NEW YORK'S CAPITOL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1090, 31 March 1911, Page 5

NEW YORK'S CAPITOL.

FAMOUS BUILDING BURNED. By TelcEraph-tress Association—Copyrieht Now York, March 29. Tho State Capitol at Albany, one- of tho finest public buildings in America, has been partially destroyed by fire. Tho building, which was a huge structure covering thwo acres, and costing about «t0,000,000, is estimated to have been damaged to tbu extent of JL'2,000,000. Priceless documents voro lost in the fire. A liighlv.-atchman is missing, HISTORIC RECORDS LOST. . ,(Rcc.' March 31, 0.10 a.m.) New York, March 30. It ib believed that a watchman perished ill the lire of the Legislative Buildings at Albany. The Senate and Assembly Chambers have not been seriously damaged, but the library will cost .£1,000,000 to restore. The burned records include thosa of the Governors of New Amsterdam from IG3O to 1071, and original letters by Sir William Johnson. The Washington and Lincoln relics have been preserved. The Capitol at Albanv is commanding--I.V situated on a hill at the top .of tho main business thoroughfare of tho city. It is a magnificent building in the French Renaissance style, and was enthusiastically praised by Professor Freeman, tho historian,, on, his.visit to America. "If anyone had come up to me and told mo in French,; old or new," said the professor, "that the new Capitol was 'lo chateau de Monsoigneur le duo d'Albanie' I could almost have believed him." Tho construction was begun in 1867 and cimplcted in 1898. The building is in the form of a quadrangle, 300 feet wide and 100 feet deep, with louvre towers -at tho angles. It is built of a light-coloured granite, which contrasts pleasantly with tho red tiled roofs. The original design was by Thomas Fuller, but was much modified in construction. Tho Senate Chamber, 100 feet long, 00 feet wide, and 50 foot high, is one of (he finest examples of tho work 'of Mr. H. H. Richardson, whose influence on American architecture was probably greater than that of any other singlo man. There was in the building a fine collection of State flags used in the Civil War, photographs, memorials of Lincoln, American antiquities, and other relics.