Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1898-11-07
CAPITOL BURNED.
Explosion and Fire in Washing
ton Last Evening,
Supreme Court Room and other
Rooms Totally Destroyed.
Priceless Documents and Blu Is Of justices
are All Lost,
DAMAGE OF $500 900.

Washington. Nov. IAN explosion
aud tire last evening wrecked the 81
preme court room aud the rooms imme-
diately adjoining on the main dJOr Of
the capitol. The damage ~ the building
is t200,OO0 The entire central eastern
portion Of the great marble Pile from the
main floor to the subterfanean door pTac-
tically Is n mass OF ruins. The force OF
the explosion was 30 heavy that the cap
ping stones on the outer walls, just east
OF the point where the explosion oc-
CURED. we're bulged out nearly two
inches. the windows In all that part OF
the building blown out and locked doors
l00 feet away were forced from their
hinges. Fire followed the explosion,
which occurred In small room,
tightly inclOsed by stone walls
In the subterTanean basement,
Immediately below the main entrance
OF the building. In this room was 500.
light gas meter fed by f0ur.inch main.
Flames originating from the explosion
darted up the shaft OF the elevator, COM
mnnicating with the record rooms OF the
supreme court, the Office OF the marshal
OF the court aud the supreme court
library. Before the flames could be sub
dued the priceless documents OF the rec
ord room were almost totally destroyed.
The library OF the supreme court was
badly damaged by Gre, smoke aud water,
practically destroying the great cOlltc
tion Of law and reference books.
Justice Harlan said that while the loss
OF records ia great, IL is fortuna 9 that
the later records OF the court, which are
kept In the office Of the clerk on the
main fljor, were not iniure'. Among
the losses which will be most sincerely
regretted are those OF the busts OF Chief
Justice Marshall and other distinguished
members OF the supreme court, which
were arranged on small pedestals about
the supreme court chamber.
SCENE OF DEsoLATIoN.
Tha big capitol building was a scene
Of wreck and dpsOlatiOn 10 day. A small
army OF wJrkmen was carrying of the
debris and half burned official documents
TIE examination OF the court room
showed no damage done there. The loss
10 the court was In the marshaps Office
And storage room where valuable old
records were kept. The extent Of the
losB Ia not yet exactly determined
Senator MeMillin's committee room wal
hastily prepared for the justices.
MORE PARTICULARS.
An examination OF the meter room
where the gas that supplied the capitol |,
measured, showed the big meter blown
20 pieces. Several OF the supreme courI
justices visited tbs scene of The catastro
phe this forenoon. They found the bust.
OF former chief justices, which line tn
walls OF the old chamber were uninjured
harshal Wright's Office was completed
gutted. The only damage that cannot b,
made good was done In the file rooms O
the supreme court, where were stored all
the official records and original copies o
opinions from the foundation OF the gov
eminent. All these opinions have beeI
printed but the original manuscripts
we're highly valued. The originals Oi
the opinions Of the court In the early
days OF the republic were destroyed.
The official records Of the courts pro
ceedings, covering the same period. ap'
pear TO have been preserved probably In
good condition.
The assistant architect OF the capitol
Mr.. Wool. after preliminary examina
tiOn said: Il find the minor damage
sustained by ths building not 80 serious
Rs frst supposed The heavy foundations
DO not appear 10 be disturbed. The
walls blown down are confined 10 the
thin encircliDg walls, covering the
steam pipes, etc, No heavy sustaining
arches or pillars have given way so fal
AZ | can find. hope We can finish re-
pairs by the time congress cOnyenes.'