Mike Salsbury/The Olympian
Inspectors check damage to the Capitol after the earthquake. A pillar above the inspectors received noticeable damage.

Capitol dome stone fractures

'Lots of things fell down' in damaged Governor's Mansion

PATRICK CONDON,, BRAD SHANNON, AND LAUREN WALSH, THE OLYMPIAN

The earthquake that struck South Sound shook Washington government to its core, cracking the stone shell of the state Capitol dome and damaging more than 20 state office buildings.

State leaders quickly canceled the legislative session for the rest of the week, and more than 10,000 state employees were left without phones or offices to work in.

"There was smoke, and then the sprinklers came on and then there was water running down the marble steps," said Rep. Gigi Talcott, R-Tacoma, describing the chaos on the fourth floor of the John L. O'Brien office building, where many state representatives have their offices.

There were only minor injuries reported on the Capitol Campus, according to the Olympia Fire Department.

But reports of damage were widespread, and the Washington State Patrol declared the Capitol grounds off limits to the public until damage assessments were completed.

The domed Capitol was entirely ringed by yellow police tape the day of the quake, and barricades were erected to keep traffic off campus. Officers also stopped pedestrians.

Teams of inspectors from General Administration went through buildings throughout the afternoon, compiling preliminary damage assessments. None initially showed significant structural problems.

The Governor's Mansion suffered extensive damage to its outer brick walls, with long cracks along the entire east and north sides of the house. Inside, "lots of things fell down," according to Vikki Poitra, a General Administration property manager familiar with the building.

Locke and his family were unable to stay there.

The fracturing on the outside of the Capitol dome made the top of national news reports. What actually happened is the stone veneer on the building shifted, leaving a noticeable gap, according to Andy Stepelton, a senior property manager with General Administration.

The material doesn't hold up the dome, but does pose a danger of falling on people, he said.

Although no serious structural damage was uncovered in Capitol Campus buildings, many offices were filled with wreckage, including toppled computers, tipped-over cabinets and other debris. In the case of the O'Brien Building, plumbing damage rendered restrooms unusable.

Because a backup power generator was toppled off its moorings in the General Administration building, the campuswide phone system also was disabled.

Faced with piles of work but no place to carry it out, leaders of the House and Senate recessed and told legislators to go home.

"Our first concern is for everyone's safety," said House Co-Speaker Clyde Ballard, R-East Wenatchee.

The quake's arrival at the midpoint of the session wreaked havoc with the Legislature's schedule. "We've got 105 days to do this, earthquake or not," said Senate Majority Leader Sid Snyder, D-Long Beach.

The caucus leaders raised the possibility that they'll have to look for alternative sites to hold committee hearings and even floor sessions.

Plaster came off the walls of the House and Senate chambers, said Stepelton. Other material fell from cornices in the Rotunda.

Ballard predicted that an already bleak budget scenario for the Legislature is bound to get even more complicated.

"There's no doubt this will have a real impact on the budget," Ballard said. But the shared trauma of the earthquake could help defuse some partisan tensions, he predicted.

The Olympian Copyright 2001

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