The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-12

plainly of Greek architecture. It is the }, onIy building of the old University which still remains upon the campus
 It was the commandants omee III ',IS uh old days before the war: ,nfo every window of all the barracks ana III a light was burning when faps were blown. . .h ,al,. of the old University buildings oe1ore the war aver that in beauty. in archi- tectural merit and in comfort. they were superior to the new ouilaings s .sse erece1e were since the war ana ih slze thes
 The old University buildings were burned by Federal raiders who marched into Tuscaloosa under eommana saro,nre. of were committed to the flames on the charge that they were the breeding places of rebellion. Croxton in com- mand of detachment of cavalry was General Wilson and sent to destroy the University of Alabama. The Federals were met at the Warrior River bridge on the outskirts of Tuscaloosa. by the cadet corps under the command of the officers of the University. After nrtng a few volleys, the students retired be- fore superior numbers and marched to Marion, where they were disbanded.
 Saving the Observatory.
 The handsome and splendidly equip- ,ed observatory was saved through the intercession of the wife of ex-Governor Reuben Chapman, who lived near by. and today 1t stands as a monument 70 sought out the officer in command of the soldiers who were burning the buildings and plead with him to pre- serve the observatory' whlcn. sne ars had in no way contributed to the mili- tary instruction of the youths who had gone out from the University to the '1S1eae'ihs When the destff6ying Federais reach ed the beautiful and impressive TO- tunda Professor Delufa, the librarian. wstas aseer hem amd dd HI Rm ths the which occupied the lower floor of the rotunda. He showed the of ficer the splendid collection of books and protested against the vandalism which would destroy them.
 The officer looked about him sym 
 but my orders are imperative. I will take this book as a keepsake"
 The book he chose was q copy of the Koran. He stepped outside, the torch was applied and the rotunda with the other buildings of the. university van- ished in smoke and flames.
 This monumental act of vandalism was committed on the fourth day of
 Senator John T. Morgan in 1884 se- cured the passage of an act through Congress denoting another seventy two sections of land or 46,oS0 acres of land to reimburse the university for the destroyed buildings.
 Rebuilding the University.
 The buildings of the burned struc:: ture was, however, begun in 1887 and in 1869 the instructive work of the col lege was again undertaken.
 The university Is constructed on a beautiful tract of land containing 300 acres of land. On the grounds there are seven college buildings. The four most important ones are built in the form of a quadrangle. The rear line of the quadrangle is formed by Alva Woods Hall, four stories in height and a large part of the students dormitories.
 Manly Hall forming the west side of the quadrangle is four stories in height.
 Clark Hall is the central and south ern portion of the quadrangle and it is devoted to general academic pur- poses.
 On the east Garland Hall is the coun- terpart of Manly Hall on the west.
 Tuomey Hall and Barnard Hall are located close by and the Astronomical observatory Is on a hill near the cam pus.
 In it's seventy-five years of existence the university has instructed more than 5000 students and more than l. 500 graduate students have carried diplomas from its halls.
 furnished some of the names of which Alabama is most proud.
 Future alusions are to be made to the distinguished AlabamianS who have been connected in one way or another with the university.