The Detroit times., 1911-03-29
s6.000.000 F|I
SWEEPS THROUe|
n. J. CAPITOL
Flames Start in Library Tron
fective Electric Wire and Lay -
terror of $27, 100000 strustu1
In Ruins.
Aged Night Watchman u l(issfn
State Carried No Insursnce o.
Building.

ALBANY, N. Y, March ga Il
to the building Of s6.O00,000 and
records and documents almost pC1~
less In value Is the result fof &
which started In the assembly 1lnrr|
OF the magnificent s27, 900. 900 cor1)
early today and spread throuGI, ~
western portion OF the bun
destroying everything In It's path, a.
the third floor upwards. 49,
The state library containing 1o&
volumes was entirely destroyed
well as q number OF ofices surro
Ing 1t. The other portions or the ri
ing, including the assembly ana
ate chamber were waterlogged.
II Is thought that one life hao
lost. Samuel Abbott. a night "
man, Is missing, and 1t 10 feared
he succumbed to the flames. Tho
at 10 o'clock was still smolderinR
several streams Of water were p1nz
on the ruins.
The disaster, however. will not
terfere with the voting for Uu1
States senator. II being planned +
have sessions In the city hall unflR 7
| assembly and senate chambers ean'
repaired. ~
The fire completely destroyed I
state library, the administru31
Offices OF the state department OF ~
cation, the state court or cIo1|
chamber. the court clerks once 4
senate finance committee room
office OF the president pro tenn or ?
senate, the assembly library ana
assembly document and wrauu
room. All the Offices In the weG1/
portion Of the building on the flrst
second floors were flooded with Nj
The other portions Of the buili
were also covered with several fn6
of water. The grand western q
case was blackened with smoke.
assembly chamber furnishinRi
ruined by water, and the an -
Icrumpled away In severai p0aoU r
| There Is no Insurance whatever.
IT has not been the policy OF the S(I
to insure its buildings, save n 4
case OF certain hospitals and asyIl
plants. 3 :
The flames, fed by inflammable =
ords and documents, spread rapid
and the library was seething q
mace when the firemen arrived IN Z
sponse to an alarm at 2:46 O'CLOCK
Then the fire reached the elevate
near the state library and BEGAN
sweep up the shafts. The firemen NJ
being assisted by every employs
the capitol. who could be muster
INTO service. The newspaper ~
VINO were amont the first on the see
also joined In the fight.
| AT 3:25 o'clock the flames lean
cross the elevator shaft toward
state library. Fire Chiefs .Bridxefo
and Walsh had three linee OF 10
trained on II from the Corridors.
Falling stones from the cetlinrs :,
nying chips from the marble nflI6
and walls greatly endangered the m
men and interfered with thir work.
The fire quickly gutted the asse,
biy library, destroying all bills, do<
ments and papers. some OF them n
ing as far back as 1875. These Z
irreplacable. The library also "a
tained all the works. documents of n
codes and the judiciary Committee
the present session, including fha =
mans suffrage bills. These were I
destroyed.
AT $3.50 the fire entered the doc
ment room and It was doomed. M
flames ate up to the roof and swe
about II, igniting other parts OF d
capitol.
Five minutes later, the fire lean,
into the state library with a roar AZ
It's infammable contents were lick,
up like oil In a furnace. A great oa
en- door was partly burned throur
and the firemen were unable to pen
trate to any points OF vantage III
tContinued ON page Is.)