" ! NEW twin A PAIR DAY. A LARGE VOTE “57;" The Rough Rider Gets About 120,000 I Majority Outside of New York. Van Wyck’s Lead in New York Not More Than 75,000. A Big Vote Throughout the State. New York, Nov. 9.—This morning's dispatches show that Colonel Roose- Velt has at least 120,000 majority over Van W’yck outside of Greater New York. Van Wyck's lead in Greater New York is not over 80,000. . Roosevelt’s majority in the whole state ,therefore, is about 40,000. The legislature is safely Republican in both houses, though the senate ma- jority is narrow. Senator Edward Mur- phy, therefore, retires from his seat on March 4, and a sound money senator takes his place. It is probable that Tammany has elected all of its congressmen. Gains were made by the Republicans throughout the state except in Buffalo and Rochester. Ch'atauqua county doubled its usual majority of three thousand. In Greater New York. New York, Nov. 9.—The election in this city passed off very quietly and was noteworthy chiefly for the fact that a large part of those registered deposited their ballots early in the day. . When the polls closed at-five o’clock it was thought that the vote was sur- prisingly close to the registration. In many districts more than one—third of the voters deposited their ballots be— fore nine o’clock, and by ten o‘clock it was estimated that about 40 per cent. of the vote had been cast. Voters generally deposited a straight ticket, judging by the celerity with which the booths were entered and left, a great many taking less than a minute to mark the ballot and fold it ready for the ballot box. _ Notwithstanding the predictions of stormy weather towards nightfall the day proved all that could be desired in that respect, which had much to do with the polling of a full vote. The anticipated clash between the police and Superintendent McCullagh’s deputies did not occur. There were many warrants out, and a large num- ber of arrests were made, in which ser— vice both bodies of men were active. When the cases of alleged illegal reg- istration were taken to the police courts it was found that the greater part were without foundation in fact, having originated in the clerical errors of registration officers and the poll clerks. The police had little to do, the crowds being orderly. In the Eighth assembly district one of the Republican leaders was arrested, charged with disorderly conduct in challenging a vote, but the case was promptly dismissed by a po- lice magistra’t'e. ’ Few persons were seen on the streets in an intoxicated condition. About one- half of the crowds were children and youths, who gave little trouble. Tammany Elects Judges. ' New York, Nov. 9.—Despite the great fight put up by men of all parties, Tammany has elected the judiciary ticket by an indicated vote of not more than two per cent. less than that given to Van Wyck. There was only a slight falling off in the vote given to Croker’s men. Leven- tritt was well up with the others. Re— turns indicate that very few voters cut the judicial nominees. Daly leads his companibns by a few hundreds only. Van Wyck’s Complimentary Vote. New York, Nov. 9.——The vote in Kings county indicates that local pride had much to do with giving Candidate Van Wyck a vote in excess of that- lookcd for by the Republican campaign managers. The normal Democratic majority there is eight thousand, and this has been increased, it would seem, to sev- enteen thousand. All the political sagacity of Hugh McLaughlin and his lieutenants and all ihe vast patronage at their com- mand was used to pile up an unusual vote for the head of the ticket. The Shepurdites were enlisted in the cause and added the strength of the Indepen— dents to the result. In Rochester. Rochester, N. Y., Nov. 9.—The super- intendent of canals, G. W. Aldridge, lives in this city, and it looks as if there was an effort in trading which resulted badly for the Rough Rider. Revised returns from Rochester, com- plete. give Roosevelt 14,289, Van W'yck 3,744; majority for Roosevelt, 545. In 1896 McKinley carried Ro'chester by 6,238. Monroe county will not give 'Roosevelt over 2,500. Roosevelt Hears the News. OYSTER BAY, Nov. 9.—After learn-‘ ing of his success last night Col. Roose- velt made this statement: “I appreciate the honor very greatly, and I appreciate even more deeply the responsibility involved in the honor. I ' shall do all in my power to redeem every promise I have made, express or ’ implied. . . “I am a good Republican and I be- lieve I can best serve the Republican- party by doing everything I can to help it serve the State. I shall strive to ad- minister the office of Governor in the interests of the whole people. “It is by so doing that I can best show my appreciation of the support given me by the independents and Democrats, who have themselves put the welfare of the State first, declining to follow their leaders, who in this crisis have ranged themselves outright on the side of the . forces of dishonesty, or else"supported them in effect by standing aside from ‘ the real contes ." ‘ Troops to Be Mustered Out. Philadelphia, Nov. 9.—By order of the war department, Battery A, Cap- tain Barclay H. VVarburton. and the . Philadelphia City Troop, Captain John C. Groomic, will be mustered out this week, the batter yon November 10 and the troop on the 11th. .'.-.o--. .. .m-u—v. ‘ (fl. WEEKLY ’- Nou WALK -» GAZETTI‘rJ. KI: REPUBLICANS WIN IN NEW JERSIEQ.3 9 Foster M. Voorhces Elected Governor 1:, Over Ten Tousand Pltirality. Trenton, N. J., Nov. 9.—The Republi- cans made a clean sweep in this state yesterday, notwithstanding the expec- tation that the Democrats had the best of the argument. Foser M. Voorhees, according to the returns, has carried the state by over 10,000. Seven out of the eight congress- men were elected by the Republicans, the exception being in Hudson county. The Republicans will have a majority on joint ballot of the assembly and senate, and the prospect is that John Kean, Jr., will be the next United States senator from New Jersey. There is but one other candidate for that po- sition and that is John F. Dryden of Newark, president of the Prudential Life Insurance Company. The Democrats put up a strong fight considering that the state went over 80,000 for McKinley. In 1895 John W. Griggs, now attorney general of the United States, was elected governor. The average Democratic plurality has been 8,000. It would seem as if the good old Democratic state had drifted into the Republican column. James Smith, Jr., the present United States senator, will retire in January, having served one term in the United States senate. Since Joel Parker was war governor from 1863 to 1866, the old Democratic state has had but one Republican go'- ernor before Mr. Griggs. That was Marcus L. Ward, who served from 1866 to 1869. With this exception the ’state has been Democratic by majorities in that period ranging from 651 in.1830 to 14,253 in 1889. Of the eight congressmen elected on- ly one is Democratic. The legislature will stand upon a party vote in the fol- lowing ratio. Senate, Republicans 14, Democrats 7; Republican majority 7. Assembly, Re— publicans 38, Democrats 22; Republican majority 16. Joint Republican major- ity in house and senate 23. Quiet in North Carolina. RALEIGH, N. 0., Nov. 9.—The elec- tion was quiet. The whites voted the Democratic ticket more solidly than ever before. , In the Fifth Ward of Wilmington, a negro stronghold, the utmost quiet pre- vailed, and not more than 15 per cent. of the negro vote was polled. The ne- groes voted without‘interference. At Laurinburg, a negro stronghold and scene of a great “red-shirt" demon- stration last week, there was no trou- ble. Few Republican votes were cast It looks like a Democratic landslide. Wisconsin. MILWAUKEE, Nov. 9.—Chairman Treat, of the Republican State Central Committee, figures that Scofleld will carry the State by 40,000 plurality. He also says the Legislature will .be large- ly Republican, and at least eight of ten Congressmen will be returned from the Republican ranks. Chairman Peck, of the Democratic Committee, says not enough returns have been received to form any kind of an opinion. North Dakota. FARGO, N. D-., Nov. 9.—The Repub- lican State Committee claims that it has elected its State ticket by a plu- rality of not IeSS than 4,000. The Fu- Sionists, however, declare that Holmes for Governor and P'iske for Supreme Court have been elected. The Legis— lature is conceded to be Republican and will select a successor to United States Senator William N. Roach. Illinois. CHICAGO, Nov. 9.—Returns indicate a Republican victory in the State by greatly reduced figures. The Democrats carried Chicago and made a gain of three Congressmen in the city. The revolt against Gov. Tanner and his methods is largely responsible for the city and Congressional success of the Democrats. In Florida. JACKSONVILLE. Fla, Nov. 9.——-The day was bright and warm throughout the State. The only excitement was be- vy tween the two warring Republican fac- tions, the “Joe Lees" and “Anti-Joe Lees,” Where the fight was bitter. The Democrats, however, elected the entire ticket. Delaware Republican. WILMINGTON, DEL, Nov. 9.—Late returns indicate that the Republicans have carried the State by 2,000 major- ity. This means the election of a Repub- lican Legislature, and the defeat of George Gray for the United States Senate. California Republican. SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 9.—Returns throughout the State are very meagre, but indicate the election of Gage, Re- publican, for Governor by a small plu- rality. Phelan, Democrat, has been elected Mayor of San Francisco. Silver Sweeps in Nebraska. LINCOLN, Neb. Nov. 9.—The allied silver forces have carried everything .can de difinitely learned, the indica- i tions are that any changes are in fa- vor of the Fusion candidates. Democratic Gain in Indiana. INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 9.-—Returns are very backward, but scattering reports indicate that the Democrats have car- ried the State by about 10,000. The eight, perhaps ten, Congressmen are elected on the ticket. Colorado. DENVER, Nov. 9—A snowstorm pre- vailed to-day‘ throughout Colorado, and cut dowzi'the vote to a minimum. C. S. Thomas (Dem.-Fus.) will have ,at least 35,000 plurality for Governor, and it may reach 50,000. I New Hampshire. CONCORD, N. H., Nov. 9.—Repub-lic- . ans claim the election of Rollins, their ' candidate for Governor, by a plurality of 10,000. The Legislature will be Republican in both branches. 3 _ I I O H '1 in m O y— - flu H I4 ,5 l G E G O '1 8 G h .6 ST. LOUIS, Nov. 9.—The Democratic State Committee estimates the plural- ity for the entire State ticket at from I 35,000 to 40,000. Returns received show that the result will not differ materi- ally from this. I Fusion Ahead ill-Minnesota. ST. PAUL, Nov. 9,—Returns from the State are exceedingly scattering, but indications all point to the elec- tion of John Lind, fusion candidate for . Governor. over Eustis, Republican. I .. , I they expected to carry, and while there ; have been no possible gains as far as ' - probably elected. T I..:*:4 you ll ll.) STATES Returns Show a. Safe Republican Majority in Next House. LARGE REPUBLICAN GAINS A Large Vote Polled in Nearly Every State. A Solid Republican Delegation Possible from Massachusetts. Republicans Carry Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Penn- fisylvania, Maryland Elects Five Repub- lican Congressmen. With Carolina Dem- ocratic. New York, Nov. 9.——Returns from va- rious states indicate that the Republi- cans are holding their own in the con- gressional districts. This means a Re- publican majority in the next house. Heavy Republican gains are report- ed from Ohio. Governor Wolcott, Republican, has been re-elected in Massachusetts by a slightly reduced majority. -,The Re- publicans have twelve out of thirteen congressional districts and a chance in the thirteenth. ‘ ' The Republicans have carried Con- necticut by about 5,000 and New Hamp- shire by about 10,000. Governor Plngree ran ahead of his ticket in Michigan. North Carolina is probably Demo- cratic. Solid Democratic congressional dele- gations have been elected from Ala- bama, Arkansas and Louisiana. MASSACHUSETTS REPUBLICAN. Ten Out of Twelve Congressmen Elected by the Republicans. Boston, Nov. 9.—For' Congress: In the First district George P. Lawrence, Democrat, is elected; in the Second district F. H. Gillett, Republican, is elected; in the Third district J. H. Wal- ker, Republican, is elected; in the Fourth district G. W. Weymouth, Re- publican, is elected; in the Sixth dis- trict, W. H. Moody, Republican, is elected; in the Seventh district, E. W. Roberts, Republican, is elected; in the Eighth district S. W. McCall, Republi— can, is elected; in the Eleventh district C. F. Sprague, Republican, is elected; in the Twelfth district W. C. Levering, Republican, is elected; in the Thirt- eenth district, W. S. Greene, Republi- can, is elected. Governor Wolcott is elected by a re- duced majority, while the Republicans have elected at least ten of the thir- teen congressmen. The legislature will be Republican in both branches by about the usual ma.- jority. Ohio. Columbus, 0., Nov. 9.—The Republi- can state committee have a dispatch from George B. Cox of Cincinnati that Hamilton county gives a Republican plurality of 14,500. As the county gave Bushnell a plurality of 1,500 last year this is a Republican gain of 13,000 in one county. The vote of both parties is less ev- erywhere than last year, but early re- ports show that the Democratic losses greatly exceed those of the Republi- cans, so that the latter expect a large plurality on the state ticket and a gain of two congressmen. No Contest in South Carolina. CHARLESTON, S. 0., Nov. 9.—The election was quiet and dull. Scarcely any interest was felt and the vote was light. There was no contest for State of- fices, the Democrats having the only ticket in the field. The Republicans have candidates in all the 'Congres- sional districts and hope to make a contest before the Republican House for seating their candidates, Whom they cannot elect at the polls. Michigan Sticks to Plngree. DETROIT, Mich., Nov. 9.—Estimates based upon scattering returns from the State would seem to indicate that Pin- gree has been re-elected Governor by a plurality of more than 40,000. The Leg- islature is probably Republican on a. joint ballot. Rhodc Island. Providence, Nov. 9.—The Republicans have carried both congressional dis- tricts in this state. North Carolina. Wilmington, Nov. 9.—New Hanover is believed to be Democratic by about 1,000, Richmond by 500 to 600, being a Democratic gain of 1,500. Six Democratic congressmen are Both houses of the legislature will be strongly Democratic. Arkansas. . Little Rock, Nov. 9.—The Democrats have carried the First, Second, Third, Fourth and Sixth congressional dis- Legislature is probably Democratic and ‘ tricts. Tennessee. Memphis, Nov. 9.—E. W. Carmack, Democrat, is elected to Congress from the Tenth district. Alabama. Birmingham, Nov. 9.——Returns indi- cate the election of every Democratic congressman in the state. The vote was exceedingly light ‘11 all districts except the Fourth and Seventh. Louisiana. New Orleans, Nov. 9.—-Reports re- ceived assure the election of six Dem- ocratic congressmen from Louisiana. Iowa. Des Moines, Nov. 9.—David B. Hen- derson, Republican, is elected to Con- gress from the Third district. Montana. Helena, Nov. 9.—Slight snow fell ear- ly. Democrats are making strong claims, and the Republicans are Confl- dent of large gains, if not victory; . h cmgia. Atlanta, Nov. 9.—-All the Democratic --- ‘—._. candidates for Congress are elected. , . . "‘9‘. _ M ,_.——__.._.__..—~ ...—. 9‘ QUAYIS VICTORIOUS. ' . Two Opposing Candidates if United Might Have Beaten Stone by 40,000 Votes. Philadelphia, Pa., Nov. 9.—Pennsyi- Vania has stood by Quay. William A. Stone is elected governor by 65,000 plu- rality. ' The combined votes for Swallow and Jenks will exceed Stone’s vote by 90.- 000. Had the anti-Quay .people of the state united the senator could have been buried. There are in round numbers one mil- lion votes cast in Pennsylvania. The machine is good for 400,000 of these and the other 600,000 have only to be divided between two candidates to enable the boss to win. The general assembly will be Repub- lican and yet some good judges express the opinion that enough fusionists and anti-Quay members will be elected to leave Quay short of a majority on a joint ballot. But the caucus and Stone’s state patronage will change the condi- tions as soon as the state senate and house get to work. The five Republican congressmen from Philadelphia—Henry H. Bingham, Robert Adams, Jr., William McAleer, James Rankin Young and Alfred C. Harmer—are elected. , With the closing of the polls ended one of the most remarkable and most bitterly fought campaigns in the politi- cal history of Pennsylvania. The- ir- regularities in the handling of state funds brought about a. revolt in the Re- publican ranks. Senators Matthew S. Quay and Boise Penrose were selected as the principals for personal attack. The former was arrested in Philadel- phia upon a charge of using state funds from the People’s Bank, which failed about a year ago. , Ex-Postmaster General Wanamaker, backed by the Business Men’s Repub- lican League, headed the revolt and has fought the senior senator with unre- lentless bitterness. Senator Quay’s colleague, Senator Penrose, replied to John ‘Wanamaker’s charges of corrup- tion by accusing the ex-postm‘aster general of having a guilty knowledge of the illegal use of the state and city moneys deposited in the Keystone Bank, which failed in 1891. Mr. Wana- maker’s reply to the r ‘zarges was giv- en in the newspapers and showed that he was the loser of $128,000 through the failure of the bank, while his brother dropped nearly $50,000. Perhaps no political fight was ever waged where personalities were brought forward to such an extent. Not only were public characters at: tacked, but the private lives of the leaders of the parties exposed to the gaze of a curious public. To defeat Qu'ay’s object of securing his own re- - turn to the senate, John Wanamaker has travelled thousands of miles, made nearly one hundred addresses and spent in the neighborhood of one hun- dred thousand dollars. To add to Senator Quay’s political discomfiture another Richmond enter- ed the field, and Rev. Dr. Swallow, the Prohibition candidate, loomed up in the distance as a dangerous factor. He ac- cused the Quayitcs of burning the capi- tol at Harrisburg for the purpose of destroying records. During the early part of the cam- paign he gave indications of beating both Stone and Jenks, but his boom weakened and for the past three weeks he lost ground steadily. During this time the straight Republicans rallied. Merchants, farmers, mill owners and mine owners rounded up their employes on national issues, tariff and protec-' tion. and in a great measure repaired the breach. The degree of uncertainty surrounding the struggle served to in- crease the bitterness of the contest. RESULT IN CONNECTICUT. Lounsbury Elected by a Reduced Mfajarity. New Haven, Conn., Nov. 9.—-Connect- icut has gone Republican. The plu— rality on the Republican state ticket is estimated at about 13,000. In the last preceding election in 1895 the Re- publican plurality was 45,000. It has been in no sense a hurrah campaign, but rather one of quiet and persistent work. The Democrats left no stone unturned to Whittle down the Republican plurality. The principal fight has been in the congressional districts and town repre- sentatives. ‘ , As a result of the election the next assembly will be Republican. The Be- publicans also have a safe majority in the senate. The reason for the cutting down of Sperry’s plurality this mainly to the popularity of his oppo- nent. “\Ir. Webb. who is a graduate of Yale, an instructor in the Law school, and a young man of wide popularity throughout the city. The returns shew that the Republi- cans have elected their candidates in every congressional district. So‘ far as can be judged by the com- plexion of the representative votes, General Joseph R. Hawl'ey, Republican, is likely to be returned to the United States senate. unless. when the ques- tion comes up for decision on joint bal- lot in the incoming assembly, in De- cember, Samuel Fessenden, Republi— can of Stamford, should wrest the prize from him. Governor Army Orders. Washington, D. 0., Nov. 9.—-Yester- ~day’s army orders included these: Acting Assistant Surgeon Frank T. Disbrow, United States army, when his services can be spared, is relieved from further duty in Porto Rico, and order- ed to New York, whence he will report to the surgeon general by letter for an— nulment of his contract. First Lieutenant William G. Massa- rue, Sixty~ninth New York volunteer infantry, has had his resignation ac- cepted; also Colonel R. G. Smith, of the Fourth New Jersey volunteer in- fantry. Adams to Go on a Long Cruise. San Francisco, Nov. 9.—-The United States training ship Adams will on or before December 1 start on a seven 'nonths’ cruise. By that date she will have received her batteries at Mare sland. ' She will proceed from here to Mag- dalena. bay, 'where she will spend a month or more. She will then go to Honolulu and Oriental ports. year is due . I DAVID A. \‘IELLS DEAD. -An Account of His Career as a Public ‘ Man and a Writer. Norwich, Conn., Nov. 7.—David Ames Wells, the noted economist, died at his home in this city Saturday afternoon. His death was not unexpected, though until Friday it was thought that he might rally from his illness. Mr. Wells had experienced a general breaking down of the system for upward of two years, but he was about during the summer and was able to drive out un- til two weeks ago. Then he contracted a slight cold. For twenty-four hours he had been in a comatose state. David Ames Wells, the distinguished economist, was born in Springfield, Mass, June 7, 1828. He was graduated at Williams College in 1847, and was for a time associate editor of the Re— publican. While in that ofiice he first suggested the idea that the printed sheets of books and newspapers might be folded by machinery; he subse- quently became associated in the in- vention of the first machine devised for that purpose. He then entered the Lawrence Sci- entific school, where he was a special student under Louis Agassiz, and from which he graduated in 1851. He con- tinued at Harvard for a time as as- sociate professor, meanwhile publish- ing with George Bliss the “Annals of Scientific Discovery." During 1857—’5S he was a member of the publishing firm of G. P. Putnam & Co. Plague and Smallpox in Cuba. Santiago de Cuba, Nov. 7.—Dr. Wood— son, medical inspector of the military department of Santiago, who arrived recently on the United States cruiser Cincinnati, after visiting Holguin, Gi- bara, Baracoa, Sagua de Tanamo and Guantanamo, reports that on his ar- rival at Gibara with Col. Hood’s regi- ment, he discovered more than half of the population suffering from plague and smallpox. There were also many cases of typhus and - dysentery. He Went immediately to work and syste- matically isolated the houses, insist- ing on the regiment (the Second Im— munes) being encamped in a healthful locality near the sea. Greatest Whaling Catch for Years. San Franciséo, Nov. 7.--—Four more Whalers, with catches aggregating in value $750,000, have arrived from the Arctic. The steamer Norwhale was the first to put in an appearance. She was 14 days from Fox island and had in her hold 42,600 pounds of whalebone and 548 barrels of oil. The Karluk. 13 days from Unalaska, brought 5,000 pounds of bone and four bear skins. The Grampus had in her hold 40,000 pounds of whalebone and the whaling bark California, from the Behring sea, brought 1,600 barrels of sperm oil. This is the greatest catch for many years. McKinley Receives 4th Ohio. Washington, Nov. ’2'.—-Thc 4th Ohio, which passed through this city Satur- day on its way home from Porto Rico, got the unusual compliment of a re- ception at the White House. Headed by Colonel Colt and staff. dismounted, the regiment first passed in review, marching in columns of foursfi After the review arms were stacked in a nearby street and the soldiers ill- ed through the White House doors. moved",""-‘.he left and entered the east room. Marching in single file. the men passed by the president, who shook hands with each one. Chinese Afl‘ront to Russia. London, Nov. 7.-A dispatch from Shanghai says a telegram from Tien- Tsin reports that 40 Russian sailors, an admiral and M. Pavloff, the Russian charge d’affaires in China, have been detained there, permission to proceed to Pekin not being forthcoming, and that there is strong official opposition to their going to the capital. This, it is stated, is a forerunner of a probable affront to Russia. - Against Ocean Racing. ' Berlin, Nov. 7.——-The German govern- ment officials have ordered an investi- gation into the reported ocean racing between the W'hite Star line steamer Teutonic and the North German Lloyd steamer Kaiser Friedrich on their last trip to New York. As the Kaiser Frederich belongs to a subsidized company the government will also be interpellated in the reich— stag on the subject by Herr Richter. the Radical leader. The Kaiser at Beyront. Beyrout, Nov. 7.—The emperor and empress of Germany arrived here Sat— urday, but they remained on board the imperial yacht until to-day, when they started for Damascus. The heat is tropical. Before embar~ king at Jaffa, Emperor Vl'illiam prom— ised his protection to the German col- onists at that place. who cheered his majesty enthusiastically. To Abandon the Colon. Santiago de Cuba, Nov. 7.—Captain Chester of the United States cruiser Cincinnati, and a board of officers hav- ing visited the wreck of the Spanish cruiser Cristobal Colon and spending several hours at the scene, finally (le- cided that work on the sunken warship should be abandoned, as, in their opin- ion there is no possibility of a chance of raising her. Schley Sails for Home. San Juan de Porto -Rico.—Admiral Schley and his staff will return to the United States on the cruiser Newark, which will sail to-day and will be in New York on Friday next. Judge Rus- sell will also sail on the Newark. Ad- miral Schley bears with him the full report of this American evacuation commission. " For President of Oberlin. Chicago, Nov. 7.——The Rev. John Henry Barrows of this city has been offered the presidency of Oberlin Col- lege. Dr. Barrows, who is now ii: ‘Oberlin, has not yet decided whether to accept or not. Dr. Barrows is one of the leading Presbyterian clergymen in the West. a I Prince George to Govern Crete. Paris, Nov. 7.—'J‘he appointment of Prince George of Greece as head of the new administration in Crete is immi- nent. His title will be commissions: general of the European powers in Crete. ‘ come near killing another. , arugula curl-ii Supreme Court Room and Library Badly Damaged by Fire. VALUABLE RECORDS LOST ’ Lower Part oftho Building \Vrecked by Concussion. Gas Escaping from a large Main the Cause of Explosion. Valuable Works of. Art Destroyed. Damage Can- not Be Estimated but \Vill Probably Beach 200,000 Washinton, Nov. 7.-—An explosion and fire at 5.13 yesterday afternoon wrecked the supreme court rooms and the rooms immediately adjoining it on the main floor of the United States Capitol. The damage is extensive. The entire central eastern part of the great marble pile from the main floor to the subterranean basement practically is a mass of ruins. The force of the explosion was so heavy that the coping stones on the outer walls, just to the east of the point where the explosion occurred, were bulged out nearly two inches; windows in all that part of the build- ing were blown out, and locked doors were forced from their hinges at least 150 feet from the scene. Fire followed the explosion so'quickly as to seem practically simultaneous with it. The explosion shook the immense structure to its foundations, and was heard several squares from the Capitol. It occurred in a small room tightly en- closed by heavy stone walls in the sub- terranean basement, immediately be- low the main entrance to the old Capi- tol building. In this room was a five hundred light gas metre, which was fed by a four- inch main. Little gas is used in that part of the building, but at the time of the explosion the gas had not been turned off at the meter. The meter itself was wrecked, and the gas pouring from the main caught fire. The flames originating from the ex- plosion darted up the shaft of the ele- vator. which had been completely de- stroyed by the force of the explosion, and communicated with the record room of the supreme court, the office of the marshal of the court, and the supreme court library. Before the flames could be subdued the priceless documents in the record room had been almost totally destroy— ed and serious damage had been don-3 In the marshal’s rodm and some minor rooms. The library of the supreme court, im- mediately beneath the supreme court room, was 'damaged badly by fire, wa- ter and smoke, practically destroying the great collection of law reference books. The library contained about thirty thousand volumes and was used not only by the justices of the supreme court, but by members of Congress and lawyers practicing before the supreme court. Justice Harlan said last night that the library was extremely valuable. many of the works it contained would, he thought, be difficult to replace. Li- brarian Clarke, after a cursory exam- ination, made by the light of lanterns, expressed the opinion that many of the books could be saved, although they had been drenched by water from the stream poured into the library for two .hours or more after the explosion. The most serious damage in the opin- ion of the justices of the supreme court is to the records stored in the sub- basement. 1 These included all the records of the supreme court from 1792 to 1832. The room contains records of cases and opinions handed down by the fathers of the judiciary of the government. Apparently the documents in this room are either totally destroyed or so badly damaged by fire and water as to be useless. Justice Harlan said that while the loss of the records was irreparable, it was fortunate that the later records of the court, which were kept in the ofilce of the clerk on the main floor, were not injured. James McKenny clerk of the supreme court, expressed the hope, after mak— ing an examination of the old record room, that some at least of the docu- ments could be saved. ' The supreme court room was dam- aged principally by water and smoke, the fire not reaching that point. Ad- joining the court room, however, both the marshals ofiice and the senate barber shop furnished food for the flames. While many theories are offered as to the cause of the explosion, it seems beyond doubt to have been due to es. raping gas. At 5.07 Lieutenant Lelson of the Cap- itol police detected an odor of gas in the corridors adjoining the supreme court room. Not being able to locate it, he proceeded to Statuary hall—the old hall of the House of Representa- tives—thinking the gas might be es- caping from a burner there. While he was searching the explosion occurred. Only a few persons, principally offi- cers of the Capitol police, were in the building at the time. but several of them had narrow escapes. Among the losses which will be re— gretted most sincerely are those of the busts of Chief Justice Marshal and oth- er distinguished members of the su- preme court, which were arranged on small pedestals about the supreme court chamber. , , .. ' In the smoke and ruin which follow- ed the explosion these valuable werks of art were either badly damaged or wholly destroyed. and with their de‘ struction the country has suffered an irreparable loss. The Capitol building has been dam— aged a number of times before by fire, but it is believed that last night’s fire will prove to be the most disastrous in the history of the building. On two occasions prior to this fireé have been started by explosions of gas. Seventeen years ago a large amount of damage was done to the same part of the building by an explosion of this kind, and in 1876 ,there was an explo~ sion of gas that killed one man and f‘afl'l‘ 3p . e ' on «4‘,
Norwalk Chronicler