The record-union., 1898-11-08

destroyed. but those which suffered
TINS rate We're among the most valu
able in this room. They included the
original opinions of the court in the
early days of the Republic, and among
them We're many manuscripts prepared
IN the handwriting of the. jurists of
the days of Washington, Jefferson and
Adams. There were in the list many
opinions in manuscript written by Mar
snail, Story and Samuel Chase, Bush
rod, Washington and others of the
justices of the period between 1l9O
and 1890, and therefore priced as relics
of the early days of the court. They
also We're occasionally referred to to
settle disputed points concerning words
or punctuation marks. These papers
We're stored under the arch of the
room, and seem to have been COM
pletely consumed.
On the other hand, the official records
of the court, proceedings 2tvering the
same period, appear to have been pre-
served, and probably in good condition.
These We're incased in tin boxes, and
these in turn in wooden cases. The
debris is in such disorder as to have
rendered it impossible to open the
wooden doors up to noon to-day, but
these doors We're not penetrated at any
place, hence the belief that the recor1s
themselves are intact.
Many of the more modern documents,
including letters and opinions of re-
cent date, were also SO badly burned
that it will be impossible to restore
them, but none of these appear to have
suffered such complete demolition as
befell the early opinions. No documents
affecting the present docket of the
court We're injured.
The fire at one time threatened to
invade the Senate document room.
reaching to within two or three feet.
Mr.. Smith, the Superintendent of the
room, was on hand, prepared to con-
test its progress, with the aid of the
fire department, but the chances are
that if it had gained any Roadway in
this department the damage would
have been far more serious; as the
apartment is extensive and contains
much exposed paper.
A report was current during the
morning that the west central wall of
the Capitol was cracked as a result of
the explosion Architect Wood made
a careful examination and located the
crack which had aroused suspicious. 1t
proved, however to be in the outer or
veneer wall, and not in the six-foot
foundation wall on the west side. This
main wall has stood over 100 years,
and is still in fairly good condition
When additions were made veneer
wall about ten inches thick was added
outside. The explosion last night blew
out a heavy stone door frame in the
outer wall, and this in turn loosened
several stones of the veneer wall.
Mr.. Wood is satisfied that the main
wall has not been disturbed. His at
tention was called to a crack in the
main wall but this he 2ecalled as a
well known old crack which had exist
ed for years. Mr. Wood said it is not
surprising that a wall which has stood
a century should have some cracks,
which do not, however, impair its gen
eral security He thinks this crack
may have come from the expansion re-
sulting from the burning of the Capt.
toll by the British in 1914.
The library of the Supreme Court,
which, next to the Congressional Libra
ry, is the most valuable collection of
books in Washington, escaped with lit
tie damage, although it was in the
very center of the disturbance, the
wrecked elevator shaft and upheaved
floor stones being at the library en-
trance It is estimated that the loss
in the library will be covered by
81 800. The books escaped intact, the
loss being confined to singed woodwork.
Mr. Wood at the close of the day
expressed the opinion that the damage
to the Capitol building could be re-
paired for $4,000.