Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-11-09
THE CAPITOL SCORCHEO.
Escaping Gas Partly Wrecks an
Historic Building.
DAMAGE NOT SERIOUS.
Less Dignity Hedges About the
Learned Members of the SUI
preIne Court Bar.

Washington, D. c., Nov. THE big
capitol building was the scene of wreck
and desolation today, following the ex-
plosion and fire which wrought such seri-
Gus havoc last night. The engines II
fremen had gone, and in their place a
small army of Workmen was carrying off
the debris of brick and mortar, charred
woodwork, soaked and half-burned Off
cial papers and documents which had
been heaped in confusion in the basement
and sub-basement under the quarters oc-
cupied by the United States Supreme
court.
An examination of the courtroom
showed that the damage was confined to
discoiored walls and ceilings and soaked
carpets. No substantial damage had been
done. The bench occupied by the JUS
tees was uninjured and even the briefs
and papers left by some of the justices
under paper weights remained undis-
turbed. But while the fire had made no
progress here, smoke and water had left
this chamber, which has long been re-
garded as a model of classic beauty, in
sorry condition. The windows and sash
of t. fine old colonial windows thanking
the nch are in ruin
The frescoed ceilings, which recently
had been lone over, are blurred and spot
ted, the carpets and draperies are soaked,
while the whole chamber has the damp,
smoked aspect usually following a fire.
The personal effects of the justices robes,
etc, were found to be uniniured. The
main loss of the court was in the mar
shal's office, and in the storage room,
where valuable old records are kept. The
extent of this last loss is not yet exactly
determined, but the court officials expect
to make 4 critical examination during the
day.
Sergeant-at-Arms Bright was busy this
morning making temporary provision for
the sessions Of the court. Senator Nc
Millan's committee roOm, on the District
of Columbia floor, was hastily prepared
with Il bench and seats for the justices,
and a dozen rows of seats for attorneys
and spectators. The quarters are rather
cramped, however, and the chief justice
and five justices will nave to sit on one
side of a long oak table.
Architect Clark of the capitol is adj
vanced in age and very feeble, so that the
active work of investigating the cause of
the explosion and of clearing away the
wreckage is in the hands of the assistant
architect of the capitol, Mr.. Wood.
Z have made a preliminary examina-
tion," Mr.. Wood said today, and l am
not yet ready to say what caused the eX-
plosion, although the main attention is be-
ing given to the gas supply. | find that
the general damage sustained by the build
ing is not as serious as at first supposed.
The heavy foundations to the building do
not appear to be disturbed and the walls
blown down are confined to the thin en-
circling walls built to cover steam pipes,
etc. None of the heavy sustaining arches
or pillars has given way so far as l can
iud. | will make a fuller examination
with better light, however, to make GER
tain on these points. For the present it
does not seem that a rebuilding of any
part of the capitol will be necessary. The
work will be that Of repairing, and | hope
we can finish this by the time Congress
comes. We have a small balance for this,
but in any event the work will be done"
An examination of the meter room,
where the gas supplied to the capitol is
measured, showed that the big meter had
been blown to pieces. This sa tistied most
of the capitol officers that a gas eXplo-
sion was responsible for the damage, but
they would not express this view openly
until an official inquiry had been made.
Several Supreme court justices made Il
visit to the scene of the catastrophe dur
ing the forenoon. Chief Justice Fuller
and Justice Harlan walked through the
various apartments guided by a man with
a lantern. While they looked at the
scenes of destruction with manifest inter-
est they made no remarks.
They spent somewhat more time in the
courtroom than elsewhere. There they
found the upholstery and the courts new
$4,000 carpet greatly injured, but the two
court clocks We're ticking away as regular
ly and as dignifedly as ever. The busts
of former chief justices which line the
walls of the old chamber were also unin-
jured, and this appeared to be a source of
much qualification to the chief justice and
his cOmDaniOnS