The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1911-04-07
CAPITAL BURNED
FIRE SWEEPING THROUGH STATE
STRUCTURE At ALBANY
CAUSES $4,000, 900 LOSS.
NIGHT WATCHMAN DEAD
Priceless Documents, Hundreds Of
Years Old, Are Destroyed BY
FIames-suiIding Erected at
Cost Of Nearly 81, 0oo, 900.

Albany, N. Y. - Swept by fire
New York states magnificent $4,000,
900 capitol stands partially wrecked
by flames that started in the assembly
library, burned away the entire west
wing and did damage estimated al
$10,O0O,O00 before the fire was de
clared under control, after raging more
than four hours.
1t is believed that the fire was
started by fused electric push but
ton. 1t was discovered by night
Waterman and the alarm was sounded
at 2:46 a. m.
The state library, containing 100000
volumes, among them the most valu
able genealogical works in the United
States, together with relics, priceless
documents. some of them dating back
! to 1776 and irreplaceable.
. The assembly and senate libraries
stored with thousands of volumes OF
law and code books, also many docu
ments and manuscripts that can never
be replaced.
The finance committee room, in
which were stored drafts of all the
appropriation and other bills of the
present session.
The chamber of the president pro
t.: IN of the senate.
The Acknowledgements room, bad.
ly damaged but not wrecked.
Tho nj ~,
both flushed with water that has
ruined their rich furnishing and the
PAPER mache ceiling of the latter is
hanging in struggling shreds of half
dissolved paper. This ceiling, with it's
handsome adornment, is said to have
cost a great sum and was one of the
show sights of the capitol
On the fourth floor in the west wing
the wrecked o.ices are: The court of
claims, in which many important legal
documents were on file; the bill draft
ing department; the bureau of weights
and measures; the state regents
rooms; the state prison commission;
the state educational department, con-
tanning many valuable books of scien-
tific and historical interest.
On the second floor the damaged
rooms are: The attorney generals Of
flee; the state excise department., prob
ably swept by flames.
On the first floor the damaged de-
partments include the Offices of the
state treasurer and state tax commits
sioner; the state board of charities
and the state commission of lunacy:
the lower Office of the state education
al department.
Practically all the Offices below the
third floor, including the executive
chamber, were damaged by smoke and
water
4 The departments which escaped the
ravage of fire and the deluge of water
include the court of appeals; secretary
of states office; department of public
works; the state superintendent Of
prisons Office; the state civil service
commission; the forest, fish and game
department.
The restaurant, telegraph offices and
press bureaus along the midway" on
the third floor also escaped damage.
Most Costly Public Building.
More money was spent on the con-
struction of the state capitol at Albany
than on any other public building in
America. 1t was estimated when it's
construction was authorized by the leg
stature in 1868 that the building as
planned would cost $4,00O,0O0. AS the
state record for the fiscal year ended
Sept. &c. last, the total amount eXpend-
ed had been nearly s27, 100000, and the
original plans had not been carried
out
! No insurance Carried.
The state carried no insurance, as
the capitol building had been regarded
as fireproof. 1t was, in fact, not the
building that burned. but it's contents
The fourth floor space in the west end
did nearly four times the service it
was originally intended for.
Most precious, from the historians
standpoint, of the fuel the flames
found in their path were the % manu-
script folios of the famous official rec
ords of the governors of the City Of
| New Amsterdam. covering period
from 1880 to 1914. These were ii
course of translation. The transla
| tons were burned with the origina
! Dutch documents.
| Watchman:s Body is Found.
| Albany. n. Y. = The boy of Sam
uel ]. Abbott of Syracuse, the nigh
Waterman in the state library, wa
found under pile OF debris.
i Suffrage Bill Is Passed.
Madison, Wis. = The woman's sui
frage bill passed the senate by yot