The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-03-29
s6.000.000 FIRf|
Sweeps THn0UCR
n. Y. CAPITOL
Flames Start in Library From ~
fective Electric Wire and Lay n
terror Of $27, 100000 Structure
In Ruins.
Aged Night Watchman Il Missing
State Carried No Insurance On
Building.

ALBANY, N. T., March 29.--The IN
terror OF New York's magnificent Sz7s
100000 capitol building is mass ol
ruins. A nre which started from
defective electric wire. early this
morning in the assembly library
spread through almost the entirs
building, destroying priceless records
The entire fire department worke6
heroically to subdue the flames, which
At eight o'clock were under control
The loss is estimated at upwards
of $6.00O,000
There In no insurance whatever, a
II has not been the policy Of the state
to insure its buildings, save In thu
case OF certain hospitals and asylum
plants.
The flames. fed by infiammable REQ
ords and documents, spread rapidly,
and the library was q seething fur.
mace when the firemen arrived In re
sponse to an larm at GAG o'clock.
When the fire reached the elevators
near the state library and began to
sweep up the salts. The firemen were
being assisted by every employe %
the capitol, who could be mustered
into service. The Newspaper msn
who were among the first on the scene
also joined in the night.
At 1925 o'clock the flames leaped
across the levator shaft toward the
state library. Fire Chief Bridgeford
and Walsh had three lines OF hose
trained on II from the corridors.
Falling stones from the ceilings and
flying chips from the marble pillars
and walls greatly endangered the Are
men and interfered with thir work.
The nre quickly gutted the assem
bly, library, destroying all bills, docu.
ments and papers, some Of them dat
ing as far back as 177s. These are
irreplacable. The library also con
tanned all the works. documents Of the
codes and the judiciary committee Of
the present session, including the wo
mans suffrage bills. There were all
destroyed
At $3.50 the fire entered the docu.
ment room and It was doomed. The
flames ate up to the roof and swept
about IT, igniting other parts Of the
capitol. %
Five minutes later, the IRE leaped
into the state library with roar and
Its infiammable contents were licked
up like oil In furnace. A great oak
en- door was partly burned through
and the firemen were unable to pene-
trate to any points OF vantage thar
would enable them to train their hose
on the names to success.
With roar that could be heard for
blocks a part OF the north roof crash
ed down at All o'clock. The flames
leaped up with renewed vigor and con-
tinued their march, booming the north
wing.
At 4:30 o'clock, Chief Shattuck and
party OF firemen attacked the blaze
that had crept into the state regents
department, within weny-nve feet Of
the senate chamber, determined to
make one desperate stand to prevent
the flames from cutting that rich,
handsome and luxuriously furnished
apartment. The fire fed rapidly on
the paper stock OF the state regents
ofice.
At 4:35 o'clock the flames burned
through the huge marble walls, thick
as a city's bulworks, and swept into
the once Of Senator Robert H Wag-
ner, majority leader OF the senate.
At this point, only two rooms were
between the fire and the senate cham
Der. The senators were notifled to
make a rush and take from their
desks all the documents they wished
| to preserve.
1t was feared that Samuel About,
the aged night wat0hman OF the state
library, which was utterly destroyed,
had fallen, a victim to the IRE, a. he
had not besn seen since its starting.
y