The free press. (Southern Pines, N.C.) 1898-19??, 1904-01-29
Disastrous Fire at State Normal and
Industrial College
THE YOUNG LADIES ALL ESCAPED
So0s and Sensible Behavior on Part
OF the Students Averted Serious
Panic,

0I6enSDOfO, Speclal.-Ihe main dor
mitoFy, dining hall and laundry at the
State Normal College were destroyed
by FIRE about o'clock Thursday morn
ang. The inmates all escaped, although
SoMe had barely time to save them
serves, and many lost all their belong
sngs The loss is about $1,000, with
$4,000 assurance.
1t was with a feeling of absolute
terror that people, awakened before
day this morning, were told that the
Normal College was on fire, and at the
dorrnitory, where $50 girls were known
TO be sleeping. AS crowds hastily left
of coming horror. No street cars were
mile distant, there was an awful dread
of coming horror. No street cars were
running at the hour, and those who
reached there were overcome with ioy
10 lind that not a soul of all the 400
had been hurt, but that with wonderful
forethoueflt ON the part Of the watch
man and the system Immediately or
ganfzed by the college authorities,
every soul was saved, there not even
being a panic during the whole time
Of rescue. The nerve and GOODNESS
displayed by these young ladies was
something remarkable, and the concern
Telt for them by every man, woman and
child in Greensboro is sufficient assur-
ance Of their high merit.
Everybody and everything turned
out, and poured out assistance and &C
commodations, feeling that the best
they had was not half good enough for
them. The proprietor of the Benbow
Hotel was thoughtful enough to at
once begin preparations for breakfast
FOR the whole crowd, the street cars
rendered free passage and at 9 o'clock
every ono Of the girls had been cared
for, by that and other hotels in the
city, who had also responded in no un-
certain tones of hospitality soon after.
The same thing occurred at dinner, and
parents of the students all over the
State need have no fear that their
daughters or wards will suffer mo-
ment Of discomfort. The college au-
thorities are not at all ratified, for at
the melting at 10 o'clock everything
was being planned out for comfort
able disposition of the burned-out
students, and arrangements were
made to begin the regular exercises
Monday morning, thus causing only
one days interruption in college
Ssudies.
DISCOVERY CT THE FIRE.
The fire was discovered in the kitch-
en- by the Waterman at 4 O'Clock in
the morning in the building devoted
TO the laundry, kitchen, dining room,
cold storage, boiler room and heating
plant. In this building were rooms for
$50 girls, and nearby was the dormi-
tory proper, four-story brick build
Ing containing rooms for $50 inmates
and crowded to it's capacity When
discovered the fire was breaking out
the roof of the kitchen. With rare
presence of mind the Waterman, in.
stead of turning in a general alarm,
quietly summoned aids and went
through all the rooms, waking up the
sleeping students, and SO systematical-
!
one of the girls was saved without &C.
cident or panic. The general fire alarm
was sounded few minutes after 4,
and the fire companies responded with
rapid work, getting to the burning
buildings mile away with speed. 1t
was impossible to save the four-story
proper, which was in a few
feet of the burning dining room and
Iormitory, strong wind blowing to-
yards 1t soon wrapping it in flames
All the other buildings were saved
without damage.
SOME NARROW ESCAPES.
There were some hair-breadth
escapes and much excitement, but at
10 time was there anything like a 8