The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1898-02-02
TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO.
The Burning of WOODBURY. Sem
mary Recalled by its
Anniversary.

Kinsey Fife tells what he Remembers
OF the Fire-How it originated aud how
Fast the Flames spread-Some mar.
row Escapes from Death--A Terrible
Fire Nothing Done TO save the
Building-some Lessons from the
past which may be OF profit to us now.
Twenty-Five years ago on the 25th
of January the burning Of old Wood
burn Seminary occurred The event
is still fresh in the minds of many
Of our readers bat to many of them
the occurrence is only tradition.
The Seminary building had been
used for number of years for the
purpose for which it was built and
when the property passed into the
ownership of the state and the West
Virginia Agricultural college estab-
lished, it became the home for the
students of that institution. Later
when that gave way to the Univer-
sity it became in turn university
building. At the time Of the burn
ing it was occupied by number Of
students as dormitory and was in
charge of Mr. and Mrs. Kinsey Fife
Mr.. Fife was hunted up by rep
rcsentatlve of this paper and was
asked to tell what he remembered of
the fire.
II was down town wher it broke
out and when | get the word hur-
ried back as quick as l could. We
found the fire in one of the rooms
which was locked and the student
who roomed there gone. We broke
in the door but the fire had gained
too much Roadway for us to do any
thing When the door went in the
flames rushed out into the hall in
sheets and we were forced to run
out"
The room in which the fire started
was occupied by student named
Hinkle of Buckhannon. He was
sickly fellow and consequently very
cross and i'll. natured. So much so
in fact that no other student would
room with him The fuel used in
the rooms was coal for that was be
fore the time of gas, and when a
load of coal would come the boys
would hurry down, get great lot
and fill the fire place full of coal.
When it began to burn it would
swell up and fall out over the fender
and set the floor on fire. II any one
had been in the room at the time
they could have put the blaze out
before any damage was done. As it
happened Hinkle was out and the
fire got such Roadway before it was
seen that it was impossible to do
anything.
The night was very cold and ev-
erything was frozen up. There was
not bucket of water thrown on the
bnilding from the time the fire start
ed until the building was burisei
up. There was no use either J lie
floors and the wood work were 81
pine and as dry as it could be SO it
burned like tinder The night was
still one and the fire went straight
up. A number of trees stood neat
the burning building and so strais ut
did the flames go up that several of
the trees were not hu in the least
Some Of the boys had quite a mar
row escape from death One fellow
had to be dragged out of bed and
carried out by some of his friends.
The fire occurred about half past
eight and several Of the boys had
gone to bed. Many Of them were
only able to save their clothing aud
in some cases 20 quick did the fire
come that they could barely get out
themselves.
About forty boys roomed in the
building when it burned. The fire
put an end to the dormitory system
and it was never begun again BY the
authorities. School was held in the
preparatory building and the hoys
scattered over town where it suited
them.
The.lesson of that fire might be
applied to present conditions. There
is but one plug near the University
and there is not d single foot Of
hose about the place. There should
be number of plugs scattered about
the grounds and lot OF hose kept
there all the time. Then if fire
came when the company got there the
hose would be attached and every
thing would be ready for the fight
ing of the blaze. As it is now by
the time the fire company could get
there in case of fire the building
would be badly damaged if not past
hope of saving. Each of the build
ings contains vast amount of very
valuable material which would prove
heavy loss in case of fire. The at
tention of this paper was called to
the condition of things about the
University by one Of the professors
who remembers the other fire and
the loss it was to the institution and
how it might have been prevented
had there been adequate means OF
fire fighting at hand History often
repeats itself and we should prepare
1 r. I.