Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-07
BIG FIRE AT CORNELL.
Students Had to Jump from Windows
 and Were Injured.

Ithaca, N. Y., Dec 7.-The beauti
 full Chi Psi fraternity house at Cor.
 nell university caught fire early to
 day and soon the first floor was
 afiame. Before the fire department
 could arrive 0. l.. Schmuck of Han
 over, Pa, had jumped from third
 story window and was severely in jured so that it is feared he will die
 in the Cornell infirmary. where he
 was taken:
 Three of Ithica's volunteer firemen
 all of them well known citizens, were
 killed while fighting the flames. Four students lie in the inflrmary at the point of death while at. the time of writing 1t is not known how many are in the ruins.
 The Chapter house. which was the celebrated mansion built by Mrs Jen- nie McGraw Fiske, on the campus, overlooking Cayuga lake but never occupied by her because of her pre- mature death was a beautiful strue- ture of sandstone. It was handsome ly decorated within with marble and mahogany. It is now heap of ruins. The walls were of rubble ma sonary and collapsed under the flames and high wind.
 The firemen killed were Attorney A. s. Robinson. graduate of Cor nell: Esty Landon and John Rumsey. They were directing a hose on the north side of the building when the wall fell and pinned them under it. They slowly roasted under the burn ing debris. When the fire depart ment arrived on the scene of the dis aster, the screams of two men ap- bearing in the windows of the south- west tower, over the main entrance. were heard. For some reason the men hesitated to jump from their burning prison and while the fremen watched the scene almost paralyzed with horror, the tower collapsed and the men were buried beneath the ruins. They are supposed to he w. Grelle of Orange. \. l., and H. M. Nichols of Chicago.
 The inner walls of the chapter house were licked clean and the cell ings fell throughout. while the walls cracked apart in all directions. The fire was SO hot that the firemen were driven back and any attempt at res cue was impossible.
 President Schurman of Cornell and his stan are preparing a list of wounded and missing.
 Among those who were taken from the ruins were J. M. McCutcheon of Pittsburg. the football fullback sub stitute. Those taken out were in a pitiable condition. They were bleed- ing from cuts caused by falling bricks and timbers and blackened by smoke.
 Those who had been caught were in several instances roasted. Some were unfortunately unconscious.
 C. !. Pope. a freshman member of the fraternity. is missing and Is sup posed to he under the ruins. The fire was still blazing fiercely in the base ment of the ruined structure this forenoon. and 1t will be several hours before the ruins will be cool enough to undertake any rescue work. Many of the men at first supposed to bc missing are being cared for at other fraternity houses in the vicinity. Later O. I. Schmuck. succumbed to his injuries.
 It is the most terrible disaster in is loss of life that has ever taken place at Cornell university thought at the Delta chi chapter house fire sevcral years ago some lives were lost.
 schmuck's death brings the list of probable dead up to six including the three volunteer firemcn.
 !. N. McCuteheon died at the in- fruary this afternoon from his in- jurfes- The loss is now estimated at ! 200 900.