The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-09-29
GIRLS IN MYSTERIES.
eaks Out in Mount Holy.
oke Seminary.
STRUCTURE ENTIRELY DESTROYED.

Wringing Their Hands Others Did EN-
ceiient Work at the Hand Engine. He.
longing to the Seminary Brigade-De.
''ruc'ion OF the Wooden Elephant At
Coney lsisnd-Other Blaxes.
South Hadley. Mass, Sept. 2s.-Short-
W pefors the first church bells began 10
ring for services Sunday evening the
rapid changing OF fire bells was heard
and a dense volume of smoke was seen
rising over Mount Holyoke seminary.
The institution contained about four
hundred girl students and In a few
minutes the town was wild with alarm
and the streets were filed with people
rushing madly to the school. hoping to
aid II possible in averting a fearful loss
Of life.
The town is poorly equipped with ap-
paratus for extinguishing fires, but vol
unteer bucket brigades were quickly
formed by citizens and ladders and
ropes were brought to be used In the
work OF rescue. Fortunately the fire
was discovered in time for all the girls
In the building TO escape with ease
The excitement among the students.
however, was intense. and their eff
forts to save their belongings were
frantic and occasionally almost ludi-
crous. 1t was with difficulty that one
young woman could be restrained from
rushing into the burning building to
rescue the college cat, which she was
certain was in one OF the upped hall.
certain was In one OF the upper hall
Help Put Out the Fire.
Groups Of hysterical girls stood in the
yard crying and wringing their hands.
They seemed utterly bewildered and
terror stricken. Others were more
self-possessed and did excellent work
at the hand engines belonging TO the
seminary fire brigade They took turns
at the pump and worked with all the
zeal and earnestness of veteran fire.
men. Several male citizens sought to
relieve the pretty young women OF this
arduous work, but they told the men to
stick to the bucket" while they
showed the result of the excellent dis
ciplne of the brigade by making the
little hand engine fairly reel and trem-
| BILE under the force of their muscular
exertion.
II was soon seen, however. that the
college apparatus and buckets were
powerless to check the progress OF the
flames, and help was sent for to South
Hadley Falls and Holyoke. Fire appar-
atus was sent from these places. but
| arrived too late to be Of any service.
Where She Fire started.
The fire started in the laundry. di-
rectly under the gymnasium. 1t slow
ly worked through the doorways in the
fire wall, then into the south wing Of
| the building. and then into the large
building fronting the street. At the
same time 1t burned through the gym
nasium into the north wing, and at 1880
| the entire structure was mass OF
flames. About o'clock the walls be-
gan to topple over and an hour later
all that remained of the structure was
sections Of the wall looming up through
the smoke.
The library building adjoining the
main structure on the north and con-
| tanning 10000 volumes was saved by
active work on the part OF the firemen
| The burned building was in the form
| Of a quadrangle, all Of brick. Facing
| the street was a four-story structure
with about $50 feet frontage, in the
| basement of which was the large din
| ing hall.
steam Pipes the Cause.
Extending to the eastward from the
| building were two wings about 15t
| feet deep and four stories high. These
| three sections of the building were oc-
| cupied for dormitory purposes the FIRST
floor of the front being devoted to the
| chapel, reception and music rooms and
/ offices. Across the rear OF the right
angle formed by these three sections OF
the building was "A three-story struct
ure, the first story of which contained
the engine room, electric plant, work
| shop, etc, and the rest of the building
was occupied by the gymnasium. laun
| dry and store rooms.
IT is supposed that the fire originated
in the laundry from an overheatec
steam pipe, as no one had been In th'
laundry during the day, nor had there
| been a fire there. The building and u
contents were insured for sl54.OOO. Th'
loss is about Sl50,000.