The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-11-08
THE CAPITOL FIRE.
Damage Not So Great as First Re-
ports Indicated.
THE REPAIRS WILL COST $4,000,
The supreme Court Library Escaped
with Little Damage, Though I'm the
Center of the Disturbance-Pricel

with Little Damage, Though In the
Center of the Disturbance-Pricele
Historical Documents Consumed.
Washington Nov. S-A report was
current yesterday that the west central
wall of the Capitol was cracked as a
result of Sundays explosion. Architect
Wood made a careful examination and
located the crack which had aroused |
suspicion IT proved, however, to be
in the outer or veneer wall, and not in
the six foot foundation wall on the
west side This main wall has stood
over a hundred years, and is still in
fairly good condition. When additions
were made a veneer wall about ten
inches thick was added outside. The
explosion blew out a heavy stone door
frame in the outer wall, and this in
turn loosened several stones of the
veneer wall Mr.. Wood satisfied him
self that the main wall had not been
disturbed.
Mr.. Woods attention was called to
/ a crack in the main wall, but this he
/ recalled as a well known crack which
has existed for years. Mr.. Wood says
| it is not surprising that a wall which
has stood a century should have some
old cracks, which do not, however
! impair it's general security. He thinks
this crack may have come from the
expansion resulting from the burning
of the Capitol by the British in 1914
The library of the supreme court
which, next to the congressional Ii
brary, is the most valuable collection
of books in Washington, escaped with
little damage although it was in the
very center of the disturbance, the
wrecked elevator shaft and upheaved
stone floors being at the library en-
trance. 1t is estimated Nlat the loss
in the library will be covered by 81, 500
The books remained intact the loss
being confined to singed woodwork.
The floor of the electrical room, un-
der which the explosion occurred, was
as completely demolished as if it had
been directly over the center Of an
earthquake. Fortunately no one was
in the room when the explosion oc-
Cured.
Mr. Woods at the close of the day ex-
pressed the opinion that the damage
to the Capitol building could be re-
paired for 100000 "It is by no means
so serious as I first fought it was,
said Mr. Woods. 'I find that the foun-
dations of the building were not dam
aged in the least, but the only injury
done to the structure by the explosion
was done to the arched floors"
The only damage that cannot be made
good was done in the file room of tn,
supreme court, in the basement, wher'
were stored all the official records ant
the original copies of opinions from
: the foundation of the government AL
these opinions have been printed, bu
the original manuscripts were highl!
valued The documents here wer
stored away in an orderly manner il
wooden cases, and none Of them hat
any other protection, except the rec
> ords of the court from 1892 to 1882
which were encased in tin boxes. The
flames appear to have completely en-
, Veloped this room, but they were only
sufficiently intense to badly CHAIR al
the woodwork and many of the docu'
I ments.
Comparatively few of the paper!
G were absolutely destroyed, but those
g which suffered this fate were amon}
n the most valuable in the room. They
n included the original opinions of th'
court in the early days. of the republic
and among them were many manu-
scripts prepared in the handwriting o
/ the jurists of the days of Washington
jefferson and Adams. There were 4
the list many opinions in manuscrip
W written by Marshall, Story Samut
: Chase. Bushrod Washington and other
of the justices of the period betwee
1890 and 1890 and therefore priced a
relics of the early days of the cour
These papers were stored under tn
arch of the room, and seem to hay
been completely consumed.
Contrary to first reports, the bus
of former chief justices which line II
, walls of the old chamber are uniI
jured.