The herald., 1896-01-14
ONLY THE Walls REMAIN
Occidental College Gutted by
Fire Yesterday Afternoon
VERY HEAVY DAMAGE
A Defective FIus Thought to Have
Caused the Blaze
Nobody Was Attending the School. But the
Students Rallied and Did Splendid
Service-Various Effects Saved

Through defective hue, the Occidental
college caught fire yesterday about noon
and within an hour had been totally des-
troyed, only the four walls and chimney
remaining standing. The damage is con-
siderable and will reach in the neighbor-
hood of $4,000, of which probably less
than one-half is covered by insurance.
The college was situated about two miles
southeast of Boyle Heights, and as
there were no facilities at hand with which
to eXtinguish the flames the crowds had to
allow the building to burn and direct their
efforts to saving some of the valuables in
the place. 1t was just few minutes be-
fore the janitor would have rung the dinner
bell when passerby on the road hurried
to the little house in the rear of the large
building and told the janitor and students
Sam Solomon and Il. B. Kellogg that the
school building was on fire. They looked
in the direction and saw a large volume of
smoke issuing from the roof near the Chin
ney on the north side. The men tien set
to work at first trying to save the building
from destruction. small garden hose
was got and carried upstairs to he third
story but no water could be obtained, so
this me hod had to be abandoned.
The fire was in The roof, aud young Kel-
logg went up TO the dormitory on the third
floor, and climbing a ladder, peered
through trap door into the attic. All of
the rafters appeared to be in flames, and
within five minutes the fire burst through
the roof and swept across toward the south
end. 1t became evident then that the
building could not be saved, SO the s!ude Is
and bystanders started in to save the per-
sonal and other effects about the place.
On the third floor was the dormitory, of
about III cen rooms, which were occupied
by perhaps twenty or more boarders. fhe
students rushed up and threw out bed
clothes and every article they could lay
their hands on during the excitement, the
crowd below catching the flying goods and
removing them to a safe place on the
grounds. Nearly all of the furniture and
articles on this floor were got out, but soon
the smoke came bursting through the cell
ing, driving the rescuers away and making
it an unsafe place to work in.
The roof fell with crash that filled the
air with clouds of smoke and ashes and
for short time drove the boys off. They
returned, though. and directed their efforts
TO the first floor. On the second floor was
the assembly room, in which were the
Libraries of the president and tho institu-
ton and piano and other furnishings.
Several of the boys started to draw the in
strument to the landing of the stairs, but
the smoke was too dense, and they gave up
trying to save it. Nothing of either library
was got out, the books to the number of
severa tho Isand being destroyed.
The third floor tumbled in a short while
after the boys left that part. On the lower
foor were the parlor and private rooms of
President Condit. Nearly all of his posses
sions were saved. He took out his personal
silver, and the students removed a piano
that had recently been donated 10 the insti-
tuition. quantity of furniture was also
taken out.
nt o,,1 n L.
were at the college when the fire was dis
covered, and they directed the efforts of
the people TO get out what was possible.
The residents of Euclid Heights saw the
tiames and turned in an alarm for the
Boyle Heights engine, but as the college
was several miles outside tho city limits,
the engine could not do anything for the
sufferers.
In the cellar large quantity of provis-
ions had been stored, but in the hurry and
excitement no thought was given 10 them,
so they were Destroyed by the falling
floors. BY half an hour after the fire
started, nothing was left but the four walls
aud the chimney. the heat and smoke be-
ing all that reminded one of the former
life and activity that had once known the
place.
The fire is thought to have started from
a defective iiue. The lires we're burning in
the furnaces yesterday and spark prob.
ably caught in the roof near the chimney,
where il was fist discovered. rhe janitor
made an examination earlier in the morn
ing and then all of the apparatus seemed
to be in good order. If there b ad been
any means with which to fight the flames
there is chance that the building might
have been saved.
The building was 70X70 and was built of
brick, with the exception of the roof, which
was of wood and shingles. The place was
built in 1887 and was quite u paying in
stitution. 1t was under the auspices of the
Presbyterian societies, Rev. +. N. Condit
being the president.
Yesterday was holiday at the college.
Rev. Condit announced that college eXer-
cises would be resumed Thursday at some
place in this city to be announced later.
A EARN BURN ED
The hired girl employed by Major Ewing
on Orchard street near Twenty-eighth, in
the Harper tract, upset the lamp in the
barn where sne sleeps, yesterday morning,
causing the barn to catch fire. The build
ing was destroyed.
BOYLE HEIGHTS FIRE
The residence of N. Munger at ia
Eschandia street, Boyle Heights, was dam
aged about $l25 by fire last evening about
6 O'Clock. They were trying to prepare
supper and filled the stove with crude
petroleum. The material exploded, caus-
ing fire which was eXtnguished by the
department in short while.