The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1914-03-20
WELLESLEY SCENE
OF DISASTROUS FIRE
All Remarkably Cool While Dan
ger Threatens.
FIRE DRILL is EFFECTIVE.
'oo feople in Building When Fire
was Discovered and Not Single
One Was Injured.

wellesley, Mass. March 17.-Per-
rect discipline, coolness and brayarv
on the part OF the students and
iaculty members, prevented loss NJ
lte or injury when College uaII
Oldest OF Wellesley College building.
was burned today.
TWO hundred and fifty younr
women students, so instructors and
So maids, were n bed when the
ie was discovered. Every one was
saved, and not one of the scores
marched in an orderly nrocession
through smoke-filled haIlways suffer-
ed so much as a scratch.
Ihe fuilding was left a bIackened
shcl: within its crumbled walls was
wTecKaRe representing a loss OF
N9"'.ooC or this amount, 500 600
was the estimated value OF psrronal
pIop"r'J IT TIE inmates. ariIy ali
ol whom escaped in scanty acre.
insurance will amount to about 5000
Miss Ellen Fitz PendIeton. nras,-
dent of the institution, said another
structure would be erected in the
near future.
On account OF the fire, the entire
college was ordered closed until
April z, the end OF the Easter re-
cess. Nearly 1000 of the 1900 young
women had left for their homes to-
night.
President Pendleton took occasion
to praise the conduct Of the stu
dents as extraordinary"
Never before" she said. "haa
there been such fire, with similar
conditions, without loss of life, or
injury to some one. The obedience
to the fire drill was a credit to the
college. There were no screams or
cries heard and this in itself swed
perfect and marvellous control"
College Hall had comanding
site on hill east of Lake Waban.
The cornerstone was laid in 1871.
The building was Of brick and stone
with an interior of wooden fittings.
was five stories high with a floor
space Of 500 by 12O feet.
The building was divide dinto dor
mitories administrative Offices and
quartets for servants.
Miss Charlotte Donnen, of Wis
casset, Maine, and Miss Virginia
Moffatt, of Orange, n. J., both
seniors, were the heroines OF the
fire. They occupied rooms on the
third floor under the laboratory
where the fire originated, supposedly
from spontaneous combustion. The
glare Of the flames around them.
MISS MOHaJJ SprlnSlnS from neT DeO.
rushed into the hall, where she met
Miss Donnell.
/ There is n fire" she said.
/ MSS DonncIl replied:
III ring the fire alarm while
you cH!l the girls" and she ran down
a nieht of stairs and started the
fire gong on the second floor. Miss
MOTatt hurried along the hall pound
ir. one ever, door. he did not yell
"Firc" but commanded:
put on your Taps quickly"
Soon the halls we're filed with
startled Young women Some carried
personal effects ir their arms, but
the greGter nrn ber had not waited
to save their belongings. The halls
we're already filled with smoke and
the cirIe formed il line and marched
from the building. The college vol
unIt,r fire brigade was early In
action and made sure that none OF
the sierpcrs was left
Once outside severaG of the girls
sought to re enter the building TO
save Naiuatlc Tapers in the offices.
Miss Mary .;mith Of West Chester,
Pa. secretary to the dean, made
a hold dash into the deans office on
the first floor AID with the aid OF
Edward {. MOnahan, an employe'
saved most Of the records.