Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-05-27
to rimes-Republican.


Oskaloosa, May 27.-Two men were
killed, two probably fatally injured and
property damage estimated at between
$4,000 and 100000 wrought by fire
which broke out early today in the
main building of Penn College here.
Robert II. Williams, aged IS. business
manager OF the college and state sec
retary OF the prohibition party. and
Harry Oakley, aged %. q freshman
student, were killed. George Minear
and Howard Kelley. students, are IN
hospital and may die. The dead and
injured are all residents Of Oskaloosa.
Alcohol sprsads Flames. =.
The hre broke ont in the biological
laboratory q the second floor OF the
building. II was discovered by stu
dents who had rooms on the third moor.
Efforts were made to check the spread.
4 of the flames but they reached forty.
f-allon tank of alcohol, which exploded.
Efforts OF the fire department. TO ex-.
1 TIM 9pfsh tllsf flames proved unayaNing.
!. due u AnSu1n Client water pressHrs
gjsa Jsss sss i<iNsd Saving Rsosrds.
WILLIAMS and Oakley were killed
willis attempting to save the college
records. Most OF the records had been.
carried out when the fire reached the
college cupola and the four-ton college
bell crashed down thru the building.
wrecking the front wall and burying
the victims under tons OF debris.
Minear and Kelley. the injured, were
cut and bruised and are believed to
have suffered internal injuties. They
were hurt while rescuing the S. H. M.
Byera5 art collection. which was hung
III the chapel hall. The collection,
made up OF copies Of famous paint
ings, il said to be worth $4,000.
Bysrs collection Valuable.
Loss kof the building, which was
three stories high. will be about $780,
200. Laboratory apparatus, records.
books from the college library. ETC.,
will bring the less up to $4,000 to
s5O, 900 more. The college was only
partially insured. Defective wiring is
believed to have started the fire. h..
The Byers collection was presented
to Penn College more than thirty years
ago by 8. I'll. NJ. Byers, well known
throughout the middle west as poet.
and man OF letters. The collection was
presented to the college following the
death in London of Mr.. Byers' son, a
graduate Of the college. It consists of
half hundred copies Of paintings by
famous copyists Of three decades ago,
Rembrandt and Reubens subjects be-
ing given prominent place. The coll
lection has travelled widely, being tax
en- from tho college to number of art
exhibitions throughout the country.
Fire Spreads Rapidly =
The fire originated In the roof or gar
ret Of the east wing Of the main build
ing about $3.50 o'clock. It had burned
thru into the biological laboratory when
the cracking Of burning wood aroused
couple Of students asleep in rooms
near by. The nre did not appear to be
of great exteht and the boys attempted
!; to put It out by throwing avater OBJ
tained in the laboratory. Seeing that the
1ire was gaining on them they sent in
an alarm and caIledsfor help. The fire.
reaching the forty gallon, tank OF alco-
'hol. caused an explosion that communi-
Gated the flre to all parts OF the third
Z { g &C: >c:4 e the building. The entire roof
soon was blazing. The fire department
ana the flames were uncontrolled above
the second story.
y Bysrs Collection Saved.
Az soon as the serious character OF
the fire became apparent willing hands
volunteered 20 strip the chapel Of val
liable art treasures. partly owned by
s. II. NJ. Byers, Of Des Moines. All the
pictures and other collections were
saved. Part OF the books in the library
were taken out. but many volumes
were ruined.
Robert Williams. business manager
OF the college. was directing the work
OF getting out the safe containing the
records when the bell on top Of the
building came thru the roof. causing
the south wall to fall, catching him
and Oakley and burying them. The.
bodies were recovered about an hour
later.
Fear Others Psrished.
Firenen are still at work on the
4 building this afternoon clearing away;
the debris In search of other bodies
possibly In the building. All the stud
ents are not vet accounted for and the
belief exists that the bodies OF two
other y0IIsS men may be In the
building.
cenmsnesment pians curtaiisd.
M0nday. May 20. was TO have been
tho last day Of scnool and the work