New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-22
FATAL STUDENT FUN.
WOMAN KILLED BY INHALlNG
CHLORINE GAS
LIVES OF SEVERAL STUDENTS ENDANGERED
ALsO-RESULTs OF CLASS RIVALRY AT
CORNELL UNIVERSITY.
tBy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.1

takes place on an evening Of the week In which
/ Washineton's Birthday falls. Tradition likewise
! commands the sOphomores to anticipate the
p freshmen and eat the banquet prepared. or 10
prevent the freshmen from enjoying their re-
past Preceding the banquet class rivalry taxes
the form of a mild sort of hazing. the uhderciass-
men organizing in small parties and going out
IN the evening to capture stray individuals Of
an opposing class and feed them upon diet or
milk Thus was the banquet week ushereu Ill
this year but up to Monday the sophomores had
been unable to find out when or where the eX-
/ pected banquet was to be held so quiet hdu
been the preparations Of the freshmen - re-
port had spread that the affair was 10 come OIL
last Friday and the sophomores made eHoi %
10 find the banquet hall. They were uhsuccess-
full. and the next day the freshmen taunteu 'ne"i
uitb their failure. on Tuesday. however, the
ninety-six men found out the secret tacts 'ha'
had been battling them. a sophomore, VINO was
REGISTERED as a freshman in the university cata-
logue and WAS unknown to the banquet COM
mitte. offered % buy a banquet ticket, ana thuS
secured the desired information. The banquet
WAS 10 be held Tuesday evening IN VACANT
lodge room on the fourth floor Of the OLD Masonic
Block. in Tioga-st
PREPARED TO SPOIL THEIR FUN
Accordingly still larger number OF
..,ou,rios" who always accept these occasions
as oprortunities for violating the law, gathered
am Tloga-st.. early Tuesday evening, intending
to bloc< no the entrance and prevent the fresh-
mon from, getting into the banquet hall. The
souhornores purposcd only good-natured strug-
Gle of muscle with no damage To person or
,,ron.r.v but the "townies" and few OF the
students were provided with eggs and snow
halls with which they hoped to stay the
progress Of the freshmen. The freshmen IN the
mean time had assembled at their rendezvous
on the campus, half a mile distant. ana at the
set hour. o'clock started in a compact pody
for the banquet rooms. Juniors, looked upon aS
guardians Of the freshmen from time imine-
mortal formed advance and rear guards OF the
.ro.ession The whole body numbering about
100 marched down University-ave.. giving their
class Yell. turned up Tioga-st., where, ABOUT
block distant from the banquet hall. they were
met by the sophomores. The freshmen, with
their "Zip-a-la-Zip-a ala Boom. Ha. Ha. Cornell
81 Rah, Rah. Rah"' attempted to break
through the group Of "townies" and sophomores
who were responding with their Boom, Ran
Rix. Boom Rah Rix! We are Cornell, 49,
A CLOUD OF sNoWBALLs AND EGGS.
For a moment the air filled with flying
snowballs and eggs. and the hundreds OF spec
tators scattered In haste With a powerful
rush the band Of freshmen broke through the
crowd that attempted to hold them back. The
rest OF the way to Masonic Block the sopho-
mores confined their efforts 10 capturing indi-
vidual freshmen and OBTAINING them. But the
81 men marched with locked arms In a solid
phalanx and none of them were lost. short
struggle ensued at the narrow entrance or the
Masonic Block. but the freshmen, with the aid
of the police. succeeded in gaining the stairs,
where they were safe.
Apparently that ended the excitement ana the
crowd Of spectators began to diminish The
usual number Of collisions between the college
boys and the police took place. and one or two
arrests were made by angry policemen in re-
vengc for the stealing of their clubs The stu
dents resent the Interference Of the police in their
affairs and the fact that the entire regular force
anI several specials besides We're mustered on
Tioga-st was dispensing to them. The fresh
men having gained the entrance OF the Masonic
Block felt safe The building had been carefully
guarded all day by the juniors. the windows had
been barriclded and there seemed no possible
way in which the sophomores could now interfere
The stairs were very narrow and small detach-
mrlt Of juniors on each landing could effectually
prevent any number Of sophOmores, however
great. from gaining access to the banquet door.
About 10 o'clock the freshmen sat down at the
tables The room was beautifully decorated WIZ
the college coorS. carneliaE and white, ana the
class colors. lavender and purple
DEATH AT THE BANQUET.
Everything moved along smoothly till about
II o'c.ock when a sensation was sprung upon the
people in the street below. \ colored woman.
looking deathly III. was carried down the stairs
and across the street to a physicians place
Follo,yiug her A number Of students in a faint
ing condition were brought out and taken to
ncIghboring drug stores. Efforts were made 10
rcsuscitatc them. and in the case OF the students
they were successful but the woman could not
be revived and in few minutes was dead
The police promptly began an investigation.
The persons affected had been In the kitchen
or caterers room. and 1t was discovered that
they had been driven therce by n strong odor or
gas which seemed to come from the stove. IL
was some time refOre the source was found
Two small glass tubes were at length discovered
sticking through hole In the floor. The room
below was broken into and the whole thing was
AT once explained On table stood stone
lug filed with salt and suphuric acid. This
compound generating chlorine gas. which
is very poisonous. The gas was conducted by
- rubber hose and the glass tubes to the
tercr's room above. When the deadly gas be-
gan 10 issue forth IL was noticed by a Few or
the feasters sitting nearest the ktchen door
They thought the walters or cooks had been
hrihed by the sophomores 10 scent the food
with some offensive odOr. and several juniors
were sent 10 investigate. and If necessary eject
the offenders. The serious condition or the
Juniors who carried out not known
inside the banquet room. and after a short de-
lay the walters recovered from the effects OF the
gas they had inhaled and resumed the service
The festivities were continued until o'clock
this morning
UNDER THE CARE OF PHYSICIANS.
Meanwhile the investigating committee OF
Juniors. who, catching the effects of the gas. had
been unccremoniously taken out to the nearest
I,,ty nd
then taken TO their lodgings and placed
under the care OF physicians. Their con-
diton this morning was considered serious
but they are now out of danger. Thomas Mcneil,
Of Pittsburg and +. w. McCuoch. Of Gilbers-
Vile, the most seriously affected. Exag-
gerated reports OF the affair reached Mr.. McNeil
parents and his father teegraphed here to have
his sons body shipped home There is no cause
for anxiety on the part of the parents VINO nave
here. The few students affected by the
gas entirely out of danger.
The name OF the coored woman who died from
affa N ha nnln ua