Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1911-11-11
FIRE ORIGINATED IN KITCHEN
FROM PAN BURNING GREASE.
LACK OF WATER PRESSURE
MADE THE FIRE FIGHTING
USELESS.
TOTAL Loss NEARLY $4,000
Arrangements Being Made to Take
Care of the Student Body and
Temporary Building Will
Be Erected at Once.


state and the dependence of the stu.
dents OF the college for a place to eat,
burned to the ground this morning be.
tween $3.50 and o'clock, and the site
it once occupied is now but black.
ened brick, smouldering ruins and
dying embers
The fire originated in the kitchen.
There were number of large ranges
in the kitchen and breakfast for the
student body of 1852 cadets was in
preparation. A vessel of grease on
range caught fire and blazed up, and
from this the hod over the range
caught. The Mexicans who were en-
ployed in the kitchen seeing the
names reaching toward the ceiling be-
gan shouting "Agua," "Agua,"
Aqua" in tones which were unmis-
takably those of distress and then
some called murder and others tried
TO say fire. There We're few people
up at the time, as it was yet half
hour TO reveille. but the calls OF dis
tress from the mess hall aroused Pres
ident Miner and his wife, whose home
adjoins the mess hall site, and they
began to hustle about. Then the
sufIuS lFdlu lHt Ndils anu liAt
in Goodwin Hall heard the shouts, and
began to blow the fire call. At first
the boys thought it was reveille being
sounded. and began to rub their sleepy
eyes slowly, being slow enough to re.
spond to the rising bugle on any occa
sion But when the notes began TO
quicken as the call heightened and the
ears now open caught the rapid
sounds OF the horn, as II gives its
alarm of danger. they began 10 tumble
out of their beds and get to the parade
ground. Other bugles took UP the call
when the first sounded, and it was not
many moments until the entire stu
dent body and the residents of the
campus were outside their domlciles,
hurrying to the scene.
1t was yet dark in the early morn
ing and the sharp points of flame
showing above the roof OF the struc'
ture easily pointed the way to those
who were upon defensive methods
bent. The line of hose was quickly
stretched. and then another and An
other. Lieut.. c. L. Fenton, command
ant of cadets, took immediate charge
and directed the efforts OF the hre
fighters. But there was a lack OF wa
ter to fight the flames. There was
depth OF eighty-fiye feet of water IN
the standpipe, but there was no pres
sure. and there was no way by whlcn
the pumps could be turned directly
into the mains.
The fire soon began to gain head
way. and work as they could. the stu.
dents could not stop it, They handled
the lines of hose, the organized bucket
brigades and passed water from ny,
drants and cisterns. but to no good
results. and gradually it was seen thai
the entire structure was to go, ana
attention was given TO surrounding
buildings.
The mess hall was constructed III
1T" shape. Its front of 400 feet faced
the parade ground. The entrance ~
the center of the entire frontage was
on the style of castle OF oiden tmes.
There was a big arch over the ooor-
way leading to the dining room proper
and above the entrance was pretty
porch looking out over the campus
Running back from this main build.
ing in the center. was the balance o.
the ct" shape and this was the Kitten
en- part. the bakery, the beer marke''
the coffee roasting room. etc. Adjoin'
ing this part of the building on one
side was the new cold storage tnat
had Just been finished. and on the
other side the storeroom for commls,
sary supplies Efforts were dlrectea
to saving the cold storage and the
commisasry, and these were success
full The flames eat into the main part
of the building and by o'clock tn?
entire structure was hear. OF smoul'
dering ruins. All of the kitchen equip
ment was a total loss, but the dining
hall equipment was carried out on
the campus. Much of this was saved;
but some of the tables and some OF
the china was broken in the moving