The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-03-04
WISCONSIN State
BUILDING BURNED
FIRE DESTROYS THE CAPITOL AT
MADISON CAUSING LOSS ES-
TIMATED AT 100000.
INSURANCE CARRIED
ON STRUCTURE $4,000
Flames Believed to Have Started from
Lighted Gas Jet-Law Library and
Books of the State Historical So
ciety Are Saved.

Madison, WIS.,, FEB. 29.-Ihe Wis |
consin state capitol building was prac-
tically destroyed by fire Saturday with
a loss estimated at 100000. The state
carries only partial insurance, being
in the process of changing from insur-
ance in companies to a system of state
insurance. The fire involves the build
ing of new capitol, a special session
of the legislature and the probable re-
newal of the agitation in favor of the
removal of the capitol from Madison
to Milwaukee.
The flames completely ruined the
east and west wings, containing the
senate and assembly chambers and
the departments of the tax commission,
the adjutant general, railroad commits
sioner, state school superintendent, SUI
perintendent Of public property, board
of agriculture, state normal school,
commissioner of fisheries, fish and
game warden, state board of pharma-
cy, state land Office, dairy and food
commission, state treasurer and COM
missioner of labor.
The last departments to burn were
those of the secretary of state and gov
ernor on the south, the attorney gen.
eral and insurance commissioners on
the main floor and the supreme court
law library and state library commits
sion or the second floor. Practically
all the valuable state records are be-
lieved to be safe. Most of them re-
main in masonry and steel vaults in
the ruins and their safety depends on
the extent of the fireproof character
of the vaults
Two fire companies arrived from Mil
waukee at ten o'clock on special train,
but too late to render assistance, as the
flames had practically wiped out every
department of the building with the ex-
ception of the north end. In this portion
were located the supreme court and at
torney generals office, and they are the
only departments saved.
The origin of the fire is believed to
have been a lighted gas jet in toilet
was close to and ignited a vanished
ceiling.
Little Insurance on Building.
Gov. SchofieId maintained insurance
on the building throughout his term
totaling 5000, 900, but lie last legisla-
ture instituted an insurance fund and
directed the states officers to allow
the insurance policies to lapse. In
June last there lapsed $4,000, and in
December the sum of $4,000. There is
in the insurance fund at the present
time about $4,000 to meet the loss
which conservative estimates place at
100000
Valuable Books Saved.
Gov. La Toilette was early on the
scene and by his GOODNESS and self
possession did much to enforce order
among the workers and got things
carried out.
All the contents of the immense law
library situated in the north end of
the building were carried out, together
with large quantity of other books
and papers. These were stacked IN
huge piles upon the snow in the park
surrounding the building and, with the
exception of slight damage from the
snow, were not materially damaged.
Included in the burned portion was
grand army hall. The battle flags and
other army relics were saved. Prof.
| Coniver, acting for the state board of
control, had rented new quarters ny
six a. M, where the records of this de-
partment of the state government were
| taken in safety. During the fire Chief
| Charles Bernard was overcome by
smoke and fell from ladder, receiving
serious injuries.
One source of great satisfaction is
| that the State Historical society's great
| library, housed for half century in
the capitol, was safe in it's own great
library building, but for which it
would have been wiped out with loss
| which could never be measured. From
an original cost of 100000 in 1887, ap-
preparations from time to time for new
| additions made the cost of the state
capitol to date about 100000 The
building was situated in the center of
Capitol park, which is 914 feet square,
containing about 141a acres on an ele-