Omaha daily bee., 1911-02-07
MISSOURPS CAPITOL BURNS
State House at Jefferson City Struck
by lightning and Destroyed.
RECORDS GONE; LOSS ONE MILLION
House Papers Burned, hut senate
Saves DOcuments-COnvic Take
Part in Futile Fight to
Save structure,

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo, Feb. 6-The
fire which destroyed the state house Of
Missouri last night was still smoldering to-
day and it is thought the flames have
reached the record vaults in the Easements.
Ten thousand copies of the revised statutes
of 1909, which we're stored in the basement,
were removed today. Money, bonds and
valuable state papers in the treasury vaults
were taken out
The legislature will meet in temporary
quarters this afternoon and probably ad-
journ until Friday Quarters for the state
offices will be chosen by Governor Hadley
and a committee today.
Loss, Million Dollars.
The total loss, including the structure
and many records and state papers in the
offices of tho governor, secretary of state
and treasurer, is estimated at sl0O0,00J,
with no insurance.
Lightning, which struck the cupola of
the dome shortly after o'clock, spread
the flames to the roof of the house of
representatives on the north side of the
structure and in less than half hour it
was apparent that the entire building was
doomed. .s s5s5-F --s-te. E..
Because OF the inadsquacy of the water
pressure the fire could not be reached,
and no aid could be rendered for some
time by the local fire company.
Governor Hadley personally directed the
fight against the flames, which, because
of the age of the building, rapidly gained
great Roadway.
COnvicts Aid In Fight.
The penitentiary fire department was
Immediately called TO the scene and the
convicts worked herocally, scaling walls
and taking dangerous chances for their
lives.
The local military company was called
out and formed a Gordon around the build
ing driving spectators from dangerous po-
sitions and removing records from the diff
ferent state departments.
The fire soon spread to the roof of the
senate chamber on the east side, where
the efforts of the firemen proved unavail-
J ing TO check it
Legislative Records Burn.
The records of the present house OF
representatives were destroyed, while
those OF the senate were saved. In the
state treasurer's office more than 320OOC
is in the time vault, supposedly fireproof
and may be saved when the debris rs
| cleared away. There was no insurance
! The historic capitol was erected in 1888
at a cost Of $4,000 and in 1887 was re-
modelled at a cost Of &25OOOO, While II
| was built of stone, the roof was covered
with much inflammable material. which
| fed the flames and which spread rapidly
with the falling OF the dome into the mair
| part of the structure.
! The legislature will determine tomorrow
whether 20 continue it's session here OF
elsewhere in the state. Some OF the mem
bers favor continuing the session here
where smaller buildings have been Offered
by the business men, while others are FOL
the removal Of the legislature.
The loss of the records practically
necessitates the work Of the present SEES
sion being done over.
At midnight a part Of the Sedalia, Mo.
fire department, which arrived after run
of siXty-four miles on a special Missouri
Pacific train, Joined the local forces in al
effort to save the records in the basemen
Of the building, the cement floors owe
which are believed to be intact
Governor Hsdley announced at midnigh
that he would grant pardOns to severa
eonvicts who risked their lives TO saw
state papers.