The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1931-01-02
FIRE DESTROYS
N. OAK. CAPITOL
Continued from page one)
Insured for 900

u' tHo hie Will cause the grea
est confusion in the states histor
and will take years to untanel
He believed that the vaults in III
building were inadequate and thu
nearly every paper contained /
them Will be found DESTROYED.
Among the papers lost are tn
records of about S95, 900, 900 wort
OF investments in the state Ian
department and the state treasu
er's office. State highway depar
ment officials etimated that it wi
cost from 100000 to $500, 900 t
rcplace their plans. And hundred
OF lrreplaceable historical record
are gone.
The fire started in the top foo
of the four-story brick structur
and worked downward. Fireme,
found their efforts futile and tn,
blaze burned itself out within
three hours.
The cause of the fire is so IA
undetermined.
Some Records Saved
Three hours after discovery 81
the flames, the four walls stood as
a v~irtuallv hollow she'll. TIE fire
was discovered by Joseph Winkel
ionitor and night watchman. at
7:35 a. m. He gave the alarm but
before irgmen could arrive. the
Naze had alrady a n through
the roof and covered the entire
top floor.
State officials worked to save
records as the fire worked down
ward. They were able to remove
q large number from lower floors,
but could not reach those above.
Firemen, SENDING streams
through the windows, were power
less to check the flames spread.
Limited hose supply and weaken
ed water pressure hindered their
efforts, and a moderate breeze
acted as a draught to the flames.
Legislature Homeless
The state legislature, which
.convenes January g., is left hom4-
less, but plans are under way to
have members meet on the regu-
lar date in the ney county World
memorial and in the city
auditorium. State officials are
prepared to submit Immediately
an emergency bill or a%ppropri-
atoms to construct a new building.
For many years, governors have
recommended a new capitol build
ing, but it a not until 1929 that
he legislature enacted a law to
levy a on~e-twentieth mill tax for
he succeeding six years, the pro
:eeds-estimated at $3.50. 000-to
20 into the capitol fund in which
here is already $780, 900, derived
rom land grant.
Governor Shafer, who is prepar-
ng his inaugural message to the
legislators, had inserted. a few
lays ago, a recommendation that
new capitol be constructed.
Lost Records Listed
Records destroyed or damaged
we're said by state officials, after
tasty check. to include:
State land Observation-Disclosures
f S55, 600, 900 state investments.
State treasurer's office Re
ords of investments aggregating
yer SAC, 000 600. /.
State highway department-Pro-
les and plan for work which, it
!, estimated, will cost between
200, 900 and S300,0 600 to duplicate,
State railroad board-Records
hitch cost hundreds of thousands
f dollars to compile.
State auditors office-Records
nd documents of value undeter-
lined, but worth a great deal,
ccording to State Auditor John
teen.
Board of administration Re
1rds and accounts of all state in
.itutions which officials aid can
OF be replaced.
Governors office-Loss Of files
nd records.
State hail, bonding and tornado
.surance department-Records of
illions of dollars of expenditures
Id collections.
State tax commissioners office
Records and data destroyed.
State engineers office-Data
hich required years of work and
early 500, 900 expenditure to ac-
lmulate.
State department OF agriculture
Id labor-Records of many
,ars, including those of the dairy
'partment.
State industrial commission
ecords destroyed.
Former Governors Walter 2
addox and Joseph Devine; T. II.
loreson, former state tax com
issioner; Auditor Steen; S. A.
sness, commissioner of insur-
ce; James Morris, attorney gen
Joseph E. Kitchen, commits
of agriculture and labor;
crctary of State Byrne; Frank
yant, secretary to Governor
iafer, and virtually every state
who was in the city, hur-
d to the scene to aid the fire