Morning journal and courier., 1890-12-01
AT OLD SOUTH MIDDLE.

The Venerable Structure on Fire
Active Work by the Firemen and
Observation-Disclosures Burned-signs
Hung Out Yesterday-A Grand
Scamper.
At last the Yale campus has been the
scene of FIRE of considerable extent which
was not q celebration in honor of some
athletic victory. Saturday evening about
9:45 o'clock as Edward B. Mowbrey, q
sophomore, was passing down the campus
he saw flames issuing from the upper win
dows of South Middle. He gave the alarm
and soon the fire engines were on the
scene. By that time the upper room in the
northwest corner was one mass of flames.
and from all the windows masses of smoke
and IRE belched forth.
The fire was stubborn one to fght and
before subdued had broken out in tho at
tic, where it was extremely difficult to get
at. Several streams of water had the effect
OF giving tho entire building pretty good
drenching.
While the fremen were battling the
flames the students were working like
beavers getting their effects out of the
range of danger. Tables, desks, chairs,
bedsteads, mattresses, lamps, in short,
everything that goes to furnish students
room, found their way to the ground in q
very short space of time. In some of the
rooms the students became excited and
commenced throwing articles of furniture
from the windows in q most reckless fash
ion. Tables, chairs and bric-a-brac came
crashing to the ground, breaking into
pieces from the long fall. This reckless
ness, however, was soon checked by the
cooler-hesded ones and the work of carry
ing out furniture and effects from the
threatened rooms was continued.
The scene was one of much confusion !;
students were rushing about trying to find
this or that article. One exclamation heard
from one was sSay, fellows, have you
seen q carpet with some books in it y It
was . good-natured crowd, however, and
everyone was willing to turn in and give
what help he could.
room 81, which is occupied by j B. Solley
and w. E. Stewart, both of the fresh
man class. Both were absent at the time
of the fire and had been for some hours at
least. Stewart went early in the day to
Cambridge as a substitute on the fresh
men eleven, and Solley went to New York
1t is believed by the fremen that they must
| have left fire in the open CRATE in their
| rooms, and that it was from this that the
| trouble started.
AS result of the fire and water about
fifteen or twenty students were rendered
homeless for the time being and had to
seek other quarters around on the campus
| for the night
Yesterday large crowds visited the cam
| pus to see the building in its sorry plight
Carpets and rugs were hanging from win.
dows to dry, and large sign was displayed
Il in full view which read s'Tenements To let
warranted freproof."
The loss on the building will probably
amount to $500 or 81 900 and is fully in
sured The students will lose probably
| upward of So, 500 from the damage don,
by fire and water. They carried no insur.
| ance.
There was q scampering of students from
Proctor's opera house soon after the fir.
broke out. A chum of one of the student
entered and announced where the fire wa
to the latter, whose best coats and furni
ture were being burned up, and the from
seats, which were profusely occupied b,
students, were deserted in twinkling.