Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1882-02-17
LARGE FIRE.
TOTAL DEDTBUCTlO1 OF Cox
MYATr's MILIrARY ACADEMY

TIE Yiasaes DissovePeA Barstin
From the Laboratory on the
Fourth Floor Yesterday A.
tesnOOn about s .'clSck-
Loss sll5, 900.
Shortly after 3 O'Clock yesterday
afternoon Are was discovered in tn
Laboratory Of the Military Academy a
Chester. The cadets had just finishe,
their drill, when the flames were seel
bursting from the fourth story of tn
building where the chemical depart
ment was situated. The alarm quick
ly spread, and NUM- bers hurried to th'
scene anxious to do all In their powe
to save the building, but all TO no pur
pose. There were 143 cadets belonging
to the institution, who were formed il
line, and passed buckets of water from
an out building to the fourth story, In
hopes OF extiDguishing the fire, bu
all their efforts were of no avail ant
the fire continued to rage in all it.
fury.
-Four Babcock fire extinguishers tina
were also in the building were brough
but they had no effect In staying tn
course of the destructive element a!
the flames had gained too much head
way for them to be effective, and the
s!arm was sent out to the fire depart
ment.
It was q considerable length of time
before any OF the apparatus arrived
owing to the bad condition or the streets
leading TO the burning building. ano
when they did get to work they laboreG
under great disadvantages, as they had
to draw the water from pond ont
hundred and fifty yards distant, bu'
still the firemen succeeded in saving
the drill house, a one story frame build
ing, one hundred and htty feet long
situated just NORTH Of the Academy
By the time the firemen got into service
the whole upper story OF the main
building was in flames, and all efforts
to save 1t were abandoned and atten'
ton turned towards getting out the
contents.
The cadets were Kept under strict
discipline and by their aid nearly every
thing was removed from the building
before the fire reached 1t. VI course,
necessarily under the circumstances,
much of the furniture was considerably
damaged. The goods were all placed
on the grounds surrounding tne Acade'
my, aud the neavy RAIN Whlch com.
menced falling shortly after damaged
much OF the finer furniture and beds
beyond repair.
The inmates, l43 In NUMBER, escaped
all injury in any way, but many OF
them lost articles OF clothing IN the con-
fusion. They were all returned to their
homes in the evening trains. The
flames in the course OF half an hour
after they were discovered, enveloped
the whole building and Lit up the coun.
try for miles around. AT lo O'Clock
last night the bare walls OF the build
ing, smoke .begrimed and blackened,
were all standing, and the debris, in
cluding large quantity OF coal In the
cellar and the ndowframes, burning
briskly. At about the above hour the
large portico commanding the main on.
trance to the building was one mass of
fame and was allowed to burn, as no
further damage could occur from it.
The Academy was situated on an en-
inence about one mile northeast of the
depot and near the outer bounds OF the
city. The building was four stories in
height, including high basement. 1t
was very solidly built of stone and was
20 fest long Dy 5O 1eet wlde. Inc CEN
tire front of the building was elevated
and formed an additional story, and in
this part of the structure, wherein was
the laboratory, the fire occurred. From
this story access is open to the lott on
either side. The origin of the fire in the
laboratory is not known, as that de-
partment was vacant at the time.
The structure was known as the
Pennsy sylvania Military Academy, and
was, since its construction, in charge of
Colonel Hyatt, by whose name the
Academy was more popularity known.