Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-11-12
SUPREME COURT
RECORDS DESTROYED
Fire in the National Capitol Build
ing Causes Great
Damage.
CAUSED BY GAS EXPLOSION
All the Court Records From 1892
to 1892 are a Total
Loss.
CAPlT0LiTStLF SC0RCHeD BY FIRE
Loss "a tho building viii Amount
90 $500, 900 While the LOIS 20
the Records Cannot he
Figured ia Money.

Washington, Nov. San explosion
and fire at j:l5 o'clock yesterday aft,
ernoon wrecked the supreme court
room and the rooms Immediately adj
joining il OH the main floor of the cap
itol. The damage is enormous. The
entire central-eastern part of the great
marble pile, from the main floor Ia
the subterranean basement practical
~ is n mass Of ruins. The force Of the
explosion was so heavy that the cop
ing stones and the outer walls just
east of the point where the explosion
occurred were bulRed M nenrly two
inches; windows in all that part Of the
building were blown out and locked
doors were forced from their hinges
quite 80 feet from the scene.
Fire followed the explosion so quick.
~ rs 80 seem simultaneous with II.
The explosion shook the immense
structure TO its foundation, and was
heard several squares from the CAPT
tol. II occurred in n small room tight.
~ enclosed by heavy stone walls in
the subterranean basement immedi-
ately below the main entrance to the
old capitol building. In this room was
a 500.light gas meter, which was fed
by "A 4-inch main. Very little gas is
used IN that part Of the building, but
ut the time OF the explosion the gas
had not been turned OF nj the meter.
The meter itself war wrecked, and the
gas pouring from the main caught fire.
The flames dnrted mp the shaft OF the
elevator, which had been completely
destroyed by the force Of the cNplo-
sion, and communicated with the req
ord room Of the supreme court. the
Office of the marshal and the supreme
court library. Before the flames could
be subducd the priceless documents in
the record room had been almost de-
stroyed, and serious damage had been
done i'm the marshal's Office and some
minor rooms in the immediate ricin-
ity.
supreme Curt Records Burned.
The library OF the supreme court, To-
Gated Immediately below the supreme
court room. was badly damaged by
fre, smoke and water, practically dc
stroying tho great collection OF la"
reference books. The library contains
about O,00O volumes, md was used not
only by the justices Of the supreme
court, but by The members Of congress
and lawyers practicing before the SUI
preme court. >.
Justice Harlan said that the IL
brary was very valuable. Many of the
works il contained would, he thought,
he difficult to replace. Librarian
Clarke, after a cursory examination,
necessarily made by the light of lam
terms, expressed the opinion that many
O. .the books could be saved, although
they had been badly drenchcd by wa
ter.
The most serious damage, in the
opinion Of the justices of the supreme
court, is 10 the records stored i'll the
sub-basement. These included all OF
the records of the supreme court from
l7y2 to 1882. The % contains rec
ords Of cases and opinions rendered by
he fathers OF the judiciary OF the gov
rnment. Apparently the documents
this room are either totally de.
royed or so badly damaged by fire
al wnter as to be useless. Justice
arlan said that while the loss of the
cords was irreparnble, il was fortu'
Ate that the Inter records OF the
curt, which arc kept in the office OF
he clerk on the main floor, were not
INJURED. As documents for reference
Il this time and later, Justice Harlan
,hought these were Of fur greater
than the records destroyed. For
.unately the clerks Office was not in
he least damaged by fire and the en-
did no damage in il except to
,low out one window.
some May lie =. we'd.
James McKenna, clerk of the SUI
RENE court, expressed the hope, after
an examination of the old
ecord room,t that some at least Of the
priceless from the view
,oint Of the historian, could be saved.
.ast night, however, owing to the in
deauate lighting facilities in that
,ortion Of the building where the
losion and fire occurred, ii was I'M
for him to make an intelligent
r thorough investigation of the dam
The supreme court room was
amaged principally by water and
moke, the fire not reaching that
oint. Adjoining the court room,
,weyer, both the marshals offices
I'd the senate barber shops furnished
rod for the flames.
Cause Of the Fire.
While many theories are offered as 10
ne cause OF the explosion. II seems be-
ond doubt to rave been due TO escaping
as. At seven minutes after 5. Lieut..
Ielson Of the capitol police detected an
OF gas I'm the corridor adjoining the
ipreme court room. While he was en-
eavoring to locate the escape Of the gus
lie explosion occurred. Only q few per-
,ns, principally officers OF the capitol po-
&c, were I'm the building at the time, but
.verai OF them had narrow escapes.
'ithin a few minutes after the arrival
the fire department the flames were
nder control. although as a precaution-
~ measure streams were poured into
le marshal's Office, the library and the
lbterranean basement for w hours.
the lower central portion of
old capitol building, doors. windows !
I'd fittings In committee rooms and other !;
,nu ~ AaAIx, IawAa~ Tue,