The semi-weekly messenger., 1904-02-23
Especial to The Messenger.)


Greensboro, n. c., February 1S.-
The second oldest college in the
South for the education of women,
the Greensboro Female College, the
second college for women in this city,
and the third in the state within the
past month, is at this writing a heap
of smouldering ruins, nothing but the
grim walls and smoke remaining of
an institution which was hoary with
age and honors.
About o'clock this morning, Miss
TransOn, a student of Asile county,
was awakened by suffocating smoke
in her room, and at once gave the
alarm
Occupants Escaped Safely.
The fire was on the second story,
in the ell OF the building. back Of the
auditorium and over the music room.
Being some distance from the sleep
ing apartments, all the sleeping occu-
pants were aroused, ana had time to
dress. secure their valuables. their
trunks, ETC. and escape without in
jury, and with remarkable absence of
excitement or panic, into the bitterly
COlO Dr1lllSJlI IN a 1SSN mo
mentS by the glare from the flames
bursting out of the roof OF the rear
buildings. The fire department reach
ed tg1e scene in good time, and con-
nected with the two hydrants avail
able, but 1t was realized from the
state Of the fire when discovered that
nothing short of n fire Doa= would
have been sufficient to have checked
the flames which were roaring noun
tain high from the fourth story attic
of the ell. when they arrived.
It was a large three story brick
structure, with an imposing frontage,
AMI a deep ell. and the flames though
surely destroying every vestige Of the
buildings, were deliberate enough TO
enable the many ready hands from
the citizens who were awakened and
the splendid assistance OF the faculty
and students, to save neaT;y every
thing OF value in the way OF trunks,
wearing apparel, furniture, beddin~
etc. The occupants on the third
floor. including the members of the
faculty were the principal sufferers,
many sf these losing everything of
their personal belongings. No one
was injured physically, and homes at
the hotels and private dwellings were
at once available for all to be taken
care of. The greatest loss in the way
OF equipment was that of pianos. all
save the two which were on the first
floor being burned
Value of the Buildings.
The buildings were erected to re
place those destroyed by fire about 40
years ago, and have been materially
improved since. The original sUruc-
ture cost s60,o00 and was built under
the supervision of Dr. d. W. G. Ben,
bow, and the thick walls which now
stand intact and uncracked, are a teS-
timoniaI to the thoroughness of his
work. The property is valued at
S150,060.0O, on whicn there is
bonded indebtedness of $4,000. There
rs S35.0 900 insurance on the buildings.
and $4,000 on the boiler, the latter
however. not bein insured against fire
loss The Greensboro Fire Insurance
Companies have not q dollar OF risk
on these buildings, ana escape all loss
thereby The companies carrying in
surance are as follows: Royal E.x-
change, London, $4,000; Orient OF
Hartford, s2,5S0; American Ph1ladel-
phia, $4,000; North Carolina Home,
Raleigh, $4,000; Northern of London,
$4,000; Phoenix of Brooklyn, $4,000;
London. Liverpool and Globe, $4,000;
Georgia Home. $4,000; German Amer
lean, New York, s2.5Oo; Westchester,
New York. $500.
The individual losses -TlI1 heaviest
on those members Of the faculty who
had their apartments IN the third
story. OF those, Misses Shattuck,
BLaylock. Fisher, Davis and hcDon-
aid. lost nearly everything. a consid-
erabEe portion of that belonging to
Miss Page, even to her silverware be
ing saved without her knowledge. 1t
Is said that this loss could have been
ayerted. had not these brave noble
women, in their efforts TO Keep order
and system in the student body, and
save as much as possible Of their
effects lost sight entirely OF their own
property and gave no directions what
ever about its not having been look
ed after.
Many Students Leave for Homc-
There was a meeting of the entire
student body and the faculty at West
Market Street Methodist church at 10
o'clock this morning, when. commit
tees were appointed to TOOK after all
matters necessary for the proper COM
fort and assistance of those who lost
their clothing, and r., arrange for
their going home. Mrs Robinson,
the president, advised the students
not to leave until tomorrow. but as
many had already teIegrapned they