The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-21
Fire I'm u College.
THE PENNSYLVANIA MILITARY ACADEMY,
grrCcTrp pT-tSc

THE PENNSYLVANIA MILITARY ACADEMY, AT
CHESTER, IN RUINS.
CHESTER, PA. February 1.-THE Penn
sylvania Military Academy, near this city,
was burned TO the ground yesterday.
The fire originated in the laboratory, which
is located in the upper story, nearly mid
way Of the building, and burned furiously
from the start.
The cadets were out drilling at the time.
and upon their returning to the building,
at $40 o'clock, the upper corridors were
filed with smoke. a brisk wind prevailed
at the time and carried the flames under
meath the roof over the entire wing. The
cadets organized themselves into bucket
brigade, using every vessel that would
hold water to extinguish the flames, but
Notwithstanding this and the use of small
fire-extinguishcrs located in various parts
Of the building. the flames made rapid pro-
gress and spread so quickly that the effort
was abandoned, and the cadets turned
their attention TO saving individual pro-
perty.
In the mean time the alarm was sounded
from the City Hall, and the entire Fire De-
partment responded; but owing to the bad
condition of the streets leading to the in
stitution the tiremen were greatly delayed,
and when they arrived the east wing OF the
building was envelopcd in flames. The
steamers had TO get their water from 4 lake
some distance from the scene Of the fire,
and this was also disadvantage. so that
the Fire Department was OF little service
except in saving adjoining buildings.
In four hours the large and handsome
building, with much Of its contents, was
ia ashes. There were 1i3 cadets attending
the academy. The campus was soon
thronged with citizens. and much Of the
property, such as furniture, apparatus, and
libraries, was gotten out.
The building, built in 1868, was $50 feet
long and 60 feet wide, and four stories
high, and was built at an outlay OF Sl25.000.
The fire is supposed Ia have been caused
by spontaneous combustion. The loss on
the building and contents is estimated to
Dc $4,000, which Is fully covered by in
siirance.
Nearly all the cadets lost their personal
effects. There was no loss Of life, but Mr..
Samuel Kits, one Of the instructors, made
narrow escape from stI0Ocation.
The building was owned by a stock com
pany, OF which Colonel Theodore HYATT is
president, as he Is of the faculty.
The cadets have nearly ail gone 10 their
homes, aud many OF them live i'm remote
parts II the Union. The school will Ike con-
finued, but OF course no definite arrange
ments have yet been made.
NAll the State and Government property
was saved. Soon after the fire broke out a
heavy rain began falling, which damaged
much Of the rescued property.
At least 10 persons were turned out in
the rain by the fire, and many Of them had
10 pass the night in neighboring houses.
The insurance on the Military Academy
building, which cost Sl2j, 900, aggregated
$4,000, distributed As follows .Ftna, OF
Hartford, $4,000; Franklin, Of Philadel-
phia; Pennsylvania, Hartford; PhGDix, |
Brooklyn; Phoenix, OF Hartford; Han !
over, New York; Citizens, New York (; |
Home, OF New York, and Imperial and |
Northern, $4,000 each. The furniture wac
insured for 81, 200, and $1,000 In the Reli-
ance, OF Philadelphia, and $1,000 In the
Of Massachusetts,. The library
was insured for $4,000 in tue London As