The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-07

Washington, November q. 1.-The United
States Supreme court room, located near
the centre of the Capitol, Is wrecked, the
valuable law library connected with 1t
seriously damaged and many of the val
liable records fled away in the vaults be-
meath that portion OF ths capitol, have
been destroyed. This is the result of an
explosion of gas which occurred In the
sub basement of the Capitol just beneath
the Supreme court room at $50 this af-
ternoon. The explosion destroyed the
flooring and entrance to the room imme-
diately below the Supreme court room
and the fire which followed communicated
at once to the law library and Supreme
court room. Except for small flame OF
burning gas, the fire had been extin-
guisned at 7.30. The explosion destroyed
the lighting apparatus in the immediate
vicinity and because of the darkDess 1T is
difficult to learn the exact damage.
Those about the building at the time of,
and Immediately after the explosion all
agree that it came fromsgas, though there
is a difference of opinion as to what
caused 1t. An engineer in the building
stated that gas meter had exploded.
Another official stated that he understood
a small gas engine used in running the
private elevator for the members OF the
Supreme court, was located in the vaults
and that the explosion came from 1T. but
the most plausible statement is that In
the vaults where the records are stored,
Fr1rn od TT 10 h9-
lieved that one of the jets blew out from
a draft and that the gas escaped from
it until the tightly closed vault had been
filled with gas which percolating through
cracks, reached lighted jet, thus caus-
ing the explosion.
An explosion of the lower portion OF the
building, shows that the force of the ex-
plosion was terrific. Doors and windows
are blown out and in many places there
are large cracks in the under-pinning Oh
the walls. A statement which the con-
ditions did not permit of being substantl-
ated at this time, was made that several
of the supporting columns to the main
entrance of the building are six inches
out of plumb. There is no doubt that
many valuable papers and documents
have been permanently destroyed ana
their value from money standpoint
could not be estimated.
The fire engines attracted an immense
throng to the place where our Presl-
dents are inaugurated and the news OF the
fire spread rapidly throughout the city.
AS measure of precaution, engines are
still pumping into the library, the SUI
preme court room and the sub basement.
but no fire is visible. Twenty thousand
dollars had just been expended in improv-
ing the Supreme court room.
Fire followed the explosion SO quickly
as to seem practically simultaneous with
it. The explosion occurred in small
room tightly enclosed by heavy stone
walls in the subterranean basement inn
mediately below the main entrance to
the old Capitol building. In this room
was 500-light gas meter. which was
fed by 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 meter The
meter itself was wrecked and the gas
pouring from the main caught fire. The
flames originating from the explosion
darted up the shaft of the elevator, which
had been completely destroyed by the
force of the explosion and communicated
with the record room of the Supreme
court the Office of the marshal of the court
ana the Supreme court library.
The library of the Supreme court, To-
Gated Immediately beneath the supreme
court room, was badly damaged by nre,
smoke and water, water practically de-
stroying the great collection OF law rel
erence books. The library contains about
10000 volumes.