Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-11-10
CAPITOL SCoRCHED.
A Fire Wrecks the United States
Supreme Court Rooms.
VALUABLE RECORDS DESTROYED.
The Library VI the Federal Court Also
BADLY Damaged BY Fire and Water
The C0Dfsgrati0n Probably
Due to Escaping 6ns.

Washington, Nov AN explosion
and fire yesterday afternoon wrecked
the supreme court rooms and the
rooms Immediately adjoining II
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-
cally Is a 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 buged out nearly two
inches; windows In all that part Of the
building were blown out and locked
doors were forced from their hinges
quite 1850 feet from the scene Of it.
Fire followed the explosion so quickly
as to seem practically simultaneous
with it The explosion shook the i'm.
mense structure to its foundations and
was heard several squares from the
capitol II occurred in small room
tightly nclosed by heavy stone walls
IN the subterranean basement immedi-
atcly 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 and the supreme court library.
Before the flames could be subdued
the priceless documents In the record
room had been almost totally destroyed
and serious damage had been done In
the marshals office and some minor
rooms In the immediate vicinity.
The library Of the supreme court,
located Immediately beneath the SUI
preme court room, was badly damaged
by fire, smoke and water, practically
destroying the great collection Of law
reference books. The library con.
tanned about 5000 volumes 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 Har.
Ian said last night that the library
was very valuable. Many Of the works
Il contained would, he thought. be dit.
6cult to replace. Librarian Clarke,
after cursory examination, neces.
sarily made by the light Of lanterns,
expressed 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 after the explo.
sion occurred.
The most serious damage, in the
opinion Of the justices OF the su.
preme court, Is TO the records stored
in the sub-basement These in
cluded all OF the records OF the su.
preme court from 1902 to 1882. The
room contains records OF cases and
opinions rendered by the fathers Of
the judiciary Of the government APP
psrently the documents in this room
are either totally destroyed Or so
badly damaged by fire and water as to
: .te useless.
Justice Harlan said that while the
loss Of the records was irreparable, II
was fortunate that the later records
Of the court which are kept in the
Office OF the clerk on the main floor,
were not injured. As documents for
reference at this time and later, Jus.
tice 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 to it
except to blow out one window.
James Mckinney clerk OF the su.
preme court, expressed the hope after
making an examination OF the old rec.
ord room that some at least OF the
documents priceless from the view
point OF the historian, could be saved.
Last night, however, owing to the in
adequate lighting facilities in that
portion of the building where the ex.
plosion occurred, 1t was impossible for
him to make an intelligent or thorough
investigation Of the damage. The su.
preme court room was damaged prin.
cipally by water and smoke, the fire
not reaching that point Adjoining
the court room, however, both the
marshaPs Office and the senate barber
shop furnished food for the flames.
While many theories are offered as to
the cause OF the explosion 1t seems be.
yond doubt to have been due to escap.
ing, gas.
Among the losses which will be most
seriously regretted are those of busts
of Chief Justice Marshall and other
distinguished members Of the supreme
court, which were arranged on small
pedestals about the supreme court
chamber. In the smoke and ruin
which followed the explosion these
valuable works Of art were either
badly damaged or wholly destroyed,
and with their destruction the coun.
try has suffered an irreparable loss
Many OF them have been treasured as
exhibits in the supreme court huildipc