Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-04-05
he Albany Fire Horror.

The following description of incid-
ents of the recent destruction of New
York states magnificent state capitol
was written by relative of Mrs A.
j. Wiedenbeck, of this CITY, and is
published in The Herald by request:
March 81, 1911.
DR.. John Hurley,
Little Falls, N. Y,
My dear DR. Hurley Your letter
addressed to my house was received
last night, after my return home from
two days Uf hard labor at the fire at
the capitol.
The condition of the capitol today
is deplorable. Words are inadequate
to express to you the terrible destruc-
tion the fire has done and ! only wish
you might come here and see for your
self.
1 was called early Wednesday
morning, about three hours after the
fire started, and from that time until
Thursday night, was at the capitol
most Of the time. was one of de-
tachment Of 80 men detailed from
troop "B" cavalry here at Albany, to
do guard duty in protecting the
property of the state
The fire, as you doubtless have
read, started in the northwest wing of
the building, in the assembly library
and the valuable documents connected
with the committee on judiciary, con-
tanned in that library. were entirely
destroyed The fire then followed a
course around to the state library con
Stunning the law library, reading room
and medical library; then the senate
of the senate and the clerk of the
senate's Office The new carpet in the
senate lobby, which was just installed
at an enormous cost to the state, and
in which was woven the Coat Of Arms
of the State of New York, is entirely
destroyed by water.
On Wednesday morning the Assemb
ly chamber resembled a manlature
lake and the speakers and clerks
rooms were entirely Quilted by the
fire On the fourth floor the court of
claims, with its records, the state
library and the Indian relics connect
ed with the museum department, were
entirely destroyed. The top Of the
grand western staircase is scorched
and huge pieces of stone have fallen
away. In the state education depart
ment, DR.. Finegans Office on the
fourth floor, where the Waterman S
body was found is entirely gone The
superintendent of weights and
measures office, with its valuable in
struments. was badly damaged
The towers on the northwest and
southwest corners have been entirely
Quilted, and particularly the tower on
the southwest corner, where only
portion Of the wall remains standing.
Outside TIE capitol. on Washington
Avenue, on the northwest side, the
stone work was entirely burned out
and large pieces dropped to the
ground
On the second floor the adiutant-
generals Office, which also contained
the war records, the attorney generals
Office, the excise department and the
hearing room of the public service
commission have sustained severe loss
by water.
On the first floor the superintendent
of public buildings, the tax commits
sion, the state treasurer, the state
board of charities and the state COM
mission in lunacy. with our friend,
Mr.. Downings Office, are entirely
flooded and the perishable furniture
and the carpet untitled for use.
From the accounts in the newspap-
ers one cannot appreciate the loss that
the state has sustained by this fire.
1t is estimated that 1t will take be-
tween 81, 600, 900 and $4,000, 900 to re-
place the damaged portion, but no
price can pay for or replace the
precious and valuable state library
with it's hundreds of precious volumes
that have been entirely destroyed.
The state education department at
present has corps of willing workers
who are trying to save some uf the
volumes, but there will be a very,
very small percentage of the books
that can be saved from this awful
confagration.
AS stated above, I was detailed
with troop 'B' to do guard duty on
Wednesday morning, early. The
acknowledgement had some 200 men,
fully equipped, at the capitol from
that time on. My first post of duty
was on the fourth floor, near the
grand western staircase, and later |
was on duty on the third floor near