Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-03-12
HERRICK
HALL
BURNED
Young WOmen'S DOrmitOry
at Pacific University En-
tirely DESTROYED

fire Of Herrick Hall, the young women :,
dormitory and general boarding hall
The building was one Of the finest upou
the campus. and the loss is about 500.
600, although the original cost was oplv
$4,000. Of this amount approximately
one-haf is covered by insurance.
The fire originated this morning soon
after II O'Clock, while most Of the in.
mates were attending services at va.
rious churches. The flames were dis.
covered by the matron, Miss Olivia
Haskell, who gave the alarm. Within
three hours after the conaaeration
started the beautiful four-story dormi.
tory was reduced to pile Of smolder.
ing embers, and Il Is only due to the
efficient work Of the ere departments
Of both Forest Grove and Hilsboro.
and citizens and students that the three
other college buildings did not meet the
same fate.
10 is thought that the Ere was caused
by defective aue. although II nav
have been hndlcd by falling sparks
The flames were first seen on tho OK.
trcmc east roof, and appeared to have
burned through from the inside. when
once a6re the wooden structure burned
with furnace heat, the flames famed
by driving east wind. Had tho Gre
caught In one Of the lower stories
nothing could have been saved from the
building, A it was most Of The con.
tents were safely removed.
The fremen, under Chief LcnueJIIle
were on the scene within q few min.
utcs after the alarm was given. and did
the best possible work with the appli.
ances available. For the 6rst half hour
they held tho flames IN check. while
tho town people and students, who bad
come from their homes and churches.
which had been dismissed az once. car.
ried out the moyoable contents.
Tho work Of the Gre department was
was greatly handicapped by the inade.
quaio protection, Tho campus Is abso,
lutely without facilities for lighting
Gre, there being not a single hydrant
upon the university grounds with which
the hose company could make a eonnee,
tion. Tho nearest hydFant Is outside
Of tho grounds, more than 1000 feet
from HeFrick Hall, aesessithting che
use Of only one liae Of hose For this
reason the flames would gain headWay
In one place while they were being
checked In another
Even with this drawback the stFue,
pre might have been saved had Il not
been Tor the strong wind, Marsh
Hall, Science Hall and the Academy
building, which were Ia the direct path
Of tho sparks aud burning embeFs, 100
yards west, were in great danger Stu
dents patFollei tho roofs with buckets
OF water, which the piercing wind con
verted into sheets Of lee almost as soon
as il was thrown on the shingles.
A burning umbrella was blown into
the basement OF Marsh Hall iguited
the furnace wood, but was discovered |
before much healway had been gained |
Marsh Hall is the main college build |
ing, containing the school library and
other valuables It's destruction would
have been an irrepaFable loss 70 the
university. Numerous small fires on
the campus and In the trees were put
out by watehful citizens Soon after
the commencement OF the blaze the gas
olins from a large tank in the base
meut Of Herriek Han Was drained out
what might have been
disastrous explosion.
As soon as word Of the fire reached
six miles away, the hre de-
partment left for the scene, but arrived
after Herriek Hall was a mass Of danes
Il assisted the town people in keeping
guard over the business district, which
lies west Of the campus and was
threatened by hying sparks.
A blaze Was extinguished on the post
ofiee building, and another at Wards
lumber yard. Had either gained heaa
wav the entire business district would
probably have been wiped out, as che
saorts OF the fremen would have been
futile with the high wind.
he women Of the Congregational
,bureh served coffee TO the hFe-hghters
ybeu they could be relieved at their
work
Herriek Han vas a fine four-stoFy
,uilding. which was erected IN 1852
hiring the administration Of President
Iobn r Herriek, D. D., from whom II
49, its name. Il contained 25 s0mmo-
,ion. mites Of rooms occupied By
a A. -efnaant bfld.V auu