The times., 1899-03-31
COLLEGE Fires

correspondent of the New York Sun"
makes lively protest against the care
lessness which permits hotels and other
large buildings TO remain unprovided with
fire-escapes, and declares that if Vassar
College should catch fire the result would
be holocaust. he says that he asked
one OF the students what would happen
should fire break out in the building,
and she replied with a shudder, Windsor
Hotel over again" The college building
shelters more than six hundred young
women, and the elevator shafts furnish all
the draught that is needed to turn the
building into a furnace, while rooms in
the fifth story have not so much as a rope
for fire-escapes.
II this is true. there is need for instant
indignation among the friends and rela-
tiyes Of the young women housed in this
building. A college is more easily con-
;rolled by the public will than a hotel,
and there is absolutely nothing to pre-
vent every patron of Vassar from remov-
ing his daughter from that institution and
sending her to some other at which she
will receive quite as good an education
without the danger of burning to death
As a matter OF fact the cottage system of
dormitories is the only one which is en-
entirly safe in a girls college, and it is
becoming more and more generally under
stood that the advantages OF this system
far outbalance its few defects. A college
is usually situated in place where there
need be no close economy in ground space
and there IL no excuse, in these modern
days, for great, hotel-like dormitory of
four or five stories. At the same time
it is possible TO make such building COM
paratively safe, by the building OF sub
stantial escapes on every side, and the
introduction of fire-drill among the
students. There is absolutely no reason
why the lives OF young girls should be
jeopardized by lack of attention to the
very simple matter of providing outside
stairways for escape in case OF fire.
One of the most remarkable college fires
which has occurred In the last quarter of
century was that which destroyed the
old dormitory building OF Mount Holyoke
College three or four years ago. II was
remarkable chiefly from the fact that
nobody was hurt, and some of the students
saved good part OF lHeiT possessions,
but this was due more to the cooness of
the young women and the direct interposi-
ton of Providence than to any fore
thought on the part Of the founders of the
college. The fire, like that at the Wind
sor occurred during the afternoon, so that
everyone was awake and ready TO re-
spond TO the alarm, and many were out
OF the building. and in saving their effects
and themselves nearly all the students
showed perfect self-cSntrol and much exec
utiye ability. Had the fire broken out in
the middle Of the night it is horrible TO
think what might have happened, for
the nearest fire engine was at the city of
Holyoke, four miles away.
| The dormitory, like many other old
college structures. was by some inscrutable
stupidity built in hollow square, five
stories high except on one side. which
was occupied by alow-roofed gymnasium
hall and by the laundry and steam engines,
where the fire would be more than likely
TO break out. Up TO a recent time kero-
sene lamps were used in lighting the
entire building and each student had a
small hand-lamp, which she carried about
when she needed to go into dark room.