The Washington herald., 1906-12-08

Ithaca, Dec IA pan hangs over Cor
nell University tonight as a result Of
the worst catastrophe in the history of
the university. the burning Of the chi
'si Lodge early this morning and the
oss Of seven lives. Property worth 800
- was destroyed, and the finest fraterni-
ty house in the world was practically
demolished.
OF the seven men killed six died almost
Immediately. the other lingering for sew
eral hours. Seven We're seriously injured.
The dead are William II: Nichols, Of
Chicago, Ill member Of the senior
class and the son Of wealthy commis-
sion merchant in Chicago He was a
member Of many clubs and societies. and
an editor OF the Cornellian. which is the
college annual charred body has
been found in the ruins. but it is not
yet known whether it is his OF that Of
Fred ". GreeIe, Of East Orange, y. J.,
who also perished in the flames
Oliver L. Schmuck, of Hanover. Pa. a
senior and a member Of many clubs and
very popular among his classmates. He
died in the Cornell Infrmary within A
few hours after the death OF his room
mate. Nichols
Frederick ". Greele. Of East Orange.
y. j., member Of the freshman class
his body has not been recovered.
James WcCutcheon, Of Pittsburg. Pa,
a member Of the sophomore class.
sub half back on the Cornell football
team, and very popular among his class
mates.
Three Volunteer Firemen Killed.
Three fremen. Alfred c. Robinson. an
attorney and a member of the volunteer
fire department: John Rumsey, son of a
prominent hardware merchant and d
member of the volunteer fire company,
and Estey J. Iandon, foreman Of the
Empire State Furnishing Company aud
meeaser OF the volunteer fire deIart-
mem sAre killed BY the falling Of
the D rea wall Of the building while
they S sne stretching a hose
JusN how the Gre started viii prob
ably remain a mystery. but at 239 clock
5. s Decamp, OF New York a sophomore,
and a member OF the Chi Psi. was awak-
ened by the smell Of smoke He rushed
10 the door of his room, bIt found his
escape cut of. Running 10 the window,
he slid down the vines and reached the
ground in safety. He hurried 10 the
nearby fraternity houses and sent our
the alarm. II was fully thirty minutes
after the fire mad started when the de-
partment reached the scene. The campus
fire facilities were utterly inadequate and
It remained for the city companies to
make an attempt 10 check the conhagra-
tiOn but IL WIS too late.
The nre started in tie basement kitCh-
1.r rr~Trr "a H.r
which was blowing easily at forty miles
an hour. it soon spread all over the
house. First il climbed the rear stair
way, and once in the lower hall. il jump
cd to the ether side, and in a few mo-
meElts both staircases were mass Of
flames.
By the time the apparatus had reach
ed the scene. the once magnificent struc-
ture was ii mass of flames. Twenty
seven members of the fraternity were
sleeping upstairs.
As soon as they awakened there was
wild confusion. but the first thought Of
each maa WAS To save his roommate.
Many Acts of HeroiSm.
The story Of the calamity cannot be
written in its fun details without a men
ton of the acts of heroism which II
brought forth. Schmuck. a little blue
eyed. curly-haired youth Of twenty-five.
gained everlasting glory by rushing back
into the seething furnace after he had
once reached the outside. in a vain
attempt 10 rescue his roommate, Nichols
When found. his body was so burned and
blackened that it was almost beyond
recognition, and he died within a few
hours
Students from nearby fraternity houses
were foremost in the attempt of rescue
Morris Halliday. fuH back on last years
varsity football team; Charles GOodsheed,
of Columbia. Ohio, and Edward T. Gus
son, of Brooklyn, y Y, distinguished
themselves by deeds of valOr Selling a
ladder, they placed it against the wall and
climbed over the slippery roof. reached
the almost lifeles body of McCutcheon,
who had fallen there after vain at
tempt TO crawl to a place where he could
attract attention.
They carried him carefully to the
ground. His body was so badly burned
that the fingers of the resCuers sank into
his flesh when carrying him from the top.
Eddy Gibson and other members of the
football team broke into the windows and
rescued three unconscious students from
a fiery death.
Many members of the Cornell faculty
and every physician in town were on hand
at an early hour TO aid in the work OF
rescue or attending the unfortunate
Many Of the fraternity men had narrow
escapes. Clarence G. Bamberger, of New
York who roomed directly under Nc
CutcheOn. made a rope out of the bed
clothing in their room and slid from the
second floor to the ground in safety.
Falls, but Escapes with Life.
H. A. Uhrlin. of Milwaukee, Wis, while
climbing over the roof. slipped and fell
He landed on A small balcony and was
knocked unconscious. The cold air soon
revived him. and finding three sheets in "a
bedroom adjoining. he tied them together
and slipped to the ground below.
R R Powers. Of Atlanta. Ga. who was
so burned that the skin hung in strips
from his fingers TO his elbows, refused
surgical attention until all of the rest Of
the men had been assisted.
Meanwhile, the Ithaca fire department
had arrived and made vain attempt TO
check the ever-increasing connagration
It was while hook and ladder company
No was attempting 10 reach the north
side of the building that the three fire.
men were killed They had stretched "a
hose into one of the windows directly
under 4 gable in the roof when without