Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-23
RARE RELICS AND
BOOKS ARE BURNED
SOUTH WING OF SANTA CLARA
COLLEGE DESTROYED
Three Valuable Libraries Co Up in
Smoke, and Priests and Students
Escape in Their Night
Clothes

SAN JOSE, Dee 22.-Bire which
started in a room occupied by Father
Victor White vice prefcct OF disci-
pline and Instructor of Latin, shortly
after 1 o'clock this morning, consumed
property at the Santa Clara college,
three miles from here, roughly esti-
mated tonight at 100000.
The entire south wing, occupied by
the scholastic clergy burned, At 2:45
this morning the fire was under con-
troll. The church is but slightly dam
aged, a portion of the south wall which
adjoined the destroyed wing being
burned. i.
The destroyed wing contained three
valuable reference libraries used by the
fathers, teachers and students. The
largest collection of sacred relics on the
coast, also i'm the building, was a total
loss. The origin of the fire is a mys-
terry, though 1t Is supposed to have
started from a defective flue. Several of
the instructors who We're sleeping In
the building were awakened by smoke
and all were forced to flee for safety In
their night clothes. Nothing at all was
saved from the building.
The san Jose fire department, sum-
moned by telephone, sent an engine
and hose cart, and these, with Santa
Clara volunteers, soon had several
streams of water on the burning build
ings.
The lower floor of the three-story
building was built in 1918 when the
third mission was erected by the Jes-
uit fathers. The second floor and the
third, which covered only half of the
south wing, was added in 1S45. The
upper stories were of redwood and
burned like tinder.
on the grounds of the college are a
group of buildings about a large quad
rangle at one corner of which is Saint
Claire's church, a large and elegantly
furnished structure. The dormitories,
recitation rooms and dining room and
dining halls are all on the quad and,
in addition to these, there are several
smaller buildings, including the obser-
vatory, which are small distance
apart.
The library includes many rare rec
ords of the early history of the state.
written by the early Jesuit fathers and
have been preserved with great care.
The fire was discovered by Father
Ryan, a member of the faculty, and
was made through the agency of
dream. Father Ryan said this morn
ing that he was awakened by a night
mare and that he rushed into the cor
ridor without reasoning. There he
heard strange noises and made an in
vestigation, discovering the fire.
Some of the priceless relics which IT
was believed at first had been destroy
ed were found this morning to have
been saved through the splendid ef-
forts of firemen, volunteer members of
the faculty and some friends. They
include some early mission documents
and statuary.
No attempt will be made to recon-
struct the building, as it is said the
buildings which are to house the insti-
tuition at Mountain View will be ready
for occupancy early i'm February. The
tentative plans for these were burned.
The loss is fully covered by insurance
and work will be begun at Mountain
View Immediately.
Father r. A. Gleason, president of
the college, who was at Hollywood,
conducting a retreat for the nuns
there, wired this morning that he
would arrive at Santa Clara tonight.