The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-08
OVERCOME BY THE SMOKE
STUDENTS HAVE A NARROW ES-
CAPE AT WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY.
The Cottage Totally Destroyed by Fire
Work of the University Will
Not Be Interrupted.

Special Dispatch to the Standard.
Helena, Jan. THE Cottage, an an
mex to Montana Wesleyan university.
the Methodist college situated in the
valley, five miles from town, was to-
tally destroyed by fire this morning.
The fire was discovered in the cellar,
where the heating plant is located,
about I o'clock, and is supposed to have
caught from ashes dropped on the floor.
Smoke rapidly communicated to the
upper floors and general alarm was
spread. The occupants of the building,
a number of students and the families
of Chancellor Tiff and President Van
Scoy were aroused and all succeeded
in leaving the building and assisted in
saving some of the furniture and the
college library. Lewis Warren of East
Helena, student, who was among the
first to discover the fire, rushed into
the cellar and, while endeavoring to eX-
tinguish the flames with a portable fire
extinguisher, was overcome by the
dense smoke and heat.
Another student by the name of King
who followed after him suffered SINH
lar experience. Both We're fortunately
rescued from a horrible death by other
students led by Professor Turner, who
also had a narrow escape.
The only means of fighting the fire
was the hand extinguishers. They were
used to good advantage for a while but
soon the flames overcame the effects of
the chemicals and the entire building
was wrapped in the fire fiend's grasp.
There is no water system near the uni
versity other than what can be taken
from wells. The students proved them
selves good tiremen and worked like
Trojans trying to save the property and
preventing the spread of the fire to the
main building.
The Cottage was three-story frame
and insured for $4,000. The heaviest
personal losses were sustained by
Chancellor Tiff and President an Scoy,
who lost all of their household effects.
Both were absent at the time, Chancel-
lor Tiff being in the Eastern part of
the state on college work and Mr..
Van Scoy at Avon.
The loss of the building at this time,
while a severe blow to the university,
as quarters for the students were in de-
mand, will not deter the management in
their effort to make the college what its
founders intended it to become. New
quarters have been secured for those
whom the fire robbed of a stopping
place and the university will continue
as in the past. A meeting of the exeeu-
tive committee of the university was
held this afternoon. After hearing from
the president of the board of trustees,
the following declaration to the public
was given to the press for publication:
1.-The loss by fire of the Cottage of the
| Montana Wesleyan university has de-
volved upon the institution added cares
| and responsibilities and it accepts them
in the confident assurance that it will
| be able to maintain the excellence of
| the institution as a seat of learning and
| respond to every obligation to its
patrons, which the executive commit
tee makes haste to assure the well-wish-
ers of the university it will do. Ar
| quarters for the occupants of the prem
| ises destroyed by fire and every pupil
| will be comfortably provided for in
| commodious and comfortable places, so
| that no Solicitude need be felt but that
| the purpose and efforts of the institu-
! ton will continue with but momentary
| interruption. The executive committee
| desires to express to the professors,
| pupils and others present at the fire
their appreciation of the sobriety, in
telligence and activity displayed in res
cuing so much of the property as was
possible from destruction.
In the midst of the disaster the reso-
luton and enthusiasm of the teachers
and pupils manifests a newimomentum
to which the board of trustees will re-
| spond in like spirit, and the public
| which has not been slow to show its
| appreciation of the school, will, we trust,
find in the new needs of the university
an incentive for generous contributions
for it's support. The university build
ing proper remains intact and all the
interests of the school will be con-
served"