The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1905-02-04
STUDENTS jump FROM
UPPER STORIES OF BURNING
UNIVERSITY BUILDING
eMain Building of Wesleyan Univer-
sity of West Virginia at Buckhan
non is Totally Destroyed by Fire
---Panic Among Students and
Several are Injured.

The main building of the Wesleyan
University Of West Fi.giiiis, Il Buck
aannon, was totally destroyed by fire
saturday morning Most of the four
hundred students OF the college were ~
the building attending to tneir school
studies and panic ensued among them
They were all gotten out Of tine burning
structure. however, without loss of life
altnough several OF ia, students ani
teachers had narrow escapes, two stnd.
ents receiving broken limbs from jump.
ing from third story windows and sew
eral were slightly burned and scorcnei-
Tne fire originated in the hue Of tn
boilfr room in the basement OF the
building about 900 o'clock in the morn
ins. rae blaze gained rapid heodway.
The fire ate It's way upwards between
tine wall in which the fiuc was located.
The Bucknanuon fir department was
late in getting its apparatus into opera.
ton and by the time streams wore play
Ing on the burning building i had got
te beyond eotrol.
At first panic rcigned among Tue
students but all OF them were gotten
safely out Of the building.
The male students formed fire bri-
rade and battled with the flames the
best they could and after it wa appar'
ent that tine fire was beyond control
they Joined with the others in trying
TO save the property in the building
Seyeral~of tae men remained too long
in III burning structure and it was with
difficulty that they wara gotten ou'.
Jonn Gilmore. of Jollytown. Pa. one Of
IN students, became hemmei in by the
flames in the third story and was com
pslled to jump from a window into m
overcoat aeid BY fellow
students and sustained broken leg
A junior student by the name OF Gibson
was likewise caught in the building and
jumped from an upper window in
similar manner sustaining broken arm.
Many of the students were slightly
burned and scorcaed by the flames.
Prof. F. y. Trott,r. the vice presid mt
of the college, was working hard in
saving property from the building and
risked nirnself several times until final.
ly' several Of til. student. held him D,
force and prevented aim from again en-
tering the building.
The fire swell,d soon into immense
proportions and in comparatively snort
time the whole structure wa, mass
of hungry flames. By noon inc wnole
building Vas complct " DESTROYED and
nothing remained but tn. stone and
brick walls.
A large quality OF thc furniture in
the building was gotten ant IL tar
students \ portion of the library wns
also saved but many valuable volume.
We're DESTROYED with the building. Three
pianos w,ra burned up.
The building was commodiops ,,ree
story brick and stone structure contain.
ing the auditorium class ana recitation
rooms. It cost $35Ooo and was insured
for $4,000 The furnishings II the
bnildiug wore also insured.
The Buekhannon fire department con.
hecieI up all, of il hose from its source
{ es water supply but ii was not lon.
enough to reacn into tn building wner,
inc fire was starting. Had they rott,r
Into the hasement or first hoor with IA
hose at first the building no doubt woul,
have mcen saved. TIE dormitory an,
music hall wtrc situated some nundre
feet from tne burning building ana wcr
net harmed.
Arrangements nave been made ia con
tin.e me instruction Of ths senior gra5
u class in these buildings but n
arrafesrments have been made for II
otaeT students as yet. The student
are all there awaiting sucn action i
may Be taken.
Rev. Joan Wier. the president of II
Institution. was in Charleston attcn,
Ing 70 SOM business matters. wnen u
occurred.
The university Is denomination
college swneI ana controlled by q
West Virginia Conference Of Il
Methodist Episcopal chnrea. Rev. D.
SO, Of This city. is one of tar trustee