The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-06-01
AFTERMATH Of
COLLEGE FIRE
HEROIC WORK DONE in REcoV-
ERINe THE BODIES. j"'
MANY HAD NARROW ESCAPES
FIremen On Duty For over Eight
Hours-5lg Safe Is Removed
From the Ruins-Details
of the Disaster.
From Tuesdays Daily.l

luSSudy y
When Robt. H. Williams was taken
from the ruins of the south wall he
was unrecognizable and was not
identified by any of those standing
about the workers when he was re-
rooms. The body was about twenty
feet south of the central or main en-
trance of the building. He was COW
cred with brick and debris of the wall.
Fire Chief McCracken had started to
work in the pile of debris between the
body and the college building, along
the cement walk that leads to the
entrance. In pulling out some frame
timbers Mr.. McCracken uncovered a
foot or shoe. John P Wilson, police
officer, who was working near, was
the first to discover the foot and call
ed the attention of the fire chief. 1t
was the work of a few minutes after
I rat to reveal the body and to uncover
f. Mr. McCracken did not then
know who the victim was. 1t was
only ascertained that the man was
dead. Nor did any one identify the
corpse as being that of Mr.. Williams.
AS soon as the corpse was carried to
The street and sent to the undertaken
Tic uuuJ flOI tNODtII " NChl
forward with renewed energy ;.
Second Body Recovered. 49,.
No one knew where young Oakley
was covered up but the workers push
ed steadily forward toward the build.
ing and came upon his body near the
main door lying by the safe. Will
liams was first identified at the Chees-
man rapna and word wac cont hack
that his was the first body brought
in.
No one actually saw the men go
down in the hail of masonry that was
as a curtain before the burning build
ing. 1t is said that Mrs. William S
was standing across the street south
from the burning building, on the
steps of the walk leading to the gym
nasium. 1t was she alone who
thought she had seen Mr.. Williams go
down under the wall but she was not
certain it was her husband: and not
until later when the workers. who had
been at the safe began to ask for
each other was the labsence of Will
liams and Oakley noted ~.
Where is, Wiriahisf where is
Oakley?" The diferies went round
and then it became known that these
men were missing when they had been
at the place but a moment before.
They must therefore, be, beneath the
pile of rubbish piled high upon the
front walk.
President Edwards Escape.
President Edwards himself barely
escaped with his life and brick fell
thiCkly about him as he ran from the
building to a place of safety. He had
gone into the building to attempt to
get the men to desist. He recog-
nized the element of danger in their
undertaking and pleaded with those
at work to get away. Professors Kel-
sey and Chase escaped by running
back through the main hall from the
front of the building and came out
through the side hallway into the
west wing.
Two of the firemen, Henry and
Fred Sonderegger, narrowly missed
being carried down with the crash as
the heavy bell went through the floor.
They were at a line of hose fighting
from the west wing. Fire Chief Nc
Cracker had gone into the building
from the west side and was inside
when the bell came through. He was
fearful for the safety of his men and
called to them Immediately following
the crash of the falling wall. The
smoke was so thick in the west wing
at this time that no one could be
seen. The men backed out just in
time.
Homer Stanley and Will Pyle were
on a pipe line fighting from the fire
escape on the north wall from which
they we're driven by the heat. They
were here when the bell fell and had
the north wall also. gone down. they
too must have persisted. They were
driven from their position by the fire
and were forced to leave the place.
The Alarm Is Given.
Alarm for the fire was sent in from
the college telephone by one of the
boys who discovered the trouble
When Chief McCracken and his men
arrived the chief hurriedly made an
inspection of the nature of the blaze
to ascertain where to apply his
streams. He found the attic roar
ing furnace. The center of the fire
appeared to be in the attic over the
east wing ana TO DC UuTHluS udCh uo
meath the belfry. .. .
! The fire had been burning a consid
cradle time as the plastering was
dropping into the third floor apart
ments where the flames had burned
through. Great beams and girders
made by splicing smaller timbers to
gether were burned also through IN
; places. Some of these heavy beams
{ were fifteen to eighteen inches in
I. thickness and must have been burning
J. long time to be so charred and burn
ed through.
Reason for the fire not breaking
I through the roof sooner is accounted
for by the fact, that the, roof was o.
thick metal. and this held the flames
within and they could not get out un
It'll the metal had melted through.
Firemen Have Long Fight.
! Firemen and police worked like
!. Trojans" along with the volunteers
who carried out the art collection anC
attempted to save the library.
! John P. Wilson was overcome b!
! his exertions and was quite Ill Sunda.
4, rnnsaurQnca thereof Henry Nun