Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-01-12
NIOWACAPITOL
THE STRUCTURE DAMAGED 70
AMOUNT OF 100000.
Entire Northwest Wing of Building
a Mass of charred Rrins-ReguIar
Legislative Session Not to BE POST
poned-Governor as Fireman.

Fire ruined the northwest wing of the
Iowa State capitol in Des Moines Mon
DAY, with an approximate loss of $780,
600. The chamber of the House of Rep
resentatives is charred mass of ruined
debris and cannot be fixed mp in time for
the approaching session of the I-egisla-
ture.
The fire gained great Roadway before
II was checked 1t started about 10
o'clock and at noon it was thought the
Cummins ordered the contents of all the
offices removed. However. it was finally
confined to the wing of the capitol in
which it originated and by o'clock was
practically eXtinguished. The executive
council of the State, consisting of Gov.
Cummins, Secretary of Safe Martin.
State Auditor Carroll and State Treas
urer Gilbertson, held a LIief session in
the evening and announced that the con
yening of the Legislature would not be
postponed. Arrangements will be made
so that the sessions can be comfortably
held
The origin of the FIRE is mystery and
Gov. Cummins has ordered an immediate
investigation 1t started near a shaft in
committee room No. and spread upward
and all around the ceiling of the House
chamber. The fire department was I'M
able TO fight the flames effectively. the
height of the building and elevation of
the capitol site making pressure impossi-
bic. The only thing possible was TO cut
off bn t,roerracS Of tho Hof,ac
The gallery of the House chamber fell
with n crash, portions of the debris
slightly injuring two fremcn and endan-
gering the lives of several The crash
and scattering of the burning debris made
the saving of the building seem impossi-
BILE Gov. Cummins gave up hope and
State Architect Liebbe was also of the
opinion that the building was doomed.
The valuable volumes of the State IL
brary, located near the fire, were hastily
removed and The State Offices were quick
ly emptied. Tie funds of the State
Treasurer were hastily loaded on a wag-
on, supposed by those not in the secret
to contain books. and carried TO Il down
town bank for deposit. Gov. Cummins
laid aside gubernatorial dignity and, clad
in rubber boots and rough coat, engaged
in the work of fighting the fire.
At night the beautiful State capitol
presented scene of desolation. The
marble staircases are covered with ice,
the floors are flowing with water and the
offices under the burned part Of the
building are flooded. Many beautiful
frescoes in the chamber of the House
can never be replaced. The Iowa capitol
is one of the most beautiful in the Unit
ed States. 1t is built along the lines OF
the capitol at Albany. 1t has been the
pride of the State and of the city of
Des Moines and was erected twenty
years ago at a cost of 100000. The
State capitol commission appointed FOR
this purpose had just completed the res
toration and repair of the building at a
cost of S125, 900, most of which had been
expended in the chamber which is ruined.
The building was supposed to have
been freproof, but the use of several
false ceilings in the House furnished ex-
cellent material for the flames.
Gov. Cummins said that the House
chamber could not possibly be repaired
this winter. The estimates on the loss
are varying, Gov Cummins placing it al
| 100000, but the majority of estimates
place the loss at 100000 to $100,000