The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-11-08
The Faculty Appeal TO the University Sons
For Assistance.
GENERAL OUTLINE OF THEIR PLANS
The Old Rotun.in to be Reconstruct
cu-Fhe Annex to be Replaced by
Three New buildings, Academic
engineering mad Law -S2ss, 900
Will BE Required.
October 81, 1895.
IN october 81. 1895.
EerSity OF virginia.

y
Gentlemen: You hnve lenrnod
through the public prints the disaster
Which has recently bcfnllen our beloved
University tI On Sunday morning, Oct.
I'm, 1879, ABOUT 10 O'Clock, lire was dis
covered III the small apartment above
the ros.rum OF the Public Hull The
nose was al once carried Into the build
ing ana directed on the flames; but the
iow pressure oi water at this elevated
point rendered all efforts To cXtinguIsh
the fire vain. The conilagrntIon swept
along the roof OF the annex, invading
the timbcred dome OF the rotunda. and
spread downward from floor To floor,
until this central cdifcc of our Southern
shrine of learning stood like "liion's
loIty temples rObcd In fire.
Io-dnS naught remains of the rolundn
put blnckened shell Of brickwork roof
Tess. windowlcSs. with all It's beauty
SCARED and married by the flames. The
annex presents Il spectacle of ruin even
more complete, one wall already pros
tritte and the others trembling TO their
fall. The wings which united the ro-
tundn with the lawns. wrecked by dyna-
| mite to stop the progress of dcstruc.
ticn, are roo!lcss and useless The
tragic dcsolation Is unrclirvcd, save for
the Facts that no human life was lost
ana That careful investigation fails to
reveal, want of care or fidelity ON the
part OF those In charge of the building
al hnlf-past two O'Clock on the fatal
Sunday the work of the flames was com
pletc. and further spread OF contiaEra-
ton seemed improbable One hour later
our faculty assembled and nj once
made provision for the Immediate con-
tinu;incr OF the University work. i,
was found that by utilizing the halls u:
the two literary societies. the Temper
nncc Hail, the lecture rooms In the
| BROOKS Museum and the Chemical La
boratory. for the larger classes, and en-
ploying the private offices of The profcs-
Sors Tor the smaller. all the schools
~ Nfph Il t., L..
inSs could he provided for DUTY was
therefore resumed on Monday morning
as usual and Will continue to be PROSE
rntcd with all the energy and earnest
ness that have heretofore distinguished
the work OF the University, and with
such quickcnins of Zeal and affection
| AZ are wont to flow from great ;dvcrsi.
| ties.
i'ut we do not need to tell you thai
work done under such conditions can
| be well done only by great effort. our
library IL disorgani2cd and more thar
| li;lll OF It's treasures resolved into smoke
| ana ashes. The apparatus for instruc-
| tion In physics and engineering is wo-
| fully impaired, and no rooms are avail
able for the effective use of such MS re-
| mains uninJurcd. Our lecture rooms
are crowded by II close succession of
| classes, consistent neither with health
nor with comfort. The medical depart
| ncnt suffered no loss Of buildings or
apparatus, but their entire library, in
| Guiding valuable files of professional
| journals Is utterly swept away. And
70 crown all, our once beautiful rotu ada
| The central ornament of our great Uni
velSity, the home Of its traditions OF
| honor and freedom and thoroughness
| stands ,dcsola.c and ruined.
our faculty have resolved to recon-
mend to the visitors the immediate re-
| construction of the rotunda and it's
| wings with iireprouf materials, and the
| renting of the former with the most
approved and modern library appii-
| anccs. The estimated cost of this res
| toration and Improvement Is about $780,
! 900.
They have also recommended the re-
moval of the annex whose contiguity
| to the rotunda has been the cause of
more than half of olIr disaster, and the
| construction, as soon as funds are avail
| able of Il large isolated public building.
also fireproof. which should contain Il
ca paciotis hall for public exercises, lee
ttirc rooms ample in size and number
FOR the present and future needs of our
| academical classes, and the offices of
| administration. The estimated cost Of
| this structure is 500. 900.
The needs of instruction In physics
and engineering cannot be properly met
| In conjunction with the other work OF
| the acadcmical department. and the fac
ulty VIII therefore advise the construc-
| ton as soon as possible of separate but
palmer buildings for these classes, with
suitable laboratories, shops and power
house and estimate the cost of these
| structures without apparatus or ma
chincry to be $4,000
The growing work of the law school
renders ii right and wise to enlarge
their recommendations Three success
! sive lectures Of one and half hours
each have heretofore been held In the
same apartment. Il plan not to be COM
mendcd on sanitary grounds, and the
use or the law library has been limited
by the cramped and inconvenient quar-
ters. We shall recommend therefore
the ultimate construction of IL separate
law building to cost about $4,000.
Nor is this all that seems necessary to
sustain the past rcpute Of the Univer-
sity and justify the hopes of her sons
for the future. Her library, sadly, di-
unfinished in volume and value by our
misfortune. needs especial subsidies. Al.
least $4,000 should be at once provided
for the purchase of new books to re-
establish its present usefulness; and an
endowment of 100000 should be provid-
ell 10 give it liberal maintenance for
the future.
The sum total of these recommends
tons amounts to S346, 900 To meet this
We have from insurance on the ruined
buildings and their contents S25, 900 from
residue of the fayerwcather fund S23..
U0U ana In immediate prospect from
the Faycrweather and Shields bcqucsts
about SlO,000-in all S5S, 600. We need
thus S2SS.O0D which seems not more than
enough TO rehabilitate our alma mater
In q manner not unworthy of her Illus
triouS father and her devoted sons.
The visitors will appeal with hone