Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-11-08
SUPREME COURT ROOM

had been done. The bench occupied Dy
the justices was uninjured, and even
the briefs and papers left by some OF
the justices under paper weights re-
manned undisturbed.
But, while the fire had made no prog
ress here, smoke and water had left this
chamber, which has long been regarded
as a model Of classic beauty, in sorry
condition. The windows and sashes OF
the fine old colonial windows thanking
the bench are in ruins. The frescoed
ceilings, which recently had been done
over, are blurred and spotted, the car
pets and draperies are soaked, while the
whole chamber has the damp, smoked
aspect usually following fire.
The personal effects Of the justices
robes, etc.-were found to be uninjured
The Courts New Quarters.
Sergeant-at-Arms Bright Of the SEN
ate was busy making temporary provi-
sion for the sessions of the court. Sen
ator McMillan's committee room was
hastily prepared with q 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
all have to sit on one side of long oak
table.
Architect Clark Of the capitol is ad-
vanced in age and very feeble, so that
the active work OF investigating the
cause of the explosion and of clearing
away the wreck Is In the hands Of the
assistant architect Of the capitol. Mr..
Wood.
II have made preliminary examina-
tion," said Mr.. Wood, land am not yet
ready to say what caused the explosion,
although the main attention Is being
given to the gas supply. I find that
the general damage sustained by the
building is not as serious as first sup
posed. The heavy foundations to the
building do not appear to be disturbed,
and the walls blown down are confined
to the thin encircling walls built to
cover steam pipes, etc.
None of the heavy sustaining arches
or pillars has given way so far as
can find I will make a fuller examina-
ton, with better light, later to make
certain on these points. For the pres
ent 1t does not seem that a rebuilding
of any part of the capitol will be neces-
sary. The work will be that of repair
ing, and l hope we can finish this by
the time congress convenes. We have a
small balance for this. but in any event
the work will be DONE"
Big Meter Blown to Pieces.
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 salts
fled most of the capitol officials that a
gas explosion 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
a visit to the scene of the catastrophe.
Chief Justice Fuller and Justice Harlan
walked through the various apart
ments, guided by man with a lantern.
While they looked at the scenes Of de-
struction with manifest interest they
made no remarks. They spent some
what more time in the courtroom than
elsewhere. There they found the up
holstery and the courts new $4,000 car
pet greatly injured, but the two court
clocks were ticking away as regularly
and as dignifledly as ever The busts
Of former chief justices, which line the
W oiiS VI luc Olu CHdIuUeT, were also I'M
injured, and this appeared to be
source of much qualification to the chief
Justice and his companion.
They found nothing but ruin and des-
olation in Marshal Wrights office. This
room was completely Quilted. No fur
niture escaped, and the walls of the
room are as black as night, the effect
Ct smoke and fire and water combined. |
While this damage was regretted, It
was not considered irreparable.
The only damage that cannot be made |
good was done in the fileroom of the
court, in the basement, where |
were stored all the official records and |
he original copies Of opinions from the |
of the government All these
opinions have been. printed, but the |
original manuscripts were highly val
led.
This room was almost over the scene
IT the explosion, and it was one of the
irst compartments of the capitol to be
attacked. The documents here were
stored away in an orderly manner in
wooden cases, and none of them hf d
my other protection, except the records
If the court from 1892 to 1882, which
we're incased in tin boxes The flames
appear to have completely enveloped
his room, but they were only suffi-
'iently intense to badly char all the
woodwork and many of the documents.
Comparatively few Of the papers were