The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-24

caught the rafters in the attic, at the
northeast corner of the building.
Boys playing on the campus observed
smoke pouring from the attic windows at
the end of the structure and gave the
alarm.
W. l.. Dunno, an alumnus who happened
to be present, rushed up into the attic and
turned on a hose. but the flames were
shooting out of the shaft furously aud
against them hose was Intellectual One
of the brothers turned in an alarm and in
fifteen minutes a portion of the fire de-
partment was on the scene.
The whole roof of the northern wing
was then ablaZa, and Chief LawtOn
turned in additional alarms until the
whole department had reported.
Then was shown a specimen OF false
economy. The department has long been
trying to get al additional 1000 feet of
good hose, but the City Council decided
recently that 1000 feet of old hose was
sufficient. During the fire several engine S
were idle because there was no hose. At
the beginning a suctlOn-valve blew out of
engine 8. 1t was rspa red eventuslly, how
ever. and the machine did good service for
the rest of the evening.
The flames fought their way along the
attic aud successfully demolished the roof
of the north, central and south wings.
The huge stone crosses on the pinnacles of
the outer walls toppled and fell to the
ground one by one.
The firemen. handicapped as they were.
worked bravelv, but despite their efforts
were poweress. aud the flames got beyond
tod
tories.
All this time the students of the institu-
ton were working industriOusly TO save
everything of value on the lower floors.
They carried out books, cases, chairs,
dishes and all sorts of furniture, and little
bits Of fellows ventured UP into the burn
ing dormitories and cast beds and bedding
from the windows. They stayed the re
until the flames played all round them.
listening calmly to the warning voice of
the hundreds who watched their reckless
ness from below. Judge T. B. Ogden was
on e of the onlOokers and grew pale at the
sight Finally couple of big firemen
drove the boys from the building and made
them desist in their rescue work.
AT O'Clock, after burning for over three
hours, the attic had entirely disappeared,
the dormitory floor was Quilted and the
flames were eating into the second floor.
Then the fremen devoted all their efforts
TO saving the first floor and basement 1t
was hard task, made harder by the con-
tinual bursting of rotten hose. but they
finally succeeded in getting the flames
under control. 1t was well on toward
midnight before the fire was entirely ex-
iinguished, leaving only the basement and
first floor intact and the walls, minus, of
course, the woodwork about the windows.
The building was insured for $4,000
and it was thought that the loss will not
exceed that amount by very many dollars.
The college stood in the center of block
of land at Broadway and Orchard street
1t was completed in 1889 at a total cost Of
more than S250,0O0. The building was
perhaps the finest of its kind on the coast
1t was composed Of basement, three
stories and an attic. The materials used
in its construction were friedrich and
sandstone, and the whole was surmourt,d
by magnificent mansard roof. consisting
of huge slabs of slate. The basement was
used for kitchens and refectories. The
first and second floors were devoted tn
offices. chapel AMI class rooms, and the
third floor was subdivided into dormi-
tories The attic was nsed only for store
rooms.
The brothers and the students lost all
their personal effects. The latter obtained
lodgings for the night In the various hotels
around t own.
A number of fremen were injured.
Roger Seacock was severely burned aboul
the back and head, and Mr.. McGinnis was
cut on the head 10y falling piece of slate.
Brother Bettelin, president of the col
lege, is at present in France, and Brother
Erminold. president pro teni., had been to
Martinez GnrirS the 1av q nj -. han r2turp-