Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-03-31
new, YORK STATE
CAPITAL BURNED
Loss ON MAGNIFICENT BUILDING
WILL De TEN MILLION
polIAR9.
STARTS FROM DEFECTIVE WIRING
FLAMES Quickly Spread TO Entire
West HAN % Building, Destroy
Inc Everything In Their path.
One Life 10 Lost.

Albany N. Y.-Ths New York State
Capitol. erected at cost Of $4,000,
900 caught fire shortly before o'clock
IN the morning and was practically
destroyed. The fire originated in
the west end of the great structure
On the third floor and the whole side
% tho building is wrapped In flames
With which the nremen were power
lals to cope.
The state library has been des.
troysd and the grand western stair
vay which alone cost 100000 has
been badly damaged.
The fire ID believed to have been
eaueed By defective wiring In the ref.
srsnce library Of the Assembly. in the
southwest corner of the building. One
Of the orderlies says defect was dis.
covered last week. which was report
I'd.
The flames, fed by inflammabls rec
brds and documents Of priceless value.
spread rapidly and the library was a
sesthing furnace when the firemen
sYYived.
Priceless Documents Burned.
The fire quickly destroyed all bills.
locsments and papers, some Of them
dating q far back as 1776. These
aye irreplaceable. The library also
contained all the documents Of the
codes and judiciary committees Of the
present session.
Tho fire soon entered the document
room which was quickly doomed. The
flames ate up to the roof and swept
evsr, Illuminating the heavens and oil
PARTS Of the capital. ~
Five minutes later, the fire loaped
Into the state library with roar, and
It's inflammable contents were licked
No like oil in q furnace. The great
eaken door was partly burned through
but the firemen were unable to pene-
trate any point Of advantage that
would enable them to train their hose
On the flames to success.
Nearing Assembly Chamber.
The firemen were badly hampered
ID their early operations and the
flames, famed by a north wind, ate
heir way through the corridors and up
10 the very doors Of the assembly
chamber. In fact the fire was within
ten feet OF the chamber before the
liremen could drag hose around from
State street.
The state library. with it, valuable
collections Of books and documents.
Including manuscripts and almost
priceless relics, was seen to be
doomed.
Every employee Of theb capitol who
could be mustered into service Joined
he firemen in fighting the flames,
which swept along the corridors and
sts up the expensive furnishings Of the
VARIOUS rooms wherever they touch
Among the early arrivals was A.
vsmblyman Levy of New York. chair
nan Of the judiciary committee. who
aid the assembly library contained
m the records Of the legislative SEES
vaons and thousands Of law books.
oflfela,s Rush 90 Scene.
state officials were routed out o
their beds and hurried to the blazinl
building to rescue state records II
other departments, should they be
ea,,> en6ansored. Many LEGISLATOR
we're also on the scene.
The flames quickly made their va!
10 the state excise department on tn
second floor, directly under the az
sembly library and the hall Of tn
court ofysclaims on the floor abov'
~as au3aoiy. destroyed.
.zAA4:1 pelock the flames had swep
across the entire west section of tn
.huildiuE and we're bursting into tn,
senate finance committee room ant
the adjoining office Of the Temporal!
president OF the senate. At that hou
the fire threatened to reach the ony,
senate chamber.
The flames lighted up the who'll
city and had it not been for the fac
that the wind was blowing in an OF
posite direction. would have threat
ened the new state education build
ing across Washington avenue to tn
north. which is being erected at
cost Of 100000.
At $50 the flames were entirely b.
yond the control Of the hre depar
ment The vast Structure was. on
,>a.. ~ roarjnr Aames So far a