Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-07
FRA" HOUSE BURNS,
SEVEN LIVES LOST
Cornell University the Scene of,
Disastrous Contlagration
EARLY Today
VICTIMS ARE ALL. PROMINENT
Attorney and Wealthy Young Man
Killed by Falling Walls While Aio
ing Firemen-students from M,'-
waukee and Chicago Among the
Missing.

ithaca, n Y, Dec. 7.-Seven persons
met tragic death this morning in The
worst disaster THAT ever befell Cornell
University Three victims were VOL
unteer firemen of the city of Itha "A.
Four were students of the university.
The firemen were all prominent in this
city. They were:
A. S. Robinson, an attorney.
John Rumsey, hardware merchant.
Esty Landon, salesman.
The students We're:
o. L. Schmuck, of Hanover. Pa.
F. w. Grelle, of South Orange, n j.
w. H. Nichols, of Chicago.
j. M. McCutcheon. of Pittsburg.
The cause of the fire is unknown. A
few minutes after the flames were dis
covered the Chi Psi chapter house was
all abaze. The flames We're famed by
strong northwest wind, and the stu
dents were trapped in the dormitory on
the third floor. Many of the boys
jumped to safety while those who hes
itated We're carried to the ground by
falling walls The money loss is nearly
100000. Since the original cost of the
building, erected by Mrs. Jennie Nc
Crew Fiske, for about s150,0O0, extern
sive interior decorations had been
made.
Ithaca, N. Y, Dec. 1.-THE Chi Psi
fraternity at Cornell University, the
finest and most elaborate chapter
house in the United States, burned to
the ground this morning. The fire was
not discovered until the entire first
floor was in flames. Attorney A. S..
Robinson and John Rumsey, the latter
a son of a wealthy business man, and
Esty Landon, all volunteer firemen,
were killed by falling wall
w. K. Nichols, of Chicago. and w.
w. Goetz, of Milwaukee, students, are
Many Hurt Jumping.
It was later learned that Goetz is not
dead, but is injured.
o. L. Schmuck, of Hanover, Pa.
jumped from third story window. and
died at the infirmary. Four students
at the infirmary are so severely injured
that it is feared they will die. 1t viii
be several hours before the ruins are
cool enough to begin search. Many
students at first supposed to be miss
ing, are being cared for at the frater-
nifty house.
The volunteer firemen were manipu-
lating the hose when the wall coll
lapsed on them. They slowly roasted
under the burning debris. When the
fire department arrived, the screams Of
two men appel airing in the windows OF
the southwest tower, over the main en-
were heard. For some reason.
the men hesitated to jump, and before
they could be reached, the tower col
lapsed and the men were buried be-
meath the ruins. The chapter house
burned rapidly, and the walls cracked
apart in all directions. The firemen put
up hard fight, but the walls were SO
hot that any attempt at rescue was i'm
possible.
President Schurman and staff are
a list of the wounded and
missing. Among those who were taken
from the ruins was j. M. McCutcheon
Of Pittsburg, foot ball fullback substi-
tute. Those taken out were in a pitiable
condition. They were bleeding from
cuts caused by the falling bricks and
timbers, and blackened by smoke. Sew
eral were badly burned.
Students Penned In.
If,,. ~ In, tho
kitchen of the basement of the chapter
house. The flames had gained con-
siderable headway before the students
were awakened. The fire burned it's
way from the kitchen into the lower
hall, where the stairs leading to the
floor above were soon burning. The
halls thruout the house were immedi-
ately filled with dense smoke. In the
rooms on the upper floor, were twenty
seven students, all Of whom were taken
unawares. 1t was not possible for the
students to get out by way of the halls
and all went to the windows AS the
fire approached the rear of the build
ing the students were forced to jump
and several were seriously injured in
this way. The wind at the time was
blowing thirty miles an hour and Gre
ated a draft thru the building which
soon made the interior a mass of
flames. No alarm was turned in un-
til half hour after the fire was dis
covered, and it was half hour later
before the volunteer fire department
could get to work. They could do moth
ng but prevent the adjoining buildings
from taking fire.
Three Students Dead, Five Hurt.
In statement issued this afternoon
by President Schurman, of Cornell
he says most of the mem
oers of the fraternity slept in the third
story of the building. All except two
to get out of the building
alive. The two believed to have per-
shed in the flames are w. H. Nichols,
Of Chicago, and f. W. Grelle. of South
Orange. N. j. Besides Schmuck, who
died from his injuries. j. M. Nc
Cutcheon, of Pittsburg: c. j. Pope. of
East Orange. \. j.; r. R. Powers. of
tlanta Ca. w w GoetZ of Milwau.