Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-03-29
West End Of Magnificent Structure q Mass OF
Befrimed and Watel.Soaked Wreckage
MANY VALUABLE DOCUMENTS RUINED
Damage to Building Will Reach $5,OO000O and Documents
Valued at $8,O0OO00 Are Lost-Several Men Reported
Missing and Firemen Have Miraculous Escapes--Mion
Dollar Stairway Buried Under Wreckage of Dome.

Albany. n. T., March 2s-Fire
swept, smoke strewn and water
drenched, New York states masnih-
cent S37,o0oooo capitol stands today
Z partial wreck by flames that started
IN the assembly library. burned away
tho entire west end and did damage
estimated by First Assistant shattuck
at between 35.ooo.ooo and $1,000 600
before the flames were put under con-
troll It o'clock this morning. after
raging moro than four hours. 1t -
thought the IRE was started oy
fnsad> electric push button becoming
electrified.
The fire was discovered by q nient
-otchms,1 ana tho alayun was SOUNDED
- e.lA o'clock. Before the dremen
,eaehed the massive structure price,
ie~a documents, books and recoros:
stored In the assembly library. nao
heen DESTROYED and other departments
were being threatened. Tho Am'utun
oak ceiling Of tho assennay chAmoe.
conrnoeed Of papier mache was pa1
3ially destroyed. az was Also tne "a
NOUS million dollar STAIRCASE " ''Ae
west wing. .....
ON the third floor where the n ~
GAINED their start the iomo"ns
partneuxs wholly or partially wy ~,
stroyed or seriously o."as
water: ..,,,r. eoo 900
.,...,..-' a.nons them being most Oh
a.. -SnsoInxical works in the unieoo
y e.sstss. torether With relics ana p1e
-. sA,c,rnants. some Of them oaAa1s
back to 177s. -. r,-.r,..
$3.50 I'm Thousands OF volo1ne ~
49, ana code books. also !. n 49,
= ao.rments ana n1anuscssptS s1s
can never be replaced. g., ~h,ch
ns ar.nce committee room, IN whc"
+ored drafts OF all the appropFa1
non. and other bills Of the present seS-
ZION. a.. nr..,dent pro
tenn Of the senate. ..a,v
acknowledgements room. oaaiy
aamaxed but not wrecked.
Th. senate and assembly champers'
,...,, f,,,shed with water that has rum
"a their rich furnishings.
pamase On Other Floor.
On the fourth floor In the west winS
the wrecked officers are:
ain drafting departments. bureau OF OF
.el~h,s and measures. state regents
romo. state prison commission anu
state educational department.
On tho second floor the damaged
rooms are the attorney generals o11sce'
and the state excise department.
on the hrst Aoor the damaged de-
partments include offices OF state
treasurer and tax commissioner anu
state board of charities.
Men Reported Missing.
While the fire was at Its height 1ouE
men were reported missing. AFTER the
fire was under control Fred Weller, 70
wears old. q watchman In thes tate
library. was reported missing. Thomas
Bean and man employed IN the oocu-
ment room were missing.
Governor Dix was aroused shortly
inter 4 o'clock and remained in close
touci, with the firemen by telephone
until the fire was under control.
Many Marrow Escapes.
The firemen had many narrow es-
canes. Several parties Of them were
caught by flames in the corridors and
rooms but escaped safely. Half an
hour after the fire was considered un-
der control flames broke out afresh In
the ceiling Of the assembly chamber.
After some difficulty the firemen got
them under control.
There was much speculation as to
what effect the fire would have on the
senatorial situation. The senate cham
her was Hooded with water but the as
sembly parlors in the northwest wing
were unscathed a1ia & was decided to
hold the adjourned democratic caucus
there, as well ~ the joint ballot at
noon. The caucus last night did not
adjourn until nearly o'clock and q few
remained In the building when the fire
broke out.
ruined Stairway elaborate.
TIA grand western staircase, which
vas fs9asde0as one Of the most beau
tiful oe the world, occupied the center
OF the western wing and consisted of
IN immense double stairway elaborate
" carved. Il was surmounted by a
9lased dome which soon fell. It may
have 30 Be rebuilt. The structure was
commenced IN March. 1884. and took
ivs and one-half years to build.
Lost Documents Valued at 9oy0o0,o0
state Commissioner Of Education
Andrews Draper stated today that the
loss Of the documents ana equipment
OF the state library. which could be
replaced. was. In Tho neishborhood Of
3s.ooo.e0s.
Starting afrssh In the northwest an
gis the hrs got beyond control Of the
Aromen shortly before 10 o'clock. AZ.
aheonscSous By failing debris others
wsse eautious shout penetrating be-
lsssssss sssss sss.sssss ssss.ssssarea arch OF the west
l