Evening journal., 1911-03-29

Every piece OF fire apparatus in the
city. with all the available men was
then on the scene.
Finding they were baffied at the
State Library, the fremen turned
their attention to saving other offices
on the. third floor. They carried a
line Of hose through the Senate cham
ber and il was doing good work until
the smoke. drove them out.
With a roar that could be heard for
blocks a part OF the north roof crash
ed down at All o'clock. The flames
leaped up with renewed, vigor and
continued their march, roaring to-
ward the north wing.
Firemen rushed In with every line
of hose available and managed TO
block the flames from reaching the
Assembly Chamber. for time, at
least
At 4.30 O'Clock Chief Shattuck and
a party Of fremen attacked the blaze
that had crept into the State Regents
Department within twenty-five feet OF
the Senate Chamber determined TO
make one last desperate stand TO pre-
vent the flames from cutting that
rich. handsome, and luxuriously fur
nished apartment The fire fed rap
idly on the paper stock of the State
Regents office.
At 435 o'clock the flames burned
through the huge marble walls, thick
as a city's bulwarks, and swept into
the office of Senator Robert VI. Wag-
ner, majority leader OF the Senate. Az
this point, only two rooms were be-
tween the fire and the Senate Cham
Der. The Senators were notified 10
make a rush and take from their desks
all the documents they wished to pre-
serve.
State Architect Ware was early on
the scene along with many other State
and city officials. He said that Il
would be impossible to give an idea
OF the damage. until after the flames
are extinguished. Others estimated
the loss at o'clock at from $50O0,000
10 sS,000.000.
Firemen Nearly Trapped.
Captain Storey, of the fire depart
ment, and his men we're lighting the
flames In the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee room, when the fire, eating
through supposedly flre-proof doors,
trapped them for time In a corner,
but they managed to escape.
Fifteen flremen who were battling
at the State Library were temporarily
overcome by smoke shortly after 5
o'clock and they were forced 10 aban-
don their operations at this point.
II was feared that Samuel Abbott,
the aged night watchman OF the
State Library, which was utterly de-
stroyed had fallen victim to the
FIRE, as he had not been seen since It's
starting.
DR.. Won Lehr, the State architect.
said that he hoped the most preciors
items OF the States great manuscript
collection of more than 100000 pieces
had been saved About a year ago
the State charter granted by Charles
the Second to the Duke Of York, the
Dongan charter, the Washington
relies, the Major Andre papers, Lin-
coins emancipation proclamation
were placed in great safe In the
office OF the superintendent Of Public
Instruction on the first floor of the
building. All Of the Dutch and Eng
lish colonial records. except such as
are in the custody OF the Secretary of
State are destroyed and their loss is
of course. irreparable. The Van
Rensselaer, collection OF historical
, manuscripts, some $4,000 pieces ~
: number. only recently acquired, are
: lost.
The loss upon that portion OF tn
L capitol building destroyed is doubt
q less in the neighborhood Of $6,000,0O0
4 This amount does not include the FUR
= nishings which we're Of the most cost
e " description. nor the contents OF th'
State Library.
There is no insurance whatever as
It has not been the policy Of the State
10 insure its buildings. save in the
case OF certain hospitals and asylum
plants.
A defective electric wire is said 10
have caused the fire.
II the fire had started an hour
earlier II would have found the Demo-
cratic members Of the Legislature
caucused In the Senate chamber dis
cussing the Senatorial situation. The
caucus adjourned at o'clock to re-
convene at 10 o'clock this morning.
Much Money Wasted ON Building.
More money was wasted I'm the con-
struction OF the State Capitol at Al
bany than on any other public struc-
ture i'm America. II was estimated
NufN. IT'S NUAAoAl uAAl0N was a1AhRA A1'A
by the Legislature I'm 1863 that the
! building as planned would cost about
S4,O00.0O0. According TO the State
records for the fiscal year ended
September 30. last, the total amount
expended had been more than $685.
900 600 and the original. plans had
not been carried out.
The city OF Albany is built upor
several hills and on the highest oi
these stands the building which wai
ruined today II is a gigantic struc'
ture of white granite. with red capped
towers, and crowns the pyramid Of al
Of the other city buildings looming
gigantically, no matter which way
people enter the city.
Scandal has attended the progress:
of construction since the first shovel.
ful of earth was turned over. Away
back in 1879 when only $4,000. 900 hac
been spent. charges were made thai
much OF this sum had been misap-
piled. A legislative investigation was
held, but the only thing uncovered
was that the work had been done OF
the days labor plan, and that many
men had been carried on the payroll
who had never seen the structure.
The ruined building Is 300 fee
north and south by 400 feet east ant
west, and with its porficos, covers