Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1911-03-31

BURNED
Y s5Ik Il State STAT s27 s27 ,s6oo, GOO ,tfao1 fo0
Building is Wrecked BY
!. Severe Fire.
ELECTRIC WIRE IS ORIGIN
Believed Fire Started From Fused
Wire Dakota to Boost
Development League.

, -
Development League.
Albany, N. Y, March 31--.New York
states magnificent $27, ,0O0,O capitol
stands a partial wreck by flames that
started in the assembly library, burned
away the entire west wing and did
damage estimated at 81 100000 before
theaames were under control after
raging more than four hours.
Two wings Of New York's state
house, thenorth and the west, have
been severely damaged by fire, causing
a property loss estimated at from s5,.
100000 to s7,O00,OO0.. Magnificent
worksof art and sculpture have been
destroyed and 1t is believed that most
tof the priceless contents Of the state
library and legislative libraries have
been lost.
The famous west staircase, one of
1.-The most beautiful in the world may
have to be rebuilt. s33
s44e flames were brought under CON
troll aftera stubborn 7-hour fight. 1t
is said that the state carried no insur-
lance on the capitol. @ 81:
Several firemen and employees Of the
building were trapped by flames but
| all escaped with possibly one excep-
ton.
| A fused electric wire or a cigarette
seliesed to have started the fire.
i"t Where the Flames Originated.
On the third floor, where the flames
gained their start, the departments
wholly or partially destroyed by fire
or seriously damaged by water were
The state library, containing 4,000.
1000 volumes, among them the most
4 valuable genealogical works in the
United States, with relics, priceless
documents, some of them dating back
to 1776 and irreplaceable.
/ The Assembly and Senate libraries
: > -
stored with thousands of volumes oi
law and code books, also a number 81
documents and manuscripts that can
never be replaced.
Bill Drafts Burned. @
The finance and committee room, ir
which were stored drafts of all the
appropriation and other bills Of the
present session. s
The chamber Of the president pre-
i TEN ~-.-..e senate.
The lieutenant governors room
damaged but not wrecked.
Legislative Chambers.
1 The senate and assembly chambers
both flushed with water that has
A ruined their rich furnishings, and the
j ceiling Of the latter hanging in wasted
/ tangled shreds of half-dissolved paper
This ceiling, with its handsome adorn
ment, is said to have cost great sum
land was one Of the show sights of the
capitol.
On the fourth floor, in the west wing
1.-THE wrecked Offices are: The court of
Eclaims, in which many important legal
documents We're on file; the bill-draft.
ling department; the bureau of
weights and measures; the state re.
gents rooms; the state educational
department, containing many valuable
books of scientific and historical inter.
est, 5
On the Second.
On the second floor, the damaged
rooms are: The attorney generals Of;
Ifice. the state excise department, prob.
ably swept by names. M
On the first floor the damaged de.
partments include The Offices Of the
Estate treasurer and state tax commits
sion; the state board of charities and
| the state commission Of iunacy; the
lower Office of the state educational
epartmert AZ NE Ne
4 Practically all the offices below the
third foor. including the executive
chamber were damaged BY smoke and
water.
Departments intact. 4
The departments which escaped the
rayage OF tho fire and deluge OF water
t41c1tld< Il Tho nrr,,.t 1,f u, Is Il = e