The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-24

others outside, and projecting stones
at window tops had crashed down into
the fire. But it was 6 O'Clock before
Of the east wall in the center portion portion
that side shifted their position. their
efforts there being useless then.
AS yet the front was not afame, but
and manuscripts, collected by work Of
many years and intended, some Of them
smoke poured in great volumes from be-
meath the heavy cornice, and announced
| mistakably that the consumption of
the, inflammable in that part of the
building was question Of but few
than the crowd expected. There were
no police lines, but instinctively the
spectators drew back considerable dis
lance, to the knoll across the street.
The smoke-flled buildings was dismal
ly dark, but in at the main entrance, at
the top of the two flights of steps where
50 many ny student IT, gatherings have been
could see the sharp contrast of the
angry red glow of the flames, which
were slowly eating their way toward
the front.
In the rear i. was more spectacular.
Assin front, the building first appeared
there small gusts Of smoke squirting out
| thru crevices. Then, with sudden,
frightening boom Ike that Of a bonn.
! baTdment, there followed series Of ex-
! plcsions, caused by the air and smoke
Iseeking an exit from the tightly closed
| rooms. After that the flames broke out
from dozen windows, making the in
terror roaring, seething furnace which
! generated light and heat Of intensity
that hurt the eyes.
" A Great Spectacle.
! A squad Of firemen had taken up
entrance, and were dividing their time
and water between the main building
and small shed to the rear, which
had not yet caught fire.. The crowd
watching the fire drew back with a
little cry. a moment later the central
portion. Of; the south wall fell with
great, deafening crash. Had 1t fallen
outward it is probable the fremen
would have been caught beneath it.
But It fell inward. The effect was
spectacular In the extreme. The great
quantity of smoke confined in the lower
floors was loosened, but it was belched
cannon, and in this the fremen were
completely enveloped; but when it had
cleared away. it disclosed the men rum
ming for their lives and their line of
hose squirting little, useless stream
1 out over the ground.
The Library Saved.
on the campus in front when, at $3.50,
they saw a chemical wagon driven at
at hot pace across the campus and
swung into position in front of the
library. Two ladders were dropped
against the library, and up them clam
bered several firemen, carrying small
chemical hose: Everybody thought the
library, containing all the books Of the
university, the chapel, many classrooms
and the president IS registrar s and ac-
countant's offices was going. But they
| fallen on the roof and several wires
from the main building had dropped,
| but at no time was the danger threat
ening
When the fire got into the front por-
tion, it ate the contents as ravenouslv
as it had in the rear. Floor after foot.
fell, and then a portion Of the cornice
at the apex Of the roof fell forward and
went crashing down onto the big porch,
scattering the debris over the steps and
sidewalk. But the front wall stood,
and SO did the east one.
| A Marrow Escape.
! Two fremen, J. M. Hanlan of No. 6
truck, and Martin Rogers Of No. 2
truck had narrow escape from being
buried beneath a falling wall on the
west side. They had been working with
a line Of hose in the west doorway,
when, driven back by the sitting
smoke, they withdrew a few feet to
get fresh breath. Just as they did so
a part Of the wall fell onto the porch,
breaking it and piling the stone up
where the men had stood a moment be-
fore.
A Desolate Scene.
i When the fire wagons withdrew,
abouts:3O, the scene in the vicinity Of
the main building was desolate The
uneven, roofless front, with it's smoke
begrimed stone, was the first unusual
4 thing to catch the eye of students who
went to the U'' from distance with
no knowledge of the fire, and as they
drew nearer they could see the un-
slightly remains of the historic hall, the
sky apparent thru the burned-out win
dows, and, in the center of the section
and the rear, the dragged edges of half
demolished walls.
The campus nearby was ittlered with
debris from the burned building and
coal left where the fire engines had
i stood; inplaces it was sodden with the
I dirty water which had flowed back
from the building; the lawn, over
which the heavy frewagons had been
ruthlessly driven, was creviced un-
evenly, and the flowers in the beds had
been trampled into the earth. Hum
dreds of students who had lockers in
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