The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-01-04
FIRE RAVAGES
u. 5. CAPITOL
DURING night
$1,000 Damage Is Done to
Papers in Room at Top
of House Wing.
FUMES STIFLE ONE MAN
Speedy W k by Fighters
Prevents Destruction
of MuTaIS.
BIZ United Press

BIZ United Press
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-Only a
few hours after contracts had been
awarded for reconstruction of the
White House executive Offices. raked
by a Christmas eve fire, flames
threatened the rotunda of the Cap
ttol building here Friday night.
The fire, which caused damage
estimated at about $1,000, and in
Jured one man, started in the studio
of a Capitol artist shortly after 7
p. m 1t was extinguished less than
an hour later, but not before it had
spread to a room adjoining, filed
with important documents. The
cause is unknown.
F1remen, brought from all parts
of the city by five alarms, found
Charles MOberly, the artist, uncon-
Scious in the burning studio when
they gained entrance. He was taken
to nearby room, occupied by DEM
ocratic House Floor Leader Garner
OF Texas and revived. His injuries
were confined largely to shock, ply
Sicians said, and he should require
only a rest.
Located Near Dome
The studio is located at the top
OF the house wing of the building,
near the dome 1t was filed with
artists materials and a number of
valuable oil portraits of former
state officials. These were saved
and will be ready for hanging after
refurbishing.
In the adjoining document room,
however, between 500 and 1000
bound volumes of bills were dam
aged and probably ruined. Thou
sands of unbound documents on
nearby shelves escaped the flames
only by a little and many of these
may be damaged by water
Early estimates placed the dam
age to documents at nearly $4,000
and that to wooden partition walls
Of the two rooms at some $4,000.
Only these wooden walls and
furnishings were in1ammable, it
was said. The walls of the building
itself are of sandstone from three
70 five feet thick.
, Had the flames succeeded in gain
ing the great rotunda, it was point
ed out. great damage might have
been done to the mural decorations
on the walls and dome. PromrS
work by f1remen. however, kept the
flames from making any great
threat to that section of the build
ing.
Stave Off Flames
The blaze was discovered by Ken
meth Keller, Salt Lake City, an
elevator operator, who turned in the
alarm. Keller and Capitol guard
fought the fire with eXtinguisherS
until the firemen arrived.
AS news of the fire spread about
the city excitement became intense.
Automobiles from all parts of the
city were turned toward Capitol
hill. On the plaza before the build
ing several thousand persons many
of whom witnessed the White House
blaze, gathered to watch the smoke
curl from SkylightS.
Flames appeared. at times, to lick
the base of the dome leading watch
ers to believe the fire was even more
serious than it later proved to be.
Complete extent of the damage
can not be estimated until the
extent of water damage is de-
termined. Because of the thick
walls it will require some time to
learn what effect seeping water will
have on the ceilings of rooms be-
low.
Some damage was reported TO the
ceiling of Associate Justice San
ford'S office on the floor below, and
firemen ripped away some marble
wainscoting nearby to determine
the cause of heat within the walls.
Water Made Radiator
The investigation showed that
water. heated by the flames, had
seeped into the building walls,
Transforming nearby sections into
o Yeritable radiator"
It was considered possible that
AL tA4CI AA4NCSNASdNAOAI AAASAS oA4SU
the need of more reconstruction
ork than at first estimated.
vhe first was the worst the Cap
Il building had known in many
y The interior of both wings
central section was destroyed
&c in August, 1914, set by in
ag British troops.
cro IN
completed in 1927 at a total
st OF s2,433,S44.
The Capitol. like other govern
ment buildings here carries no in
sIrance, although the building cost
SIS ZOO, 900 and is valued, with the
grounds at S37,500,00 Insurance
premiums. it is pointed out. would
cost the government as much. at
least. as the damage bills 1t is occa-