The sun., 1918-02-13
VASSAR'S MAIN
BUILDING AFIRE
100000 Damage Done to Col
lege's Largest Structure
After Dinner Hour.
ROOF OF A WING FALLS
Student Squad CoOlly Fights
Flames-N0 Casualties
Take Place.
ROOF OF A WING FALLS
Special De.ps,cA 10 The srx.

Special DespotcA TO The srS.
PoCGHKBEPeIE, Feb. 12.-Fire starting
in the servants quarters on the fourth
floor Of the main building at Vassar COL
lege tonight destroyed the floor and roof
Of the south wing. with loss Of 100000.
Many valuable relics beaueathed TO the
college ~ Matthew vassar. Its founder.
are included in the loss.
No lives were lost and no injuries were
reported. The fire. discovered by some
OF the students just before o'clock.
gained headway under a nigh breeze
despite the valiant work OF the student
fire company, and enveloped practically
the entire top Of the south wing by the
time firemen arrived from this city.
vassar College is one and one-half
miles southeast OF here. The Poughkeep-
sic fire companies upon arriving found
inadequate water pressure and were
forced to run lines Of hose from lake
800 feet away. In the midst Of their
work two alarms from Poughkeepsie re-
called half the firemen. The city fires
proved to be trivial and the hremen re-
turned to the college.
fell, and the fire threatened to spread
downward and TO the other two wings
of the large building. The south wing IL
200 by 500 feet and built OF brick and
marble. The first floor houses store
and the ser, ants dining hall. On tho
second floor Is the main dining hall. and
on the third floor the assembly hail.
Discovery Of the Fire.
Dinner had been served on the second
floor and the students were going to their
rooms when one Of the young women
smelled smoke and started up stairs to
investigate. A moment later the cry Of
Fire 60 went through the building.
Among the boasts OF the college Is its
FIRE squad, which was organised hve
years ago and which has fought sue
cessfuliy two fires. Tonight tho squad
maintained Its reputation. Hand extin-
Ruishers were carried on the run and
applied without confusion. At the same
time hose lines on the four floors were
unracked and put into commission. Ono
young woman rushed to a perilous po-
sition and emptied the contents of q
water pitcher which she had brought
from the table below.
Meanwhile the students saved personal
property. About 400 students. besides
virtually all the faculty members. have
their rooms In the building. Most Of
their belongings. their books and PEN
nants and trophies from basketball game
or neld meet, came out through the large
entrance and were stacked on the
campus a guard then was formed TO
protect the salvaged property. The
xuard stood ankle deep IN snow and
slush FOR several hours. Some of the
girl students stationed themselves at
the various entrances to the campus and
kept back the crowds.
Troops Render Ala.
A call for troops was telephoned to
the stats Armory in Poughkeepsie dur
inn the early stage Of the hre. and
about nHty men from Company +. First
Reriment. were sent to help the stu
dents. Most Of the students returned
to their rooms before midnight and spent
me niRht there The students rooms
vert not damaged seriously.
The main building Is the oldest and
the largest structure on the campus. IL
once was the chapel and was built In
1855. Three years ago It WAS re-
modelled, and to its two stories were
added two more at . cost Of 100000.
The roof was of slate. The building
runs from northwest to southeast and IL
one Of . group Of eight or nine. Tho
nearest building to It 10 Rockefeller Hall.
400 feet away, which was In no danger
from the fire. In the other wings OF
the main building arc the administration
ofYices, the Offices Of various college ON.
ciais and student quarters.