The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-30
Priceless Documents De
stroyed w hen New
York S Capitol Burns.
MONETARY LOSS
ABOUT S., 900, 900
Fire Ravages Great Pile Of
Masonry Believed to Be Fire
proof, Consuming Records
Which Were Pride of State
Library-Defectiv
Wiring Blamed.

Albany, y. Y. March 29.-Five mil
lion dollars probably could repair the
damage done by fire In the State Cap
itol to-day. but money cannot restore
the historical records which were the
pride of its state library. After ex.
aiming the exterior walls with a tran
sit. state Architect Ware declared to-
night that the massive pile Of granite
was as plumb and true as ever. Tho
! flames licked UP the State library, the
Court Of Claims. the assembly library
and document rooms, most of the Office
OF the excise department and the quar-
tiers of the Senate Finance Committee,
and water and smoke took I'D the work
that the flames laid down, and the
damage from his cause extends. to
every part of the building.
Although the fire started in the
northwest corner OF the building, It
caused the greatest havoc in the south
west corner Here the red tiled point
ed cupola fell. carrying down part OF
me carved granite work that sun.
Ported II and a towering stone chin
teE. conservative estimates place tho
damage to the exterior stone work ~
So 900. 900. "oth a
The interior masonry was DAMAGED
.othe extent of $1,000. 0Oo. and the
same sum Will represent the loss IN
the contents OF the State library.
Waterman rs Misainr.
10 trace had yet been found to-.
nsnt 81 samuel J. Abbott. the aged
A'gnt "atchman IN the State library.
me nre was still burning to.nipbt
"a me ruins beneath what was onceffha
oeaut'tpi cloud painted ceiling of the
.tate Library reading room. and tha
water Kept pouring in from sevan
Ines OF hose. Water still dripped
through the ceilings in nearly all marie
80 =, ~ west wing and cascaded down
,ne stone stairs; but the fire was s,h-
ready begun. ""' al
- hundrcd national guardsmen stood
guard In the deserted corriuors ~
night and fifty policemen patrolled tfa
ssieets OUTSIDE to protect the dismantl-
ca end OF the building.
Next to the fnancia1 loss ~ 40.
effect of the fire will be inevitahIeae ~
Jay IN the machinery OF State COVER.
ment Although the Senate chamha,
s.ands practically untouched and q fau,
thousand dollards can restore the n,eet.
place OF the lower house to its former
ueautS, a week or longer may inter
sene peIore legislative business can
proceed In its accustomed channels
mere was talk tonight Of. q recess
aha only the constitutional reouIre.
ment OF taking q daily ballot untiI !,
Chited states Senator Is chosen. keeps
me legislatures here. Such a recess
was expected If the senatorship tanele
could be unravelled o-norrow r.
day both houses met in the Cir. LII ~
across a short stretch Of park from fha
Sapitel building. the Senate in the
common Council chamber and tha
Assembly in the County conrt
room, where the joint session also was
,ieiu: ana me same arrangement will
. toliowed Tomorrow. The burned
out department. forces found tamnor-
airy quarters. where they could. Dis
GUESSING the fire loss. State Architect
Ware said tonight:
Eased upon the original cost OF the
capitol. the extent Of the damage
would De between 5000, 900 and s6 :
100000. but in view Of moro economics,
Hletnoos or construction which can be
employed In the restoration. I'M.
amount can bo materially reduced"
MIR, Ware Will recommend that When
the burned out portion is restored the
interior De remodeled to suit the other
departments which will occupy It.
completely destroyed,
me state architects official descrtp-
lows: " III
IT would appear that the entire
state Library. located on the third and
fourth floors, including the northwee,
and southwest pavtlions. are complete.
ly destroyed. This includes also the
Court OF Claims and some of the com
n,lttee rooms Of the Senate and AS
se!nblS. The ceiling Of the Senate ap-
pears TO be intact and apparently no
damage. except slight water damage
has occurred at this point. The western
side OF the assembly hall, Including tbe
ceiling, has suffered a slight fire dam
g and considerable water damage
Many departments on the first and sec
ond floors in the western portion Of
the Capitol have suffered more from
water damage than from actual fire
On account of the dangerous condition
of some of the interior walls and dorm
ers throughout the western section,
1t would be inadvisable to use tho OF.
fees Immediately Hereunder"
The State carried no insurance, as
the Capitol building had been regard.
cd as absolutely fre-proof. Ii was, In
fact, not the building hat burned, BIZ,
Its contents. The fourth floor space in
the west wing did nearly four times
the service 1t was originally Intended
for.
In places this part OF the building
was like a rabbit warren, with the en-.
ployes of the library and the
pupils OF the library school work
ing in box-like apartments sur
rounded by wooden shelves loaded With
books and pamphlets. When the fire
starting among the papers In the rs
sembly library, reached this portion OF
the building, 1t swept ahead with n
fury that fused like wax. sandstone
granite and marble.
tx. Precious Fuel.
Most precious. from the historians
standpoint of the fuel the flames found
in their path, were the twenty-threS
manuscript folio volumes Of the IN
nous official records of the Governors
OF the city of New Amsterdam covering