Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-11-10
FIRE F|END'S RICH PREY.
An Explosion and Flames in the
Capitol in Washington Do
Immense Damage.
DISASTER CAUSED BY ESCAPING GAS.
Supreme Courtroom Wrecked and
Many Valuable Records Relieved
TO BE wholly Lost-Bodks of Price
less Worth observation-disclosures and
Marble Dusts Badly Shattered.

Washington, Nov Am explosion
end fire at 5:l5 Sunday. afternoon
wrecked the supreme courtroom and
the rooms Immediately adjoining it on
the main toor of the capitol.
The damace IS enormous. The en-
tire central eastern part of the great
marble pile from the main floor 10 the
Hubterranean basement practically is
a mass Of ruins. The force of The ex-
plosion was SO heavy that the coping
stones on the outer walls. just east OF
the point where the explosion oc-
CURED, were bulged out nearly two
inches; windows in all that part of the
building were blown out; and locked
doors we're forced from their hinges
quite $50 feet from the scene of II. Fire
followed the explosion so quickly as
to seem practically simultaneous with
it.
Hooks nnd Records burned.
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 marshal's Office and some minor
library of the supreme court, located
Immediately beneath the supreme
court room, was badly damaged by fire.
smoke and water, practically destroy
ing the great collection of law reference
books. The library contains about 90
900 volumes and was used not only by
the justices of the supreme court, bat
by members of congress and lawyers
practicing before the supreme court.
The most serious damage, in the opin-
ion of the justices Of the supreme
court, Is to the records stored in the
subbasement These included all OF the
records Of the supreme court from 1872
70 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.
Caused by Gas Explosion.
While many theories are offered as
TO the cause of the explosion. ID seems
beyond doubt 10 have been due to es-
Gaping gas, At seven minutes after five
Iaeut. Nelson, of the capitol police, de-
tected an odor of gas in the corridor
adjoining the supreme courtroom.
Not being able TO locate il he proceeded
To statuarY hall-the old hall OF the
house OF representatives thinking the
gas might he escaping from burner in
thatyieinity, Whileh he was eudcavoring
TO locate the escape OF the gas the ex-
plosion occurred. Only q few persons.
60 a..
were in the building Mt the time. but
several 81 them had narrow escapes.
Valuable Works of Art Destroyed.
Among tile losses which will be most
sincerely regretted are those of busts
of Chief Justice Marshall and other dis.
tingushed members OF the supreme
court. which were arranged on small
pedestals about the supreme court
chamber In the smoke aud ruin which
followed the explosion these valuable
works OF art we're either badly damaged
OF wholly destroyed and with their de.
struction the country has suffered an
irrcparable loss. Many OF them haze
been treasured as exhibits in the SUI
preHe court chamber tor half cen.
fury.
Estimate Of Loss.
No intelligent estimate Of the money
less by the explosion and fire can be
made. IN the opinion IL capitol officials
and mechanics who examined the
structure the loss viii reach probably
S2oo.0 70 the building The loss on the
library and records as stated above. can
scarcely be estimated III dollars ami
cents. million dollars could not re-