St Paul, Minnesota, USA
1881 - A Disastrous Fire - The Minnesota State House Burned.

St. Paul, Minn., March 1. - Members of the legislature were "fired out" literally to-night in a summary manner. At 9 o'clock while both houses were in session, fire was discovered in the dome of the capitol. An alarm was immediately given. In the senate and assembly chambers, a blinding cloud of smoke immediately followed, the opening of the doors. Many of the members rushed for the windows, but the height was too much, and they turned and got out through the cloak room just in time. The flames first made their appearance in the dome, spread rapidly, the old and dry wood-work catching like tinder. Within a hour the entire roof had fallen in and the second story floors were rapidly burning. Some plucky clerks and members saved the papers of the senate and assembly in their flight. The state offices, being on the lower floor, were more fortunate, time being given to remove the contents, except what was in the vaults. The entire records of the supreme court were saved, and are in safe quarters, but

THE EXTENSIVE AND VALUABLE LIBRARY is lost. The contents of the rooms of the state historical society were partially removed, but their loss will be heavy in valuable books and relics. In the vault of the state treasurer are over $2,000,000 in bonds belonging to the trust funds of the state, which it is believed will be saved in good shape, as attention was turned to sheltering the vault as much as possible from the intense heat by a liberal supply of water. There are various rumors afloat, and some comments on the fact that the fire occurred immediately after the adoption of the bill to pay the repudiated state bonds. The settled opinion is that the fire was the work of an incendiary, as there were no gas pipes or steam coil in the dome, where the fire started, and the rapidity with which the flames appeared in different parts of the roof seem to substantiate this theory.

THE CAPITOL WAS BUILT IN 1863, but since then two additions have been erected, forming a Maltese cross shaped two story brick building, with Mansard roof and dome in the center. One building is estimated to have been worth $100,000, and was uninsured. The walls remain standing. The new market hall is being fitted up for use for the legislature.

The Emporia Weekly News
Emporia, Kansas
March 11, 1881

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