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The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08
PREVIOUS FIRES.

The Capitol building has been damage /
number of times before by fire. but it
is believed that the latest fire will prove
to be the most disastrous III the history
f the building On two occasions prior
to this, fires have originated from explo-
siouS of gas. Seventeen years ago Il
argc amount of damage was done to the
same part Of the building by an explo-
sion of this kind. and in 1876, there was
an explosion of gas that killed one man
and came near killing another. The
scene Of this explosion was in the
narrow hall to the north part of the
building, and where the Senate wing ad-
joins the main building. This explosion
killed John King, who was head carpen-
er Of the building, and whose body was
blown against the wall with such force
as to leave IN impression at that point
which was only o3litcrated by recon
structiCn Of the wall During the past
summer, $4,000 has been expended in
and making alterations in the
Supreme Court chamber. The chamber
had been entirely cleaned and painted
and new carpets placed on the floor.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08
SUPPOSED SPY TAKEN
WAR SHIPS TAKING On THEIR
FULL STORES
SIGNAL SSWC. MEN ORDERED HOME
Something e..rsordjnary, il S OeeIAreG, Seems
TO have Happened, and Crisis Seems
Appros ching. New frerch
cabinet Constituted.

London, October 31St.-Thcrc was IN
uneNpett ted gloomy feeling this morning
on the Stock Exchange and the Paris
Bourse. both these markets being iutlu-
enced, it is inferred. by the aggressive
tone of some of the French papers. Be
sides this. something extraordinary seems
To have happened, and il looks rs If a
crisis We're approaching. The British nd-
val preparations are certainly being push
ed With great activity. The British cmcr-
gency squadron is gathering ut Davcn-
port with Ill possible speed. Seven bat
tleships and one cruiser have been thus
far designated to join this squadron. Dt.
ticers and sailors have been hurric IT. rc-
called from leave of absence, and veral
battleshipS and cruisers at Portsmouth
are taking their full stores on board. ~
other like preparations are being made.
y number of signal men, now on duty
in the British Channel squadron, which
arrived ut Gibraltar this morning, have
been ordered home for services, il is pre-
sumed, on board the auxiliary cruisers. if
the latter should be required for active
service.
\ sensation has been caused by the ar
rest this morning of supposed Russian
spy at Il fort near Harwich The man
was already under surveillance, and went
TO redoubt. whore he tried to obtain
some information from a sentry regard
ing the fortications He was promptly
arrested. and inquiries are being made re-
gardmg his antecedentS. 1t was also as
serted to-day that the commanding Of
ticers of the London volunteer regiments
have received orders to prepare for i'm
I,o 10, p,nIifivnt and Ia1Ia
that the different artillery corps had been
Informed to the forts on the southern
and eastern coasts to which they have
been Allotted.
The Pall Mall Gazette this afternoon
SAYS:
England has been. and even now is So
near war that the Government has ca.
ricd on its preparations to the tarthcst
limit Of the preparatory stage. 1T has
been, arranged to call ont the reserves
and militia. and 10 mobilize the voiun-
teerS simultaneously. and To form Iar@a
camps at various important ~atlroaG june
tions, where rolling stock and locom Jtiycs
viii be concentrated.
THE NEW FRENCH CABINET
Paris. October :;1-.rhe new Cabinet
is. constituted as follows:
VI. Lebrat Minister of Justice.
NJ Dupuy, Premier and Minister Of tie
Interior.
" Del'rcycinct. Minister of War
NJ Lockroy. Minister e Marine
NJ. Dclcasso Minister 9f Foreign AZ
fairs.
NJ Portrayal. Minister Of Finance.
NJ Leygues. Minister OF Pubic IN
struction.
VI. Deloncle Minister Of Commmercc
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08
Explosion Believed to be Due to Leaking Gas
N1eter-Loss is Over a Million Dollars In
Guiding Many Valuable Books-7~he Havoc OF
Explosion and Flames Previous Fires at
the CapitoI-Firemen Stunned by Second
Explosion

conclusion on the walls. Part of the
cement was torn and the walls were
cracked. Lieutenant Robert l.. Ackers,
OF the Capitol Police. said that he wa
sitting in his chair in an adjoining room
when the explosion occurred. 1t hap
pened at $40. he said The explosio
knocked him out of his chair and as he
rushed out he saw the delnolltion Fl
the rotunda and in the entrance way to
the Supreme Court room. Thomas f.
America. an engineer in the electric
light department. of the building was in
the sub-bascment of the Senate wing
when the crash of the explosion shook
the very ground upon which he stood
Running rapidly in the direction from
which the report had come. he saw
heavy tagging of the floor and solid
masonry Of the arches of Crypt shat
tered. From the observations made by
Amercea the explosion took place III a
small passage way leading to the room
III 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 the wide gap made
i'll the heavy ceiling by the explosion.
Fire had already started, and was lick
ing the woodwork of the elevator shaft.
Amercio ran to the main hall and notified
Orris Akers, one of the Capitol police
alarm to fire department headquarters.
From that office general alarm was
sent out, and all the engines and other
fire department apparatus of the city re-
sponded. The East front of the Cap
itol, from the main central stairway to
he small wing, was ablaze when the en-
gines arrived. No one was near the
scene of the explosion at the time it oc
tied but infrequently. The sound Of the |
explosion was heard distinctly far UP in
the city
Thousands heard of the explosion by s |
many churches heard the news and rush |
ed to the scene of disaster. The spec
atOrs were kept in a wide circle about |
the North portion of the center of the |
building, but they were allowed on the |
stairway to the North where a huge |
crowd gathered. The main centre stair |
way was kept free. and the flames which |!
came out Of the doors to the rOtunda |
soon became so thick that no one could |
be allowed close by. There was scarcely |
any fire visible except the few flames |
time the crowd had congregated. it was |
dark. and without the ilumnations Of |
bic flames. the working of the fire depart |
men. was not easily seen by the specta /
tors.
No one who visited the scene will ever
forget the picture presented The beau
tiful marble and stone structure belch
inc forth volumes of smoke. Tonight
was among the thousands who Watchedl
the heroic work Of WashingtOn's fire
men and later went into the building
rs far as any one was allowed to enter.
The work of the Supreme Court will !;
not be delayed Il day. it is thought. but
Il will be many months before the man
red norton of the building can be recon-
sturcted.
No life was lost, but the government
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08

hole two feet wide was then made and
the hose inserted. On the outside the
masonry had bulged out in some places
as much as two inches. The flooring in
the vicinity of the explosion was a com
plete wreck. a door fifty feet from the
gas meter OH the West side, had been
thrown off its hinges, and few oven the
parking. Inside the corridor there were
several places at which the masonry had
hulged out over a foot
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08

the basement there was 4 roaring vol
cano Of flames. which leaped through the
great orifice in the main corridor of the
building at the basement floor. This
seemed to be fed by gas, for though it
promptly yielded to the stream of water
turned on it, it would soon break out
again if the water was taken away. 1t
was in one of these outbreaks that the
fire darted through the basement floor
an attacked the Consultation Chamber
Of the Justices, on the first floor of the
building. This was discovered by the
engineer of the building, who got out
their own hose and eXtinsuished it: not
however. until all the fittings of the
room had been destroyed. There is little
reason TO believe that any of the inn
portant documents of the court have been
injured. The clerks office was not touch
ed by the explosion or by the flames. and
i'll that room are all the more valuable
papers of the court They are not all in
fire proof safes, however. and it is mere
ly happy chance that has prevented the
destruction of irrepla aceable documents,
in which the decisions of the first court
Of the country rest. The office of the
Marshal of Supreme Court suffered most.
The floor was completely blown out of
his room, and the great masses Of mason
ry torn from the floor We're hurled with
such force to the ceiling, that they burst
the stone and plaster of the vault above
hem and tossed the pondcrous fagstones
Of the upper passage many feet from
heir resting place. Much Of the damage
to walls and ceilings was confined 70 cor
ridors, but the chamber where the Su-
premc Court sits was badly wrecked, too
Along one side of it is the elevator used
by the Justices and it was through this
haft that the flames followed the flying
rocks and plaster OF the explosion.
Part of the floor of the chamber suffer
cd from the explosion, and the fire de
stroyed the furnishings Of the room.
The Marshal's office is just to the
south Of the chamber. On the floor be
low is the consultation chamber, and
when Librarian Clark arrived shortly af-
ter the explosion. he was prepared to
have the sittings Of the court take place
in the room until the damage done by
the fire could be repaired. Fifteen
minutes later this consultation chamber
was entirely wrecked by fire, which un-
expectedy broke out from the main
shaft made by the explosion. The eX-
plosion. it appears at this time, took
place in an engine room in the sub
basement beneath the Law Library,
ard the force was such that it tore up
the floor Of that room. and also par
TALLY destroyed the floor of the Supreme
Court room. 1t caused such a break in
the floors that the flames had Il clean
and swift draught to the roof the Su-
IRENE Court room. The fire spread
rapidly and it was but a few minutes
before the Law Library and the Su-
nrcme Court room were mass or
flames. Some Of the watchmen found
their WAY through the Sitting atmos
pberc TO the basement floor, where tn
explosion occurred.
When the scene Of the explosion wa
reached il was found that q wooden trap
dool. had been torn off by the explosion
and around the entrance to the eleVato
shaft were several marks of 4 vloieh
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08

Washington, D. C., Nov. G.--(Speciai.)
Like the eruption of Il volcano came an
explosion in the Capitol building this
evening and until extras were issued
tr The leading morning papers. few peo-
rr would believe the rumor that the
Capitol was on fire
The Supreme Court room and the
roems immediately adjoining ION the
main floor Of the Capitol were totally
wrecked by fire this evening. The money
damage IS extensive but far more than
that will be the loss to the Congressional
Law Library. This Library was located
directly beneath the Supreme Court
Room. 1t contained 10000 volumes, and
lis value was estimated at over ST.
100000. \ great many of the volumes
We're destroyed by fire or the floods of
water poured into the Capitol.
At 5:43 o'clock Il heavy explosion,
which WAS heard several blocks from the
Capitol. took place. and Immediately af-
forwards flames burst from the Win
dows Of the Congressional Law Library
In the basement, and n few moments
latter from the Supreme Court room.
Au alarm Of fire was turned in, quick
Is followed by Il general alarm, and the
entire fire departments responded.
The man who first sounded the alarm
WaS near the Senate wing on the main
tour when the explosion took place. By
tac time he reached the Supreme Court
room i'll an endeavor to locate the fire
thu corridors were filled with smoke, and
dn was compelled to seek the fresh air.
BY the time the fire department was at
work rigging up ladders it was found
Hpu>sible to get anywhere near the Su
Irme Court room where the fire seem
tl 1o be hottest and smoke and flames
poured from the windows.
The fire is believed to have resulted
1tu gas explosion. caused by Il leak
@.e Of the meter, right by the elevator
Shaft in the corridor leading to the law
library from the rotunda. Assistant En-
I4ar" was 4 gas meter he said, four feet
u diameter. located below the Supreme
'"lrt chamber. Then attendants are III
.A" habit of having a gas jet burning III
5a" corridor, 50 that they may be able
Id Haa their way through in the morning,
@~ 'Ae place is very dark. This gas meter
HE. Prescott believes. was leaking, and
." -~ l@nited at the jet. He said that
DE Lad definitely ascertained tnat it was
." meter which had exploded. 1t was at
".# supposed that the boiler connected
'-.a Ih" apparatus that heats the Su-
'.''-' Court room had exploded. This
-"And in good condition, and there
"'her boiler in that part Of the
hnllug.
'"n rs Chief Paris reached the
ae directed that ladders be erected
-1A Of the windows Six streams of
We're speedily turned into the Cap
ID" flames at that time were
."- from the basement windows AMI
w.. 'Ag windows Of the second floor.
We're crashed outward with
"' bdt the fremcn went to work
Owing to the fact that the
'"> Of the building ora of masonry
a,, mad nothing but the wood work
'-'dfe httings to feed on. and was
e44nsushed III the upper floors In
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08

.An Arrangement Satisfactory TO Both
Parties on the Fashoda Question.
New York. NOV. 3.-The London cor
respondent Of the Evening Post cables
that general and satisfactory arrange
ment has been reached between Great
Britain and France on the Fashoda
question.
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08

is the loser to the amount of more than
million dollars, besides the invaluable
Law Library OF the Supreme Court.
the equal of which is not to be found in
the world
The story Of the fire and the demoli-
ton of Il portion Of the granGest build
ing Owned by the United States, should
be an interesting" one
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08
THE HAVOC WROUGHT.

Flames and destruction know no senti
ment. and the historic old Suprem
Court chamber, which has been tn
meeting place Of the most eminent pro
Founders Of jurisprudence. went before
them. The upheayal of the explosion,
which drove outward ard upward every
thing within It's scope, brought destruc-
ton and ruin TO volumes and statuary,
many OF which can never be replaced
Arranged on small pdestals around
the Supreme Court chamber were busts
of Chief Justice Marshall and Il dozen
other distinguished representatives Of the
legal profession. who did much toward
establishing and promulgating the legal
preccdents of the country. In the smoke
and ruin which followed the explosion.
these valuable pieces OF statuary were
either partially or wholly destroyed. and
With their destruction the country has
suffered an irreparable loss. They We're
valuable beyond ali computation in dol
lars and cents, and they have been the
treasured exhibits Of the Supreme Court
chamber some Of them for half a cen
tury. Below the Supreme Court Cham
5000 volumes. many of them legal
books of rare value. and large per
centagc of the volumes are Of a charac-
ter that cannot be replaced. This collec-
- =, to Ia of 40
value of 81 600, coo. for such Of these
as might be obtainablc. but as stated the
intrinsic value of the library is beyond
estimation. The full extent of the dam
ace to the Law Library cannot be esti-
mated even in the present condition Of
the rooms There is another valuable
collection OF books IN the consultation
chamber Of the Supreme Court which
also suffered great damage. The rooms
comprising the consultation chamber are
lust across Il marrow corridor from the
Supreme Court room. and here more
than 10.OOO volumes were stored. The
rooms nearest the Supreme Court
chamber were damaged to the greatest
extent. They were situated almost d.
rectly over the spot where the explosion
occurred and the flames had soon
spread to all sides. The two adjoining
rooms We're Immediately closed from the
first. and save for smoke and what water
found its way into these rooms the
damage is but slight
THE WORK OF THE EIRENEN.
During the fire at the Capitol tonight,
the firemen. in their efforts to get into
the corridor with their hose. proceeded
70 break a hole through the masonry.
While they were thus at work. there was
A second upheaval. caused. it is believed.
by the further accumulations Of gas, ana
some of the tiremen were stunned. 1t was
1T first thought that they were injured.
but all of them quickly recovered. A
The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-11-08
PREP AIRED

Wei Hal Wei. Nov. 3.-All the British
warShips here are now fully coaled
Their woodwork has been removed and
they are completely prepared for emer
gencies.
, 1898-08-31
PERSONAL

e. Fl. Thornton Is in from his Look
out ranch today. q
Miss Annie Murphy went to Rawlins
on the morning train.
Mr.. and Mrs. John Clark of Red
Buttes are in the city today.
Rev. J. H. Munson OF Lincoln, Neb.,
returned to his home last night.
Eugene Wyman and E. A. Rust of
owen, are Laramie visitors today.
Mrs. R. ]. Kirby returned from Dem
yer on the midnight train last night.
Prof. Aven Nelson returned from an
extended trip in the east this morning.
Master Mechanic T. A. Davies came
over from Cheyenne on the morning
train.
Miss Mabel Hayford has gone to
Lookout to enjoy a visit and outing for
ten days at lone lake.
Miss Bessie Callaghan of Ogden, who
has been visiting in Laramie for some
time, returned home today.
VIM. D. Thomas and Edward Ivin-
son have gone out to the Cooper hill
country in quest OF sage chickens.
A. C.. Jones, representing Paxton &
Gallagher, Omaha wholesale grocers,
is doing business in Laramie today.
Mrs. J. A. Gordon, of Hilliard, Wyo.,
sister Il Mrs. Will Crawford, returned
home today after a couple Of weeks
visit in Laramie.
, 1898-08-31
COLONEL VAN HORN DEAD.
Rheumatism of the Heart Carried on
the Veteran Officer.

Colonel James J. Van Horn of the
Eighth United States infantry, died
at Cheyenn" Yesterday morning OF
rheumatism of the heart. Colonel Van
Horn was injured at THE Baiquira land
ing in Cuba and came home on sick
leave a month ago.
He was preparing to leave to rejoin
his regiment at Montauk Point. De.
ceased entered the regular army in
1858 and served through the civil war
with distinction, and would have been
retired February next. Colonel Van
Horn entered West Point from Ohio, in
which state he was born. His first SER
vice was as second lieutenant in the
First infantry, from which he was
transferred to the Eighth infantry in
the same year. In 1861 he was promot-
ed to first lieutenant and in 1862 to cap
tain. In 1879 he was made major in
the Thirteenth infantry for gallant and
m%eritorious service in the battle of
Cold Harbor. and in 1885 he received
his commission as lieutenant colonel.
His colonelcy in the Eighth came before
the present war broke out and he rank
ed as No. 3 in the line Of colonies.
Colonel Van Horn was born in Ohio.
February 6, 1885. He went to Santiago
commanding the First brigade, Second
division. Fifth corps. in the operations
there until July l, when he was taken
sick and was absent, sick. until he died.
, 1898-08-31
BRIEFLY MENTIONED.

A great many beautiful flowers have
been donated by Laramie citizens 70
the teachers attending the institute, for
which the ladies' are very grateful.
Sheriff Shaver arrived from Chey-
enne on the morning train with Will
lam C. Linderman, sentenced to a term
in the penitentiary for stealing a horse
and cart.
THE Bloomer Girls" a travelling fe-
male base ball club, will play a game in
Laramie on Friday, September 9th. A
local nine will be organized to oppose
them. Particulars will be published
later.
On Monday evening the editor OF the
Boomerang said that John Whitcomb
Riley was the author Of the poem, 1.-THE
Vision of Sir Launfal." Last night he
gave the credit to James Whitcomb
Riley. He has nv more guess.
Jake Stella, Matt Boloa and Herman
Rinco. three miners who have been
working at Hanna, are in town today.
They are or their way to Minnesota
and are making their journey in a COW
cred wagon drawn by five horses.
Thos. Stanton. the Iron mountain
ranchman, met with a moi very severe
accident yesterday, and was brought
to town for treatment. A horse reared
and struck him on the shoulder with
one of his hoofs. He is doing nicely
today and will soon be all right again.
w. II. Reed, assistant geologist Of the
university, IN his summe expedition,
collected six tons of fossils, which will
be added to the university collection.
Mr.. Reed discovered two cycas, fossil
plants of the palm family, the first
ever found in the Rocky mountains.
These valuable specimens have been
sent to Prof. o. c. Marsh, United States
paleontologist and professor OF paleon-
tology at Yale university.
A meeting for the reorganization of
the Laramie board OF trade was held at
the city hall yesterday afternoon and
the following trustees elected: N. E.
Corthell, A. Trabing. P. H. May, w. H.
Holiday, FRANC H. Eggleston, VIM. D.
Thomas, Otto Gramm, B. C. Buffum.
A. e. Miller. The trustees will hold a
meeting next Tuesday at the office of
Vim. D. Thomas for the purpose of
electing a president and a secretary.
The Colbys today received a new
musical novelty which they call alumni
mum chimes" The instrument SON
sists of a series of sixteen pendants,
each composed Of three aluminium tubes
of varying lengths and which produce
a clear, sweet sound on being disturbed.
The instrument was made on Mr.. Col
by's suggestion and especially for his
company. Laramie people will have
an opportunity to hear the new instru-
ment next Saturday evening, when it
will be played for the first time on any
stage.
, 1898-08-31
THE OLIvER-COLBY COMPANY.

The entertainment given by the
above company last night was as
good if not better than the first night.
The Colbys in their musical act made a
decided hit and the music they made
upon their many novel instruments
was very much enjoyed. The Oliver
sisters did a very clever sketch in which
they introduced their Ca-chucha
dance, and were much applauded.
Little Frank Colby did a speciality. sing
ing some comic songs in a style that
would do justice to a much older per-
son. The closing act was very funny
and caused much laughter. An entire
change of program will be given to-
night and the Colbys will be seen to
good advantage in a sketch entitled
Human Nature" The Oliver sisters
in songs and dances and other members
in s~pecialties. Prices the same, 10, 20
and 80 cents.
, 1898-08-31
MINERS


A special telegram from Rock Springs
says:
The colored men brought to this place
from Kansas to work in the coal mines
celebrated their first pay day Saturday
night by a fierce fight, the result of
which is that two of their number are
in the Wyoming general hospital and
three are in the city jail awaiting the
result of the injuries of those in the
hospital.
The fight began at Z o'clock in the
evening by a darkey named kid" who
undertook to clean out a saloon in
which a number of men were drinking.
A colored man called Devil interpos-
ed and in an instant razors and knives
were in free use. The Kid was cut
in seventeen places and Devil" receiv-
ed a number of ugly gashes. A friend
of the kid interfered in his behalf
and sunk one end of a miners pick in
to Devils" back. The two principals
are in the hispital. the Devil" being
30 badly injured that his recovery is
doubtful.