Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1911-03-29
Carelessly Thrown Cigarette
or Bad Electric Wire
Causes Another Costly
Blaze.
BUILDING COST TWENTY
SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS
Valuable Documents and Ii.
braries Wiped Out; Fire.
men Injured and Troops
Called Out.


Albany y y March es-Fire
swept ana water drcnchcd. the New
AutN mdgujhcou' t2s.oou. 200 state
/ capitol stands this morning. a
partial Wr,rk by flames that start
| cd iu the assembly library. burned
away ih' entire vcst Ning and ala
damage voriously estimated at from
To- 10 millions b,ior. the Flames
vcrc put uudor control
II Is believed the lire was started
hy fused electric push button.
The me was discovered by the
Iughl "dtrlmdn ana The alarm turn
"d ~ "t 2;ti O'Clock this morning
Before the nr-mcn reached the
massive structure, the priceless docu-
nehis, books aud records stored In
the assembly library had been de-
-troycd
tn" timpnS million dollar staircase
l"I th' west wing was practically ruin.
'd' several departments were DE-
slrdNcd. including the state library
With SIX hundred thousand volumes.
among th'm the most valuable gen
"dlogical works in the United states.
together With many priceless docu-
nrnis. some dating back 10 t71G
tn" assembly and senate libraries
we're stored with thousands OF yol-
un.s OF laW and cod. books Thes,
| were swept by IRE ana the SENATE ana
assembly chambers were also badly
damaged
1ho court of claims. the burtau of
IN" Wntc educational department. all
. y I..fH. a f.tI
rraiE offices ani those of thr state
| tr'sur"r state tax commissioner. ,;td
BOARD "i charities were damaged.
The nrr started afresh about 10
O'Clock this morning and soon got
away from tho nrrmcu
Nitor several IRE lighters had been
knocked unconscious hy failing den
riN. they hccamc more cautious about
going beneath th, shattered arches
'i the west wing
Tnc assembly chamber is total
wreck tn" state militia were pr.ss.
| ed INTO service 10 police the dr, line.
ana remove records. relies and flags
from thc adintant generals Once.
Both houses OF the legislature me,
no thc ..u ban this incoming
state Architect ware. during th,
morning, estimated the loss io be
about uN" millions cNclusiv, Of the
valuable records la the state library
Which cam never b, replaced
The building has been placed under
martial laW ana soldiers are guard.
! trg a.
Electricians about IN, capjtal
scented th' idea that defective wiring
hhd caused th, IRE and blamed B. on
a car"l'ssiN thrown cigarette.
80 far 1s asccrtained there IS no
insurance "n thc capitol OF ns con
tents
Sauuol Abbott OF syracuse. the
msht watchman, is missing and il is
supposed that he porishcd IN the
| flames.
/ Tho nremon had many narrow os-
canes 'nd several were overcome hy
smoIc
Great crowds collected nbout the
burning building after tho second
! ir' broke ont at 10 O'Clock and the
suirdsmcn had diniculty m keeping
IN" people outside the danger zone.
u was Thought ~ one tim, tlat scy-
| rfhl nrrmcn had been Killed. when =
quantity of debris fen with orash.
| several hr"men Wcrr carried out uu-
| conscious but were not seriously in
lurcd several Wrrn overcome hy
smono ana .oscucd rs their comrades
! II viii he some time before - thor.
| ough search can be- mad, of the huild.
lng for the night Watchman and other
possible victims. Two pcople we're
! reported missing and were believed
io have been burned nut were found
| IN the crowd later.
Tn" New Nosk state capitol was ono
of the handsomest la the world II
cast about s21,01n. 900 and twenty
Years were required To build H. wow
nadly the building rs damaged can
not he aScertaincd at this time. smoke
ana water, however, havc ruincd th"
most costly parts of the building
IN" ART and decorative work within.
Tn" documents within tn, building.
most of which were completely do
stroyod. contain historic data dating
from the days when the thirteen COLI
onics were preparing for rebellion
against England There are oven
some paper, dating to the time when
istercd the law.
| ihr Jaw liilN WHN one "i lh' p'Si
IN the United states ana some of its
hooks were priceless
I, Is not known what II any action
the legislature will take, towards
rsbuildmg the capitol immedlatclyi
The members have no'n completely
pnralyled by the catastrophe and
many of them stood about the blax-
ing capitol, watching the IRE in ST.
'enee' -