The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1898-09-30
Deyoured by the Flames.

The peaceful slunlters of Corvallis cit
izens were suddenly broken IN upon by
the Changing of bells, shrieklng OF wh1s-
ties and sounding of the fire gong, at II,
midnight, Tuesday, the cause being
the burning of the mechanical hall
building of the o. A. c. which by p. m.
Wednesday morning was smoulderlns
mass of twisted, warped, and useless
machinery. dynamos, engines, boilers,
printing presses, tools and implements,
surrounded by brek en-, bent a"d blackened
brick walls which, like giant scnu:eis o1
despair, looked silently Oh the ruin ana
devastation wrought by the fiery goa III
one short hour. The dyuamos used 1or
generating the electricity tor the college
electric light plant are connected WIFE
the enginLs Who's power drives tne oll-
| ferent machinery in tkc iron aid wood
working departments, and hecessitateS
the keeping up of fire and steam until 10
o'clock each night. At that hour iueS-
day Student VanGross, in charge, shut
down and took the usual precautions t"r
safety. There being no watchnian ehi-
ploved, the fire, which originated IN the
engine room, was not discovered until 1t
had gained force enough that the fahies
burst through the roof, the light of which,
shining upon the viii dow of Prof Sneil's
roosa in the ladies' dor1Aitory, situated
400 feet westward, awak kened her a"d the
alarm was given. A prompt response
from, the students and fire department
from the eitv failed TO extin2uish the
rapiny ard destructive elements. but were
successful III getting two lathes and few
small tools from the iron working depart
meut, and sol:le type and printing material
from the printing office of the estimated
value OF s. 500. The water tewer, which
was located close to the engine room, is
also total wreck. The original me
chanical building was erected III 1859,
and was of brick, two stories IN height.
It was Sex3S, with wing 52x2o. The new
: norton, built entirely of wood, three
steries erected ia 1894, was Sox3s, with
tvs wings 4ox32 and 6ox52 respectively.
The buildings, or building, as they were
constructed, contained six large roeI>is
occupied for armery, printing othce
wood working and iroa working depart
nsents, gymnasium, and recitation rooms
and together cost $Io,o The contents
of this building, consisting OF machln
ery, tools, printing outfit, material. etc.
cost $1,000. The total loss is ret les:
than S25, 900, $1,000 of wllicA is coveree
by inSurauce i'll ten companies.
Oae hundred Springfield rifles ane
) 1900 rouads of blank cartridges, :'sed by
the cadets, were destroyed. When th'
latter had been reached by the heat, Sc
. that it begaA exploding, it reminded OLE
. veterans of the firing on the skirnlsf
lines so often heard AID engaged in by
them IS years ago. Ths destruction o
this valuable plaat will seriously cripple
, the college in it. work for te year In al
of its industrial departments. The black
saithing, wood and iron working, ane
dressmaking classes are without too
and without rooms in which to operate
, The physicai and mechanical laborato
ries and priutias Offices are total wrecks
If the Insurance is all paid the loss t.
the state will not be less than $4,000
enough to pay a watchnl an fer rs years
Had one been employed and made 1t hi
: duty to have visited hourly each build
5 ing on the camp:s this greet waste coak
most Ike y have beep averted e'tlreiy
or at least to have very greatly reduce'
the loss.