The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-24
FOR SAFER LIBRARY
Fires In The Past Caused
Heavy Loss.
Three Narrow Escapes From a Dire
Calamity on Thursday in the
State Libra0Y to Be
investigated.

notice that it is in even unsafe con-
dition is posted, this coming as the
result OF the sinking of the floor ON
Thursday last when the room was
crowded with at great throng at the
Richmond county prohibition Dill
hearing.
Had the floor entirely collapsed the
catastrophe would have been an aw-
full one, with n huge loss OF life. In
the Supreme Court room below,
We're tWenty-one lawyers who would
have been killed, the loss of life and
injury i'm the crowd above would
have been heartrending, as perhaps
200 We're there, many OF them leglS~
lators.
,rhe determination to close the Lib
raIy for the present was reached at
q. conference Yesterday of Governor
Glenn, Secretary of State Grimes and
State Treasurer Lacy. An eXlmlna-
ton of the condition of the building
will be made by Mr.. John ID. Briggs,
who has sent To Oxford to Col. w.
J. Hicks for the plan Of the building,
as Colonel Hicks was IN charge OF
the Penitentiary when the building
was erected by convict labor in 1886.
Mr.. Briggs desires to find out whether
1t will be Wisest to tear out the noor-
ing. or to seek for the damage through
the ceiling of the Supreme Court
room.
some years ago a steel ceiling was
put III this room, as the falling OF the
plastering became dangerous. AT
one time a mass of this fell while the
court was in session, dropping just
behind the lawyers. one, OF tneSe,
Col. Edwards, Of oxford. being
spoken TO regarding the danger ne
had escaped, said: well, l would
like the p4astering to have fallen over
4 IA ~ IN
thick their skulls are.
The tloor is estimated to have sunk
four and a half inches. ana 1t is
found that this is more serious IMAM
was at first supposed, as the pitch OF
the Supreme Court room is thirty feet
and. there being large Orders support
Ing the floor, if it had sunk there
would have been absolutely no es-
cape for those on the floor ana the
crowd of people underneath.
One man, Hon. stephen Mcintyre OF
iIumberton. noticed the floor as it was
sinking, and With great presence OF
mind and good sense. he averted q
stampede, as the impulse of the throng
would have been to make a desperate
rush for the doors. Mr.. Mcintyre ana
others called out for the people TO
move slowly, as many were hurTSlHs
toward the exits.
There are books in the State Library
worth more than 100000, while the
books of the Supreme Court Library
are valued at $4,000 and many OF these
volumes cannot be replaced. Besides
the books there are invaluable docu-
ments and files dating from more IMAM
| 100 years ago, none of Whlcn coulu
be duplicated Should the building fall
these books would be terribly dam
aged and q fire would cause total
! less. as the water would be as dam
aging as the fire.
During Governor Cars administra-
ton a place in the State Library pulled
| down so as to leave three or four
inches between the bottom of the phi
| lars and the floor. Governor Carr sent
an architect to make an eXamlnauon
| and had il patched up in the best man
ner possible. The floor of the supreme
| Court Library afterwards sunk In the
Riddle and was showed up by Jacking
| up the middle girder there, and the
! floor now is turtle backed like the
| deck of a snip.
During the administration of Cover
nor Russell the floor in the other wing
across the passage gave signs OF SINK
ing and ron Orders We're ordered es-
pecially for the purpose of giving sup
| port 20 the floor and Keeping IL from
! falling in. The floor of the Supreme
Court of Virginia fell in 1873 or 1874
| and thirty persons were killed, but that
would have been small to the horrible
catastrophe which would have taken
place in the North Carolina Supreme
Court building if the Orders had given
way and the floor fallen last Thurs
| day.
What Fires Did.
From the House Journal of Deem
| Der 6, 1916, the following extract OF
| interest just now is taken:
Mr.. Inge, from the select joint com
nittee appointed to consider ana re-
port. on the petition of Willie Sledge,
following report: That from the teS-
timony of John Haywood, William
Hill and Samuel Goodwin, Esquires,
| said Sledge did display unusual activ-
| ity in preserving the State House,
which was in imminent danger by the
quantity of fire which seemed TO snow
! err thereon. Your committee more
| over find on due investigation that
John Dodd Martin Adams. James Ut
| lev, Joshua Allen and JAS. Ruth az
| forded considerable service in assisting
| Willie Sledge TO preserve the public
buildings; and that there were six or
seven persons of colour who were em'
ployed to bring water; all of whom
are in the opinion of the committee
entitled to compensation; the commit
tee therefore recommend the adoption
of the following resolution:
Resolved That the treasurer OF
this State be, and he is hereby author
lied to pay unto Willie Sledge the sum
of one hundred dollars to John Dodd,
Martin Adams James Utley, Joshua
Allen and James Ruth, the sum OF tif-
ty dollars each, and to each of the wa
ter carriers the sum of four dollars.
The Ralehg Register OF June -,
1881, has the following under a head
of awful Confiagration," and its read
ing will emphasize the need of Sc
cure place for the invaluable books
and papers in the State Library. It
says:
at is our painful and melancholy
duty again TO announce to the public
another appalling instance OF loss by
ire which will be deeply felt and la
mented by every individual in our State
Tt is nothing less than the total de-
strdction Of the capitol of the state. To-
Gated in this city. OF that noble edi-
five with it's splendid decorations,
nothing now remains but the black
ened walls and srnouldering ruins. The
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