The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-11-07

Washington, Nov. 6.-An explosion
and fire at 5.13 this afternoon wrecked
the supreme court room and the rooms
Immediately adjoining it on the main
floor of the capitol. The damage is
enormous.
The entire central eastern part of the
great marble pile from the main floor
to the subterranean basement practi-
eally is mass of ruins. The force of
the explosion was so heavy that the
coping stones on the outer walls just
east of the point where the explosion
occurred, were bulged out nearly two
inches; windows in ali that part of the
building were blown out; and locked
doors We're forced from their hinges
quite hundred feet away from the
scene.
Fire followed the explosion so quick
ly as to seem practically simultaneous
with it. The explosion shook the inn
mense structure to it's foundations. and
was heard several squares from the
capitol. 1t occurred in small room
tightly enclosed by heavy stone walls
in the subtewanean basement iumedi-
ately below the main entrance to the
old capitol building
In this room was fve-hundred
light gas meter, which was fed by a
four-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 metre.
The metre itself was wrecked and the
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 completely de-
stroyed by the force of the explosion,
and communicated with the record
room of the supreme court the office
of the marshal of the court and the
supreme court library.
Before the flames could be s9bdued
the priceless documents in the record
room had been almost totally DESTROYED
ana serious damage had been done in
the marshars room and some minor
rooms in the immediate vicinity.
The library OF the supreme court To-
Gated Immediately beneath the supreme
court room, was badly damaged by
flre, smoke and water. Water prac-
tically destroyed the great collection of
law reference books. The library con-
tains about 10000 volumes and was
used not only by the justices Of the
supreme court but by members OIL
congress and lawyers praeticing before
the supreme court
Mr.. Justice Harlan said tonight that
the library was very valuable. Many of
works it contained would, he thought
be difficult to replace. Librarian Clarke
after cursory examination, neces-
sarily made by the light of lanterns.
the opinion that many Of the
books could be saved, although they
had been drenched by water from the
streams poured into the library for two
hours or more after the explosion oc-
Cured.
The most serious damage in the opin-
ion of the justices of the supreme
court, is of the records stored in the
endorsement. These include all Of the
records of the supreme court from 1892
to 1882. The room contains records of
cases and opinions rendered by the
fathers of the judiciary of the govern |
ment. Apparently the documents in
this room are either totally destroyed
Or so badly damaged by fire and water
as to be useless.
loss of the records was irreparable it |
was fortunate that the late records of
the court, which were kept in the Office
Of the clerk. on the main floor, were
not damaged. AS documents for ref
erence at this time and later Justice
Harlan thought these were of far
greater value than the records de-
stroyed.
Fortunately the clerks office was
not in the least damaged by fire. and
the explosion did no damage in it ex-
,ept to blow out one window.
Mr. McEnery, clerk of court, ex-
pressed the hope. after making an ex-
animation of the old record room, that
some at least Of the documents can be
saved
Tonight, however, owing TO the mad
squate lighting facilities in that por-
ion of the building where the explosion
and fire occurred, it was impossible for
aim to make an intelligent or thor