The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1897-01-16
|OlD kONONCALIl ACADEMY.
The Historic Structure Quilted
By Fire Monday Afternoo n.
ENDING OF A CAREER or H0xOR
EXTENDING OVER THREE.
QUARTERS OF Gen.
FURY.
taisersai Regret Caused Bs the De-
struetios Of this ancient Land
Mark. A short Sketch II lie His
tory, Graduates aud Teachers.


nongalia Academy. The fire eadghs
mp in the cupola and it is supposed
| 20 have been due to the carelessness
81 Several small boys who were up
there playing They came rushing
down and exeitedly toit Pref. Jaco
that the building was on fire The
alarm was promptly given and be
fore the FIRE laddies could respond
the entire attic was mass of flames.
'fhe Attfe was piled full Of plumber
of every description sld desks, boxes
and fnffammable stuff OF sil sorts
mixing one Of the best places f6f
the spread Il Ere That could be inn
agined. 1t was sonletsmA sitter get
ting on the scene before the water
was turned and when the first stream
struck the building it seemed doomed
10 certain destruction. Owing to it's
extent, it proved 90 be great diff
entity 70. subdue 1t. The windows
affording inoress 10 the attic were
small and but limited PORTION could
be reached from any one OF them
This necessitated constant change
of base and during the intervals the
flames would almost regain their
fyrmet Roadway. A couple of sec
tions IF hose were taken inside the
building and the frs fought from the
inside: Many of the firefnep deserve
great Credit for their efforts but 0w
ing to the smoke 9raf Confusion but
few of them were noticed Chief
Christie accompanied by several
men fought their way right into the
center OF the flames and to their
work much Of The credit must be
given The dangers encountered by
many of the nftp 9efe certainly APP
palling and were much greatet than
ordinary on account of the nature Of
the fire. The high wind which was
blowing not only famed the flames
To greater fury but added greatly to
the discomfort Of the men who in
matiy crises were drenched with the
icy water. Their clothing was froz-
en- on them in many instances and
the physical discomfort undergone
was very great. The fire was finally
gotten under control but the entire
roof and attic were ruined. The old
cupola has almost disappeared and
the plastering ruined with the rest
Of She building by the water. A
great iftanS ef the school books be-
longing to- the children were also
spoiled and many teafs SHED by the
sorrowful urchins over the loss Of
some dearly beloved, dog cared vol
ume.
Quite lot of the desks and other
property in the building was carried
out but lot of that was broken by
careless handling. What remained
in the building was ruined by the
water.
As consequence Of the burning
Of the sch6ol building it il thought
that school will be suspended for the
rest of the year with the exception
of the three higher rooms which will
be accommodated at different places
about town.
The loss on the building is estima
ted by insurance experts to be about
$4,000 although the building is in
such shape that 1t will have TO be
torn down. 1t has been the inten
ton to rebuild in the spring and the
event of the burning will only hasten
this improvement. The old building
was inadequate to the demands
which the increase of population was
putting upon it, Taking it all in
all it might have been much worse.
The destruction of this building
removes one Of the old landmarks of
Morgantown and in fact of this sec
ton of the state. The most complete
and satisfactory sketch of the Acad
emp is that contained in the mon
ticola" Of last year although it is
somewhat dim and uncertain in
places. 1t is as follows:
There are many men, and these of
the number of our most distinguish
ed citizens throughout our state and
other states of the union, in whose
patriotic hearts the name of old Mo
nongalia Academy lies enshrined as
sacred to-day as it was in the years
of long ago.
The last roar of English guns had
not ceasedto reverberate on our coasts
when our people west of the noun
tains" in their desire for higher ed
ucation, had secured the passage of
an act by the Virginia Legislature
of 1914 Incorporating the Mononga-
liza Academy.
This act appointed a board of ten
trustees and provided for their per-
petuation by permitting them to fill
vacancies in their body by election.
1t also provided that one sixth of
the fees received by the county sur
veyor of Monongalia county be paid
into the hands of this board. It can
not be certainly ascertained when at
just what time the first session of
the Academy was held but on May
%, 1916 an advertisement appeared
in the Monongalia spectator for a
tntor.
The first Academy building was
built about this time on the lot now
owned by Thos. r. Evans at the
corner of Spruce and Wiley streets.
In the year 1928 two lots we're
bought, located on Walnut and
Spruce and two-story brick erected
thereon for the use of the Academy.
The old building was sold and as
further endowment the Virginia
legislature passed an act authoriz-
ing the trustees to raise $4,000 by
lottery. On the Goth day of Janua-
ry 1882 Thomas P. Ray contracted
with Yates and Mcintyre to conduct
the drawing.
OF those early days but meagre
information can be obtained and this
is of uncertain and hazy character,
but the names of Campbell, Wood
row, Olisson, Marshall, Van Zant,
Fairchild, Henry, Moss, Martin,
Thompson and Russ appear as
teachers or principals. From this
point on list Of the principals Of
the school has been obtained and is
as follows: 1881, Jonathan Paddock;
1888, Thomas Martin; lS4l, p. s.
Rutcr; 1916, Silas Billings; 1852,
Jamae r Moore. 1894 A. w. LOr-