The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-12-01
FLAMES WIPE OUT A
BUILDING At Az N,
COLLEGE
The Loss $40, 900 and Fifty
Students Forced to Re-
turn Home.
THE INSURANCE is Sc, 900
Watauga Hall, Which Contained Din
ming Room, Kitchen and Dormi-
tory Destroyed.
THE INSURANCE IS Sc, 900
MANY STUDENTS LOST EVERYTHING
fearless and Brave Work Of Students and a
Fine Water System Alone Saved the
Main Building and
HtsoitaI.


A ten-thousand- dollar conflagration
visited the A. and NJ College last might.
The Watauga building, in which was
located the dining hall and kitchen and
dormitory room for fifty students caught
aiire at II p. m. and was entirely de-
stroyed.
The fifty students, who were asleep in
the building, were aroused, and while
every one escaped safely they lost nearly
everything they had.
These fifty students will be compelled
Z to return to their homes because there is
no accommoda ton for them. They began
TO leave on the morning trains.
The college will be seriously interfered
with, but the work of the institution will
. go on. The building was erected in 1894
,a at a cost of $4,000 and was insured for
o. sc, Coo The loss of property by students
3D. and furnishings belonging to the college
was fully $1,000 if not twice that amount.
Both President Winston and Mr.. w. S.
Primrose, member of the Board of Trus-
) etees, announced this morning that the
building would be rebuilt at once.
,as Speaking of the effect Of the fire on the
W
representative of the News and OBJ
server:
5s. "Of course the college will be seriously
Inconvenience, as practically the entire
student body boarded in the building that
vas burned. Arrangements will be made
in the city for boarding students. The
yNfifty young men who had quarters in the
'sIurned building will have TO return home,
:. We have no place for them. the other
buildings being crowded to their utmost.
1t is a severe loss, especially to those
students who lost everything,
But for the heroic and valiant work of
tho students the@main building and the
Hospital building would have both gone
up in smoke. 1t was only by the most
skilful and courageous efforts of the col
! Iege boys that the Hospital building was
Z saved The wind was blowing from the
direction of the burning structure to that
building and the tongued flames almost
Tapped the intervening space.
The fire was discovered by Frank Bal
ley, the fireman and night Waterman,
about IL o'clock. The blaze was on the
floor of the kitchen when the discovery
was made and according to Baily it was
a fairly good sized blaze. From all de-
scriptions it began near the range in the
Kitchen and spread with remarkable
rapidity. Mr.. Baileys thoughts were first
of the slumbering students inside the col
legc and he proceeded to arouse them He
was assisted by Cadet Weeks, who was
early on the scene. The students were
gotten up in quick time, but the flames
were devouring the building at a rapid
rate and before they had hardly begun the
work Of saving their effects they We're
froced to retreat The flames shot I'M
wards from the kitchen, which was only
one-story in height and advanced to the
second story of the front part of the
building. where the sleeping quarters OF
the students were located.
The alarm was sent to Raleigh by
rhone and urgent requests were made for
the fire department to respond. The hook
and ladder truck and the hose wagons
were soon on the scene. The college is
half mile from the city limits and OF
course. the fire department was OF little
/. assistance The brilliancy OF the flames
vas visible for miles and the smoke
soon reached the city, the wind blowing
in that direction. Hundreds OF people
were awakened and a great crowd went
10 the college, many of whom were ladies',
and viewed the consuming flames.
The college has water supply OF its
own thatfs admirable Three streams of
water were turned on the adjacent build
ings by the valiant students, who organ
ICED themselves in brigades, and but for
this water supply and the efforts Of the
students the loss would be twice as great
rs it is. The water supply equalled that
of the city SO far as force is concerned 1t
was under the direction of Prof. Chas.
Parks, of this city, who was among the
first on the scene, and who deserves great
credit for his services. The water supply
is pumped from wells by steam pump
CT 800 gallons capacity per minute. There
is reservoir of $4,000 gallons capacity
fixed to the top and during the progress
of the fire water was pumped into this
reservoir.
The fire was most spectacular one.
The flames began their work about II
p. M, and for a distance of one hundred
yards the heat was intense. At / p. m.
two hours later the fire had lost little of
it's force and was still blazing away. It
was confined inside the walls of the
structure, which were still standing. At
frequent intervals there were loud re-
ports like the discharge of a rapid fire
gun Some thought this vas the explosion
of guns left in the building. but it was
said to be the explosion of sections of
the steam radiators
To the students the greatest praise is
due for their fearless and interchangeable
efforts to save the buildings. They had
10 be restrained from entering the burn
ing building to save property, when il
looked as though the roof would fall IN
Over on the Hospital building a little
hand braved the flames and with one
stream of water. which they played on
the structure to keep it wet undoubt-
cdiy saved it from destruction They
subjected themselves to scorching heat