Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-10-28
HISTORIC BU|Eo9!NG BURNED
Disastrous Fire at. the University Of
Virginia.
Burning of the Main Building Plan
ned by Thomas Jefferson and Erect
-i5sI
ed Under Hia Supervision.

The main buildingsj of the University OF
Virginia at Charlottesville, Va, was found
to be on fire yesterday. The alarm was re-
sponded to by the university fire company
and also by the Charlottesville company,
but it was impossible to get water on the
building, as the pressure was insufficient.
The fire was in the southwest corner of
the public hall, near the copy of RaphaeIs
painting of the School of Athens.
The building destroyed was what was
known as the main building, consisting of
the rotunda. containing the library and
the lecture rooms of the schools of math-
ematics, ancient languages, moral phlos-
ophy, English. constitutional and interna-
t:onal and mercantile law and the faculty
room. The annex contained the public
hall, in which was the copy of the School
of Athens, the drawing room of the ongi-
neerins department, the lecture room of
the SCHOOLS of common and statute law
Physics and modern languages.
Last night i. was stated that the loss
would reach $10o.000 and might exceed
that sum. The insurance IS $4,000.
Dynamite Used.
Efforts were directed toward saving the
library, which occupied the rotunda and
The lecture rooms beneath, and to This end
attempt was made to remove with dyn-
amite the covered gallery lr porch which
connected the annex with the rotunda, in
which these rooms We're situated.
The large columns supporting the roof of
this porch were blown out, but without the
desired result Efforts We're then made to
destroy with dynamite cartridges the roof
itself. but this was without good results.
and the flames travelled along it to the To-
tunda. In the meantime mUch of The val
liable contents of the library, books por-
frDi. Il tot, nm rad
ladies assisting materially in this work.
The chapel and reading room We're blown
up with dynamite and powder in order to
stop the progress OF the fire toward the
re s;dential buildings Here the fire was
arrested.
The origin of the fire is a mystery At
the faculty meeting yesterday afternoon
this was one CT the problems, but it re-
mains unsolved.
The Historic ROtunda.
That part of the burnt building known as
the rotunda was completed in Mr. JelTer-
sons lifetime, constructed under his super
vision and after plans of his own. In $50
the completion of this part was celebrated
by a large gathering of the people, who
followed Mr.. jefferson, Lafayette and other
noted men to the new building, where
ception held. During the war two of
the lecture rooms were used hospital
wards The building was constructed on
the model OF the Pantheon at Rome. though
only one-thirl the SIZE and without the pill
lars. except on front. af
The University of Virginia was chartered
in 1919 and opened in 1874, the legislature
of ISIS having voted an annual appcopria-
ton of Si:,HJO to endoW and support it, It's
organization. plan of government and sys-
tenn of instruction are due to Thomas JEFF
ferson. who, in the inscription prepared by
himself for his tomb. preferred to be re
membered as the author Of the Declara-
ton of Independence and of the statute of
Virginia for religious freedom and father
of The University of Virginia" The gov
eminent of the university is vested in a
board of visitors and rector. The Office of
rector was first held by Mr.. jefferson, and
his successors have generally been gentle
men of distinguished ability.