The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-31
FLAMES CONSUME
IDAHO UNIVERSITY
Fine Main Building Was Com
pletely Destroyed Early
Tuesday Morning. t~
x
LOSS REACHES $20O,0OO;
INSURED 0NE-HALF
Origin of Fire Is Mystery
Not Yet Solved; Started
i'll Basement.
Special 10 The Tribune

Special TO The Tribune
MOSCOW. Idas March 3o-The main
building of the University OF Idaho
burned to the ground at an early hour
this morning, Nearly all OF the valu-
able contents were destroyed. among
them being almost priceless collections OF
botanical and chronological. valuable H.
brary and nearly all OF the expensive
equipment With which the building was
fitted. Tho total loss is estimated at
10000. upon which there Is an insurance
OF sll1.SO0.
Origin Mystery.
The origin OF the fire Is involved in
mystery. During the early evening the
debate between the team of Washington
State college at Seattle and the Idaho
university team had been In progress In
the auditorium OF the building and when
the debate was finished and the crowd
dispersed at about IL o'clock there was
no sign OF fire about the building.
Discovered in Night.
At about o'clock the smoke was de-
tected and q search disclosed the fact
that blaze had obtained considerable
headway In tho southeast wing The FIRST
to discover the fire was Assistant Jan
ltor Wiliams. who rooms in the build
ing. According to his story the fire orig
the first floor,
Flames Gain Ground.
An alarm WAS Immediately sent in and
fire companies responded promptly to the
call and In a short time two streams OF
water were playing on the building. AL
2i5 the fire had gained considerable
headway and could be plainly seen from
the downtown district. 1t was eating Its
way upwards through the second floor
and IL was evident that the structure was
I.NENT
the flames and ,tbc interior OF the build
Ing took on the appearance OF huge
furnace,
Soon the entire campus was crowded
with an excited crowd OF citizens and
those who assisted az best they could In
checking the flames gave way to mingle
with the crowd who were watching with
agony the destruction OF this building
the pride OF the city and State.
Danger to Spectators.
The object to attract the attention Of
large part of the spectators was the i'm
mense scenic covered dome and spire As
the flames shot upward from the main
section and began burning the woodwork
at the base OF the dome, an order was
issued to keep the crowd back far
possible, for II wac believed that the mass
would fall forward. The structure final
~ fell unexpectedly. but instead OF fall
ing forward settled into the flames below.
AT 315 every part Of the large building
was 9blaze The heat issuing from tho
crowd to the west and north sides OF th"
building was compelled TO move farther
away 1t was not until after 6 o'clock
that the spectators left for their homes,
Work Will Go On.
The Board of Regents Will meet here
next Thursday and the Governor has
wired that he Will como also, and that
the loss though great, must not be al
lowed TO cripple the good work OF the
university. Practically all classes will re
sumo their work Monday morning. Ar
rangcments were made BY the faculty To
equip the armory building and Rldeh-
baugh hall for class room.
Citizens Will Aid.
The loyalty of MoscowS citizens was
evidenced when n message was sent TO
President MncLean Offering every avail
able space In the city for university use,
The buildings now being considered for
this purpose include the Elks temple,
Moscow clubhouse, TWO rooms over the
city hall. odd Fellows hall. opera-housc
and the public library.