A day of loss and sadness
Nov. 3rd, 2004 02:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fidhleLast night I had trouble sleeping because of the direction the election took. When I awoke, the election was still too close to call as I went to work.
I work in the Prince George's County Courthouse in Maryland. My office is in the newest portion of the complex, which is attached to the older portions by a bridge walkway. The older portion has a non-descript addition built probably in the 50's or 60's, to a fine old traditional courthouse, with columns, a portico and a bell tower/cupola. That portion was built in the late 1800's, so far as I can tell.
I usually eat breakfast in the Courthouse cafeteria before going into my office. Just as I was finishing up, the emergency annunciator announced an emergency and that we should all leave the building. I usually don't pay much attention to these announcements because there have been so many. Usually it's just an electrical fault or a grease fire in the cafeteria kitchen. Sometimes it's a bomb threat. So we all go outside and wait until the emergency is declared as over.
This time, though, I smelled what seemed to be wood smoke as I walked past the Sheriff's building security office. When I got outside, I could see a fire-truck or two, and smoke coming from the oldest portion of the old courthouse, which was in the process of being renovated and was scheduled for re-occupancy in February. Somehow, something caught on fire.
At first, all we could see was smoke, then some flames became visible above the roof. More fire-trucks came, including some with lifts so that water could be sprayed from roof height or higher. We could see the firemen setting up the water cannon, but they didn't start to spray for about 45 minutes after being set up. In the meantime, the fire spread under the roof and made its way to the cupola. I watched as the cupola burned to the metal frame, losing it's bell in the process. In the end, the roof collapsed, as did the portico over the entrance to the courthouse. Fire burned in the interior for about 3-4 hours before being completely extinguished.
I always enjoyed the old courthouse. It looked like a traditional courthouse, suitable for a county that dates back to before the Revolutionary War. Now all that's left is the walls, and I have no idea whether they will be knocked down or rebuilt. The beautiful old courthouse is gone, and watching it burn was like losing an old friend.
I work in the Prince George's County Courthouse in Maryland. My office is in the newest portion of the complex, which is attached to the older portions by a bridge walkway. The older portion has a non-descript addition built probably in the 50's or 60's, to a fine old traditional courthouse, with columns, a portico and a bell tower/cupola. That portion was built in the late 1800's, so far as I can tell.
I usually eat breakfast in the Courthouse cafeteria before going into my office. Just as I was finishing up, the emergency annunciator announced an emergency and that we should all leave the building. I usually don't pay much attention to these announcements because there have been so many. Usually it's just an electrical fault or a grease fire in the cafeteria kitchen. Sometimes it's a bomb threat. So we all go outside and wait until the emergency is declared as over.
This time, though, I smelled what seemed to be wood smoke as I walked past the Sheriff's building security office. When I got outside, I could see a fire-truck or two, and smoke coming from the oldest portion of the old courthouse, which was in the process of being renovated and was scheduled for re-occupancy in February. Somehow, something caught on fire.
At first, all we could see was smoke, then some flames became visible above the roof. More fire-trucks came, including some with lifts so that water could be sprayed from roof height or higher. We could see the firemen setting up the water cannon, but they didn't start to spray for about 45 minutes after being set up. In the meantime, the fire spread under the roof and made its way to the cupola. I watched as the cupola burned to the metal frame, losing it's bell in the process. In the end, the roof collapsed, as did the portico over the entrance to the courthouse. Fire burned in the interior for about 3-4 hours before being completely extinguished.
I always enjoyed the old courthouse. It looked like a traditional courthouse, suitable for a county that dates back to before the Revolutionary War. Now all that's left is the walls, and I have no idea whether they will be knocked down or rebuilt. The beautiful old courthouse is gone, and watching it burn was like losing an old friend.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
What a tragedy.
Date: 2004-11-03 08:13 pm (UTC)Re: What a tragedy.
Date: 2004-11-03 08:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-03 08:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-04 12:29 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-04 12:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-04 04:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-04 04:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-11-04 04:44 am (UTC)