The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-06-01
(From Saturdays Daily
Fire Started On Third Floor.

rIFe otdFteo On mira Floor.
Starting about three-thirty O'CLOCK
this Saturday morning in the third
floor of the main building, the fire
burned slowly downward, consuming
the central structure and running the
east wing and a part of the west wing
of the structure. Portions of the
ruins were still blazing at eight
o'clock. The fire department was
summoned at four o'clock.
Loss Over SIS, 100000.
The extent of the loss sustained
may not be known for several days
Fhe main building, which is a practi
cal wreck with the possible exception
of a portion of the west wing, was
valued at fifty thousand dollars. Es.
innate of the equipment and other
property in the building, the auditor
ium library, laboratories, and other
departments will exceed twenty-five
thousand dollars more.
Total property loss approXimateS
seventy-fiye thousand dollars with
partial insurance.
Victims Trying to Save Property.
The victims of the fire together
with number of others were in the
college administration Office in the
effort to get the safe out of the burn.
ing building and to save the records
Of the institution. Efforts of the
boys were being directed by Prof.
Clarence M. Case ard Rev. Stranahan,
pastor of the Friends church, was
close at hand assisting. Robert II.
Williams from the start of the fire
had been foremost in the salvage
work and was lending a hand here
and directing other work there. When
the noise of the falling bell alarmed
the rescue party working on the Of
flee and warned by the shouts from
the crowd outside. the workers hast
ly sought the large entrance hallway
in the attempt to escape Some of
those in the building made their es-
cape. All but young Oakley succeed
ed in getting into the clear. outside
of the building. Robert Fl. Williams
was caught outside of the building
and buried beneath two feet or more
OF masonry that crashed down upon
him. The body OF young Oakley was
found buried in the brick debris near
the safe. Professor Case and others
of the party had narrow escapes. the
brick falling about them. Kelley
Davis and George Minear were not so
fortunate and barely got away with
their lives. They are considerably
hurt and both were taken to the Os-
kaloosa hospital for attention.
BOOMERS Driven From Dormitory
Fred Huxtable and Orville S. Bat
ten, who roomed on the third floor of
the main college building, first found
the fire. They were awakened by
the cracking of the flames and upon
investigation found the ceilings in the
Biology laboratory and German reci-
tation room in the east wing, on fire
An attempt to nut out the blaze with
buckets of water was unsuccessful
and failed to retard the flames until
the fire department could arrive
When discovered, only small por-
ton of the rooms was afame, but
with no opposition the fire spread rap
idly, involving the entire root
The fire department laid one line
of hose. and were forced to make
several trips to the central station for
more. II was not long before the
flames had spread, and the blaze aid
ed by the explosion of a forty gallon
tank of alcohol, covered the upper
floor of the east wing, and central
section of the building.
Valuable Art Collection Saved.
In short time, help had been sum.
moned, and several young men assist
ed r. ii. Williams in removing as
much property as was possible. All
the records of the institution were
saved, the valuable collection of oil
paintings originated by Honorable S.
FL M. Byers were removed, and a
portion OF the reference and research
books and manuscripts were taken
from the library. Some of the equip.
ment on the first and second floors
was saved from the blaze.
The work of saving property was
carried on as long as possible, but in
short time the roof and third floor
we're so enveloped in flames as to
make entering the building danger
GUS The most of the young men and
boys who were helping Mr.. Williams
had left the school Mr.. Williams,
thinking To save the large steel vault
containing sther records and valu-
able papers, called for volunteers. The
safe was rolled and carried to the
front door, when the cracking of
fimbers was heard, and the roof be.
gan to fall Ths bays ran In every
direction.