The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-08
FIRE N THE CAPITOL
Plays Havoc With Supreme
Court Room and Records.
DUE TO A GAS EXPLOSION
Down in the Basement, Which
Damages the Masonry.

the supreme court rooms and the rooms
Immediately adjoining It on the main
floor of the Capitol.
Fire followed the explosion so quickly
as to seem practically simultaneous with
it. The explosion shook the immense
structure to its foundations 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 5OO-light gas meter
which was fed by 4-inch main. Very
little gas IS used in that part Of the
building, but at the time of the explosion
the gas had not been turned off at the
meter. The meter itself was wicked and
he gas pouring from the main caught
fire. The flames originating from the ex-
plosion darted up the shaft of the ele-
vator, which had been badly damaged
by the force OF the explosion, and com
municated with the record room of the
supreme court, the Office OF the marshal
Of the court and the supreme court IL
brary. Before the flames could be sub
dued the priceless documents in the rec
ord room had been badly damaged and
serious damage had been done in the mar
shaTs office and some minor rooms in the
immediate vicinity.
AFTER THE FIRE WAS OUT.
The big Capitol building was the scene
of wreck and desolation today, following
the explosion and fire which wrought
such serious havoc last night. The en-
gines and firemen had gone and in their
place a small army Of workmen were
carrying OFF the debris Of brick and
mortar, charred woodwork. and soaked
and half-burned official papers and docu-
ments which had been heaped in confu-
sion in the basement and endorsement
under the quarters occupied by the Unit
ed States supreme court An examination
Of the court room showed that the dam
age was confined TO discolored walls and
ceilings and soaked carpets, No sub
~tantiaI damage had been done. Tha
bench occupied by the justices was unin-
jured, and even the briefs and papers
left by some Of the justices under paper
weights remained undisturbed. But while
the fire had made no progress here smoke
and water had left this chamber, which
has long been regarded as a model of
classic beauty, in sorry condition. The
windows and sash of the old colonial
windows fanking the bench are in ruins.
The frescoed ceiling, which recently had
been done over is blurred and spotted,
the carpets and draperies are soaked,
while the whole chamber has the damp.
smoked aspect usually following a fire.
The personal effects of the justices,
robes, etc, were found to be uninjured.
The main loss of the court was IN the
marshals office and in the old storage
room, where valuable old records are
kept. The extent of this last loss Is not
yet exactly determined, but the court
officials are conducting a critical exam
nation.
NEW QUARTERS FOR THE COURT.
Sergeant-at-Arms Bright, Of the senate,
was busy this morning making provision
for the sessions of the court Senator
McAlinens' committee room, on the Dis
trict Of Columbia, was hastily prepared
with a bench and seats for the justices
and a dozen rows Of seats for attorneys
and spectators. The quarters are rather
cramped, however, and the chief justice
and five justices will have to sit at one
side of a long oak table.
Architect Clark, of the Capitol, Is ad-
vanced in age and very feeble, so that
the active work of investigating the
cause of the explosion, and of clearing
away the wreckage, is in the hands of
the assistant architect of the Capitol,
Mr.. Wood.
NO DAMAGE TO THE MAIN WALLS.
II have made a preliminary examina-
ton Mr.. Wood said today, land 1 am
not yet ready to say what caused the
explosion, although the main attention
is being given to the gas supply. 1 find
that the general damage sustained by the
building is not as serious as at first
supposed The heavy foundations to the
building do not appear to be disturbed,
and the walls blown down are confined to
the thin encircEng walls built to cover
steam pipes. etc. None of the heavy sus-
tanning arches or pillars have given way
so far as can find. win make a fuller
examination with better light, later, to
make certain on these points For the
present 1t does not seem that rebuild
ing of any part OF the Capitol will be
necessary. The work will be that Of re-
pairing. and I hope We can finish this by
the time congress convenes. We have a
small balance for this. but in any event
the work Will be done
THE BIG METER DEMOLISHED
An examination of the meter room.
where the gas supplied to the Capitol is
measured, showed that the big meter
had been blown to pieces. This satisfied
most of the Capitol officials that a gas
explosion was responsible for the damage
bu; they would not express this view
openly until an official inquiry had been
made.
DAMAGE TO THE COURT ROOM.
Several supreme court justices made q
visit TO the scene OF the catastrophe