Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-12-11
CORNELL STUDENTS
perish IN FLAMES
PALATIAL FRATERNITY HOUSE
BURNS AND SEVERAL ARE
ROASTED TO DEATH.
WALL COLLAPSES ON
VOLUNTEER FIREMEN
Many Thrilling Rescues Are Effected
Building Destroyed Was Chi Psi
chapter-House and Valued at
100000.

Ithaca, N. Y, Dec 8.-The 100000
mansion of the Chi Psi fraternity at
Cornell unlversity-the finest in the
world-burned Friday, killing at least
Ave persons, among them some of the
wealthiest students at the institution.
Several collegians are believed to be
buried in the ruins.
Three volunteer firemen were killed.
They were A. s. Robinson, lawyer
and graduate of Cornell Esty Landon
and John Rumsey. They were manip-
ulating hose on the north side of the
building when the wall collapsed and
pinned them down, where they slowly
roasted under the burning debris.
When the fire department arrived
the screams of two men appearing in
the windows of the southwest tower,
over the main entrance, were heard.
For some reason the men hesitated to
jump, and before they could be reached
the tower collapsed and the men were
buried beneath the ruins. One of them
is supposed to be w. H. Nichols of
Chicago.
Four students lie in the infirmary
at the point of death. F. w. Grelle Of
Orange, N. j., freshman, is supposed
to be among the dead
Student Jumps from High Window.
The fire started on the first floor,
which was ablaze throughout almost
in an instant. Before the fire depart
ment could arrive, o. j. Schmuck of
Hanover, Pa, had jumped from a
third-story window and was so severe
ly injured that he died few hours
later.
The chapter house burned rapidly
and the walls cracked apart in all di-
rections. The fire was so hot that the
firemen were driven from the south
east side of the building. They put
up hard fight, but the walls we're SO
hot that any attempt at rescue was i'm.
possible.
Among those who were taken from
the ruins were ]. M. McCutcheon OF
Pittsburg, the football fullback substi
tute. He died later from his in
juries. Those taken out were in a pitia
BILE condition. They were bleeding
from cuts caused by falling bricks ant
timbers and blackened by smoke
Several Of those who had been thu
caught were badly burned
w. w. Goetz Of Milwaukee was sc
verely injured. G. ]. Pope, studen
OF Orange, N. j., is reported fatal,
hurt.
Thrilling Rescues Are Effected.
Twenty-seven students were sleep
Ing in the fraternity house when the
flames were discovered. H. s. De
camp, student, was aroused by
smoke. He found the halls in flames
and barely escaped by sliding down
the side of the house on a drain pipe
The others were shut off from escap,
in their rooms. Most of those VIII
escaped jumped from their windows.
McCutcheon and Pope tried to rul
the gantlet Of fire in the halls. Whe
they reached the doorway they fel
unconscious. They had been frigh
fully burned when rescued.
There were several thrilling res
cues. Horace Halliday, former cal
tain Of the football team, climbed
ladder and by means of rope SUI
ceeded in lowering himself to a VIII
dow, where he rescued H. M. Curry,
P. Gibson and Harold Earle, halfback
on the football team. He also save
the life of another student.
Worse Than Previous Disaster.
This is the greatest disaster tina
has ever occurred at Cornell, thong
at the Delta Chi fraternity house fir
six years ago several lives were lost.
The Chi Psi chapter house was
mansion built by Mrs. Jennie McGra'
Fiske on the campus, overlookin
Cayuga lake, but never occupied b
her because Of sudden death. 1t We
beautiful structure of sandston
handsomely decorated within wit
marble and mahogany.
..TRs members " the iratsfsity i