Evening star., 1898-11-08
Assistant Architect Woods Investi-
eating Extent Of Disaster.
Loss NOT As GREAT As WAS SUPPOSED
The Dome in No Possible DANCE
of Collapse.
THE CURRENT RUMOR

| You might tear this whole building away
| from the dome and then not destroy it,"
| said Elliot F. Woods, assistant architect of
| The Capitol, to Star reporter this morning,
| as he overlooked the workmen tearing down
the charred woodwork and oarting away the
debris from the burned portion OF the struc-
| ture on the hill.
| THE stone and brick work under the
| shell of the dome is intact. There need be
| no fear whatever about the principal sup
ports" he concluded, thus emphaticaIly set
| ting at rest rumors and statements that
Sunday nights explosion had weakened the
Capitol bases and foundation.
Mr. Woods has carefully examined every
| section of the building affected by the dis
| aster. and his opinion is based upon facts
| The building will be restored to it's for
| mer condition before December A, and TO
that end a large force of laborers has been
| employed and set to work. The debris
| and singed records in the subterranean cor
| ridors are being removed, and the wet
| documents dried out. Broken window
| pane and skylights are being knocked out.
| Cracked plastering and ceilings have been
| torn down. Soggy carpets and sullied fur
| nishings have been ripped off and over
| hauled, to see if they will be any longer
| serviceable. Scratched and broken furni-
| ture has been placed in convenient alcoves
| until taken off by furniture wagons to be
! revarnished and repaired. This work OF
| removal will consume several days.
Brick Arch Falls In.
| A broken short brick arch in a corridor
| leading from the heating room in the base
| ment fell in this morning, but endangered
| nobody. Another arch just under Clerk
| McKenny's file room is about to fall, and
will be knocked in If it does not No other
| arches or walls in the underground section
| seem weak appear broken.
| he oil iph
| complete operation this morning to enable
| the workmen to SEE into the dark recesses
| of the corridors.
No official statement of the origin of the
| explosion and fire has yet been made, other
| than the intimatlons and private state
| ments that Illuminating gas was the cause.
| Assistant Architect Woods, who has the
| matter in hand, has not been able to eX
| anime all the employees who labor within
| the burned section as to their knowledge of
| the occurrence.
In the basement corridors, near the meter
| room, We're slowed printed records and pa
| p9rs belonging to the clerk of the supreme
| Court.
| All of Mr.. McKenny's men stated to him,
| in the presence of The Star reporter, that
| IL ey had not been down there since before
| last Friday, and one had not bean there
within a week, although he admitted that
| it was his Gus stom to carry a lighted candle
| when he did 60
| The employees in the heating department
| show that their engines and pipes are all
| in good shape, that no explosion or fire
| could have come from such a source. Mr.
| Woods was of the belief that there were no
| lighted gas jets in or near the meter room
| Sunday. except one in the heating room
| some distance away from the rents made in
| the floors, but within the area permeated
| by the escaping gas 1t was suggested by
some that backing-up of sewer gas In the
old pipes might have caused the explosions
| and that the flames cane from The break
| ing of the gas main and the iSntion Of the
| gas from lighted jet. Another theory ad-
l. NanCed is that sparks escaped from crossed
| or worn electric wires in the basement and
| exploded the gas which had accumulated
| from leaks. No credence is given the
| theory of spontaneous combustion.
| May Have Been Gas.
| ut may have been caused by a sudden
| influx of gas said Mr.. Woods, speaking
| unofficially. Il am told that at 5 O'Clock
| Sunday afternoon an extraordinary pres
| sure of gas in the service pipes was OBJ
| served in several places about the city. In
| such case the lighted jet III the heating
| room might have ignited any overflow of
| gas in the corridors near by. You know
| 1t is often the case that when fire comes
! in contact with escaping gas the flame will
| travel to the point of gas escape before
| manifesting itself in a distinctive way. 1
| doubt if any slow leakage of gas could
| have caused it, because of the draughts in
| the basement. Then, too, as fast as leaks
| in the old corroded pipes have become
manifest | have traced them to their
source, and the gas light company has been
| prompt in making the repairs. Our anxiety
| in Fastening the putting in of the cleo
| trio service in the building was due to the
| desire to prevent any possibility of gas es-
Gaping.
| Beyond question there was no gas in the
| meter near the west entrance to the crypt,
but as the gas men were here two weeks
| ago overhauling the meter where the fire
| started, am inclined to think they did not
cut the gas off from it. There are cutoff
| valves outside the building, but the prac-
| tice is to cut off at the meters.
| As soon all the rubbish is removed l
| will go through all the corridors and make
a thorough examination to see if the ex-
ploSion was due to illuminating gas, sewer
gas or any other agent. AT present l am
| wholly unable to state facts"
Supreme Court Room.
Mr.. Woods thinks the Supreme Court
room will be ready for occupancy within
| two weeks. Here as elsewhere the damage
was less than was thought, and the opinion
| is expressed that nothing more than re-
painting of the walls, putting in new doors,
new skylights and new upholstery will be
| necessary to render the chamber fit for
service. Fire did very little damage to this
! room, but the concusson did some and the
smoke and water more. The ceiling of this
part OF the building and some of the parti-
tons are or wood. and there is no doubt
that very serious damage would have re-
| suited if the fire had once gotten a head
| way. AS it adjoins the dome there has
been some speculation as to what effect it
| would have had upon that structure
| Marshal Wright of the Supreme Court
| directed the work in his chambers today,
and said that very little money will be
| needed to restore everything. He lost no
valuable books or papers. Everything can
| be replaced
File Room Was Stripped.
| Clerk Mckenny has not been able to en-
ter his file room, which was stripped by the
| fire. He says his office did not sustain
! much damage except in the sentimental
value placed upon the original opinions of
| the Supreme Court early in its history
The papers stored in the basement and
burned were of moment whatever and
those of any Importance in the file room
seem to have been spared.
The conservative estimate of $95 600 to
| the loss, stated by The Star yesterday.
| looks today as if it could safely be con-
| tracted to $4,000, of which $4,000 would
be for the floors and ceilings, wood work
and other permanent parts of the struc-
tnr for