Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-02-22
FIRE THREATENS
STATE LIBRARY
g.
Many Priceless Manuscripts,
Paintings and Records in
Great Danger
BUT LITTLE DAMAGE
Clouds of Smoke Alarm Readers. and
Young Women Rescued With Con-
siderable Difficulty.

Richmond, Feb. 22-Fire yesterday
threatened the State Library Build
ing and its invaluable records, and
while little actual damage was done,
State officials who have offices in the
building and members of the Gener-
al Assembly, who watched the smoke
from the windows of the capitol, were
given a serious scare. When they
came to think that the historical
manuscripts Of the Virginia State
Library, including many early Col
onial papers CT interest to the en-
tire nation. were being kept III Il
non-freproof building, without fire
escapes for the workers and readers,
and that the records Of the Virginia
Supreme Court of Appeals were in
wooden cases on the second floor, it
was realized that the State had had
narrow escape from loss which
could not be replaced by any sums of
money.
1t was regarded as fortunate that
the fire. which brokr out in the base
ment at the noon hour, did not oc-
cur few hours earlier or later, for
had it done so, priceless manuscripts.
paintings and other vauables, all
intimately connected with the his
tory of both Virginia and the repub-
lic. would have been destroyed. Not
only are these papers and other ar
ticles of the early history housed
in the building, but records of the
present day are kept there as well.
George c. Wright, elevator man in
the building, discovered the fire near
noon. Calling one Of the watchmen in
the building, he rushed downstairs,
and saw that the fire was too large
TO be handled by any except the fire
men. He called to some one to turn in
the alarm, and then rushed back to
his elevator to 90 to tho third t.oot
and notify those above.
1t was this act which notified every
one in the building for the instant
the elevator ascended foot above
the floor. the smoke poured through
the shaft, which had been closed up
to this time by the floor of the car.
He Immediately lowered the machine
and closed the shaft. but Il great
cloud of smoke had already come
through. and was completely filling
the building.
The various officials who have their
Offices in the building and the clerks
and stenographcrs began pouring
down the stairs to see what was hap
pening. for the smoke, following the
old hot shafts formerly used in
the heating arrangement, was pour
ing through every aperture all over
the building.
An excited crowd was assembled
on the third floor. largely brought
about by the fact that the elevator
had stopped running and because
there was dense fog of smoke
pouring up the stairway and eieva-
tor shaft. Some of the young women
on that floor were prevented from
jumping from the building by Pa
trolman. f. II. Orgain. who was
among the first officers TO appear
on the scene. He saw the excitement
on the top floor, and rushed up the
stairs, just in time to hold one young
woman back as she was preparing
to jump to the ground. Miss Rosa
Goode, a stenographer. on the third
floor, was slightly overcome ty
smoke. and was assisted from the
I
building. Some other young woman
whose name was not learned, was as
sisted by the fireman down the lad
der. A third tainted. but was quick
ly restored, and helped from The
building.
The fire started from some un
known cause, in some old papers ans
records in small storeroom JUS
beneath the big safe in the offic'
of Second Auditor Roosevelt Page
and also beneath the stairway lead
ing from the first floor to the base
ment. In addition to the papers, ther
was large amount Of military stores