University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1910-11-09
BURNING OF
THE UNIVERSITY

professors had gone to their homes.
About ! o'clock several OF the en-
ployees OF the University were enter
ing the building to prepare for an en-
tertainment to be given by the Athen-
aean literary society in the auditor
ium. The bell in the agricultural
building began TO ring, summoning
those who were coming to the enter
tainment. The janitor had opened the
doors and the engineer had gone to
the basement to turn On the lights
George Venable, one OF those who had
come to entertainment was stand
ing in the hall when he noticed a fire
about tbs sunlight, whereupon he and
others ran tC the basement to turn
off the lights. Figures kept coming
across the snow-cOvered campus and
soon the auditorium began to fill up.
1t was q gay crowd, for only a week
before the students mad returned from
their holidays. Now they sat talking
and waiting for the performance 10
commence when suddenly the large
chandelier fell into the hall. barely
missing score OF persons. The hall
was in complete darkness and all was
CONSERVATION. Smoke could be seen
issuing from the panels of the pillars
n the library followed by the smell
of burning pine. Poor insulation in
the electric wires had caused the fire.
The University is on fire!" was
heard through the town, and in few
minutes the entire population was
on the campus. A lurid light vas re-
llected against the sky. The library
floor was cut into and hose passed
through it, but the supply of water
was soon exhausted from tha cistern
in the basement OF the main building.
President Il. II. Jesse. Secretary J G.
Babb and James Fl. Guitar went into
the library but could see nothing for
the dense smoke. Finally there was
a loud crash as the Orders support
ing the floor OF TIE library gave way.
depositing in the furnace below it's
contents OF 22,900 volumes, $4,000
pamphlets, and the portrait. satuary,
and autograph letters Of Jefferson and
Clay. Insurance OF $4,000 was COL
iected on the loss OF the Clay and
Jefferson relies valued at $4,000 and
the books OF the library valued at
$4,000. Everybody was panic strick-
en-. The first graduate OF the Uni
|versity, Z. l.. Todd, was on the cam
pus and saw the building go to ruins.
Someone remembered that the tab
let of Jefferson, priceless relic, had
been placed in the chapel for safe
keeping, but ii was then too late TO
pull it out. Three days later it was
eXcavated from the ruins, broken IN
three parts. BY placing it in an ar
tight glass case it was preserved in
a fair state
ITO the museum" was then the
cry and the students Went to the west
wing to pull the animals from their
stands and bring them on to the cam
pus. 1t was a strange sight to See
the elephant lying in several inches
OF snow, the gorilla and the Arctic
fox side by side. and little further
on crocodile partly covered by snow.
In a short time the rascuing parry
were in the laboratories saving the
expensive instruments.
The flames by this time had req chGl
the rotunda OF the main building
where the great amount Of wood
helped or their progress. The roar
was deafening. The inside of the
building was & mass of fame. Sud
denly with a crash and vibration
similar to an earthquake. the copper
sheeted dome was torn loose from it's
fastenings and its fragments blown
into the air. On account of the isola-
ton and size of the building the fire
was a most magnificent sight, AMI
will never be forgotten by those who
witnessed it.
A new element was about to be pre-
scented, for the flames were approach
ing the room in which were stored
$4,000 rounds of ammunition and also
some powder and shot. Lieutenant
B. B. Buck, of the United States army.
commandment of cadets took a squad
10 the south to clear off some of the
people. Soon a fusilade commenced
and for a short time the fire resenl-
bled a hotly contested battle. The
fire had reached the AMMUNITION.
1t was after midnight before the
flames had destroyed the west wing
Of the building. So intense was the
heat that workmen unearthing the