The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-03-30
MONEY CANNOT
REPAIR DAMAGE
Priceless Historical Records
Destroyed by Fire in New
York State Capitol.
WALLS OF THE BUILDING
PLUMB AND TRUE AS EVER
No Trace Found of the Aged
Night Watchman of the
State Library.

ALBANY. n. Y. March 2e.-Fivc mil
lion dollars probably could repair the
damage done by fire in the state capt.
iol today. but money cannot restore the
historical records that were the pride OF
Its state library. After examining the
exterior walls with n transit, State Arch
ltect Ware said the building was plumb
and true as ever
Although the fire started in The north
west corner of the building II caused
the greatest havoc In the southwest COR
ner. Here the red tiled pointed cupola
Icll. carrying down part of the carved
granite work which supported IT and II
towering stone chimney
The entire west wall above the second
stone window frames were ruined. Con-
Servative estimates place the damage to
the exterior stone work at S2.000.0 600.
The interior masonry was damaged
to the extent OF Sl,50Q, 900, and the same
sum will represent the loss on the con-
tents OF the state library.
Aged Watclman Missing,
No trace has yet been found tonight
of Samuel j. Abbott the aged night
watclmaD III the state library.
The flames licked up the state library,
the court of claims. the assembly library.
the document rooms most of the Offices
of the excise department and the quar-
ters Of the senate finance committee.
anu wafer ana SlIlOhc lbok up tic "oIk
that the flames laid down. The damage
from this cause extends To every part
of The building.
The fire was still burning tonight in
the ruins beneath which was the beau
tiful painted ceiling OF the state library
reading room, and the water kept pour
ing In from seven lines OF hose. Water
still d.ippcd through the ceilings In near
ly all parts OF the west wing and cas-
caded down the stone stairs. but the fire
was subdued and the work of repair had
already begun. .
A hundred national guardsmcn stood
guard in the deserted corridors touiSh,
and fifty policemen patrolcd the streets
outside TO protect the dismantled end OF
the building.
Legislature Meets in City Hall.
Next to the financial loss, the chief
effect of the fire win be delay in the ma
the senate chamber stands practically
untouched and "a few thousand dollars
can restore the meeting place Of the
lower house. week or longer may inter-
vcue before legislative business can pro-
coed in its accustomed channels.
Both houses met today in the city hall
Ing. the senate i'm the common council
and the assembly In the county
courtroom. where the Joint session
also was held. and tho same arrangement
viii be followed tomorrow.
The burned out department forces oc
cupied temporary quarters.
The state carried no Insurance. as the
capitol building had been regarded as
fircproof. 1t was in fact not the build
ing that burned. but its contents, The
fourth floor space in The west wing did
nearly four times the service for which
IL was originally intended. When the fire.
starting among the papers In the assem-
bly, library. reached this portion OF the
it swept ahead with fury that
fused like wax the stone, granite and
marble.
Precious Documents Destroyed.
Most precious. from the historian
OF the fuel the flames found
In their path were the twenty three man
uscript folio volumes OF the famous Of
ficlas Records of the Governors of the
City of New Amsterdam, covering n
period from 1880 To 1874.
These were in the course of transla
ton by j. r. VanIaer His tIanslatlons
were burned with the original Dutch doc
uncnts.
In addition to these the state lost the
of Governor George Clin
ton. five thousand pieces In all, and the
original letters of Sir William Johnson
and Governor Daniel -. Thompklns.
The priceless Colonial and Washington
and Lincoln relics in the custody of the
educational department were In the big
safe on the ground floor and were unin-
iured.
These include the original manuscript
of Washingtons farewell address. the
original Of Lincoln's emancipation proc
lamat ton. all the original copies OF the
state constitution and the Major Andre
papers. Among The documents lost were
dealing with the history OF South
Carolina during the revolution. At the
request OF the state, n bill was pending
I'm the legislature here 10 permit the de-
partment to turn them over 10 their orig
inal possessor.
nED3IlNc TnlJnIru nI