaminl
alton, said: II find the general damage
sustained by the building is not as seris
Gus as was first supposed. The heavy
foundations do not appear to be dis
turbed and the walls blown down ara
confined to the thin encircling walls
covering the steam pipes, etc. No heavy
sustaining arches or pillars have given
way as far as can find. l hope we can
finish repairs by the time congress con-
venes''
Examination of the meter room where
the gas supplied the capitol is measur-
ed, showed the big meter blown to
pieces. Several supreme court Justices
made visit to the scene of the catas-
trophe during the forenoon. They found
the busts of former chief justices which
line the walls of the old chamDer were
uninjured, but Marshal Wright's office
was completely Quilted. The only dam
age that can be made good was done in
the file rooms of the supreme court,
where were stored all the official rec
ords and original copies of opinions
from the foundation of the government.
All these opinions have been printed,
but the original manuscripts were high
ly valued. The original opinions of the
court in the early days of the republic
were destroyed, but the official records
of the court proceedigs covering the
same period appear to have been pre-
served, probably in good condition.