The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-12-06
RICE HALL BURNS.
Main Building at Washburn LIS
Destroyed.
A Mysterious Fire Originates In
the Attic.
FIRE FIGHTERS THERE
Do Good Work in Keeping
Flames Under Control.
Confined Principally to the
Upper Floors.
The Loss Is Well Covered by
Insurance.

Rice Hall, the Oldest building at
Washburn college, was partially des-
troyed by fire this afternoon, entailing
a loss of about $4,000. The insurance
on the building is $4,000.
The fire broke out at noon in the attic
on the west end of the building. 1t
was some time before the fire was dis
covered and when finally noticed the
entire attic was filed with smoke and
the flames were beginning to work
through the roof.
The cause Of the fire is unknown. A
defective f1ue is said by some to have
been the cause but this is hardly proba-
BILE as gas was used in the building at
the time of the fire and this would
hardly cause a fire in the attic. 1t is
reported that timers were at work on
the roof of the building and that the
fire was caused by the upsetting of
stove. This report could not be veri-
fed The chemical laboratory is locat-
ed in this building but the fire could
not have originated by chemical COM
bustfon as the chemical department Is
located on the lower floor.
When the fire was discovered it was
1ust twelve o'clock. The classes were
dismissed and the students all rushed
to help in the work of quenching the
flames which soon began to appear
through the roof The fire alarm was
turned in. DIR. F. B. Dains, professor
of the chemical department was one
of the first to locate the fire. He dis
missed his chemical class and grabbing
one of the little fire extingu1shers
which are located throughout the build
ing rushed to the top floor. The smoke
was too dense however for him to ap-
prozch near the fire.
Fire Pressure Poor.
The fire department when it ar
rived at the scene of the fire was al
most useless on account of the short
age of pressure. The nearest fire plug
to the burning building was located az
tho foot of Mulvane street where the
water was furnished in a four inch.
main. Another main six inches in
diameter is located at the foot of Col
lege avenue, but at neither of these
places were the firemen able to OBJ
tain any pressure Whatever. The
chemical wagons were used as soon
s they arrived but they only helped
to temporarily Quench the flames
which were by this time consuming
teIephoned for and when it arrived
was connected with the fire plug at
College avenue and finally enough
pressure was secured to throw a good
stream.
The walls of the building were un-
injured. Pressure was secured in
time to stop the downward trend of
the flames before they reached the
first floor. The two upper floors of the
building, however. are totally de-
stroyed.
ScnOol was dismissed IN all the
buildings as soon as the alarm of fire |
spread and the students helped fight
the fire until the fire department ar
rived. 1t was a sight not very Often
seen in college circles. Even the pro- |
fessorS shed their coats and with their |
unsoiled linen went through the !
flames up to the top floor where they |
helped save the contents of the burn |
ing building. The students alH rem |
dered valuable service. Even the girls |
of the college worked hard and some |
of them in the usual feminine fashion
were crying while they worked.
Cooper Collection Saved
The Cooper Mineral collection which |
was purchased by the college three |
years ago at a cost of $4,000 was prac- |
located on the third floor of the build t
ing and was saved through the efforts |
of the students who worked in the |
smoke and water. There was a slight |
caused by the roughness which had to
be employed in order to get it out of /
the building.
The other mineral collections and |
natural history museums were nearly |
totally destroyed. What parts of them |
that were not ruined by the fire We're /
destroyed in removing them from the
building. The loss to these museums is |
estimated at $4,000.
Two pianos were located on the top |
floor in the rooms of the literary socie-
ties on the east end of these floors. !
These however were saved by some of |
the boys of the two societies who picked |
them up at the outset Of the fire and |
carried them down three flight of stairs /
and finally landed them on the ground. !
The old college bell which has been
cracked and utterly useless for over a
year was in the thickeSt part of the fire.
AS soon as the bell tower had yielded
TO the flames the old bell crashed
through to the rafters in the roof to
he 2
ped.
The chemical laboratory located on
the main floor of the building was not
reached by the flames. All the chemi-
sals which are used in the college are
Iocated in the rooms of this depart
ment and had the flames reached this
portion there might have been a much
worse fire than there was.
Big Crowd Mt the Fire.
The entire population of College /
Hill thronged to the fire and watched
the frantic efforts of f1remen and stu
terially in saving the museums No
accidents were reported although the
big cornices overhanging the walls on
all sides of the building crashed to |
the ground without any preceptible
warning and barely missed a few of
the spectators.
All the furniture in the building
was destroyed and in addition many
of the cases which were used in the |
museums. The football quarters
which were located in the basement
Of the building were uninjured and