The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1898-11-09
MANY VALUABLE RECORDS BURNED.
TIRE In THE CAPITOL.
A Gas Exp .osion Wrecks the United States STU
preme Court Room Papers Cannot be
Replaced Enormous Damage Done.

The United states Supreme Court
room In the capitol nt Washington
vas wrecked last Sunday afternoon
MANY valuable records we're destroyed.
the damage which will amount 10
300 900 was caused by gas explosion
beneath the court room. j..
THE entire central eastern part OF
the great marble pile from the main
floor to the subterranean basement
practically is a mass OF RUNS ihe
force OF the explosion was 40 heaNy
ttat the coping stones OF the outer
walls. lust east of the point where the
exposion occurred, were DuiSeu uut
nearly two inches. windows III All thi.
mart OF the building We're blown out
nd locked doors were forced from their
hinges quite i50 feet from the scene
of II.
Fire followed the explosion 80 quick
lv as to seem practically simultaneous
with II. II occurred In small room
tightly enclosed by heavy stone walls
in the subterranean basement immed-
lately belaw the main entrance To the
old capitol building. In this room was
n 5O0-light gas meter. which was fed
by a four-inch main. 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 and the supreme court library.
Before the flames could be subdued
the priceless documents In the record
room had been almost totally de-
stroyed.
A majority OF the people IN London
have been convinced that war between
Great Britain and France Is inevitable
sooner or later and many expressions
of regret We're heard at the military
and other clubs that the conflict ap-
parently Is not to take place In the
near future. as It Is the general belief
that the army and navy are in a per-
feet state of preparedness.
The library Of the supreme court, To-
Gated Immediately beneath the sup
rene court room, was badly damaged
by fire. smoke and water; water prac-
tically destroying the great collection
of law reference books. The library
contains about 10000 voumes, and was
used not only by the Justices of the
supreme court but by members Of con-
gress and lawyers practicing before
the supreme court.
Mr.. Justice Harlan said that the lib
rary was very valuable. Many of the
works 1t contained would, he thought,
be difficult to replace.
The most serious damages, in the
opinion of the Justices of the supreme
court, Is to the records stored in the
eub-basement. These included all of
the records of the supreme court from
lis2 to 1882. The room contains records
or 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 10 De useless. Justice Harlan said
that, while the loss of the records was
irreparable, 1t was fortunate that the
later records of the court, which are
kept In the office of the clerk on the
main floor, We're not injured. As do
ouments for reference at this time and
later Justice Harlan thought these
We're of far greater value than the re-
cords destroyed.
Within few minutes after the ar
rival OF the fire department the flames
were under control, although as a pre-
oauttonary measure streams were
pouring into the marshal's office, the
library and the subterranean base
ment for two hours.
The loss on the library and records
can be scarcely estimated in dollars
and cents. million dollars could not
replace them because of many of them
no duplicates are in existence.
Arrangements were made by Librar-
Ian Clark of the supreme court and
Col. Richard Bright sergeant-at arms
OF the senate, by which the sittings of
the supreme court will not be Inter-
rupted. The court will convene in the
room of the senate committee on the
District of Columbia, one of the most
spacious rooms in the capitol.