The Washington times., 1921-02-03
RECORDS LOST
IN c. j. FIRE
Valuable Papers Are Destroyed
As Tower Burns-0ne
!. Fireman Injured.

"Georgetown University Is purn-
ing to the ground" was the word
that flashed over the telephone wires
from an excited student at IL o'clock
this morning. At the same time
other students were turning In
alarms which brought truck COM
panies No. q and 8, and engine COM
panies No. /, 3, and 2 to the grounds.
OLD PAPERs BURNED.
The aremsn found the northwest
end OF north dormitory, housing 100
students, just bursting into flames.
Overheated pipes. IL Is believed, set
nre to century old papers stored In
the tower which marks that corner
OF the building, and the flames. feed
ing on priceless old books and records
OF the university, ate their way rapid
ly through the tower into the build
ing proper. In fifteen minutes they
had burst through the roof
At noon the combined efforts OF the
fremen had gotten the blaze under
control. but not before John Burke.
OF truck company No. 2. had been
painfully injured. One OF the first to
ascend the ladder to the blazing peak
OF tho tower, he was chopping away
the infiammable woodwork when
fellow-fireman entered the tower. Un-
able to see through the dense smoke
and flame, and working largely by
instinct, the second fireman also be-
gan to swing his ak.
There was a cry Of pain. and Burke
staggered back into his companions
arms. The blade of the latters ak
had crashed down on his wrist,
crunching through to the bone and
cutting nartery.
TAKEN TO HOSPITAL.
With blood literally gushing from
his wrist. Burke refused to be car
ried. He climbed down the ladder
unaided, but at the ground. he stag
gered. He wa shelped to an auto
mobile, and speeded to Georgetown
University Hospital, while an inferno
who had been waiting on the ground.
with the ambulance, bandaged the
wound.
The prompt treatment he received
saved his life. At the hispital it
was declared he would "only be laid
I up for a while"
Burke himself declared he could
have the old wing bandaged and go
back on duty tonight"
Damage caused by the blaze cannot
be estimated accurately. 1t will be
west section of the dormitory, and
replace the interior woodwork on the
top floor Fire Chief Sullivan esti-
mated this damage at $4,000.
But according to the priests of the
university. the value OF the old pa
pers, records and books which have
been burned, cannot be estimated in
money. They are bathed in senti-
ment, and university lore--and they
can never be replaced.
STUDENTS GET "RECEss."
Fire drills which the under
graduates have had from time OF
time proved efficacious in emptying
the class rooms when the alarm was
first spread over the university. They
trooped out in orderly fashion, with
little or no excitement.
Once outside, when they found the
blaze was more or less local, they
proceeded to treat the entire affair
an an unlooked-for surcease from
class rooms as lark.
Only those who are quartered in
the North Dormitory displayed any
concern. These rushed to their rooms,
and began gathering their belong
ings. Then. finding that the blaze
was confined to the tower, used only
as a storeroom, they leaned out or
their WINDOWS, ana shouted JOKES "
the other students below.
When the engines came. and the
fremen advised them to get out of
the building, they laughed.
Hundreds of other students congre-
gated on the ground, circling the
domitory. Police from No. precinct
tried to urge them far back to safety
from the falling timbers. They might
as well have tried to push back the
ocean.
STUDENTS GET DRENCHING.
But what the police could not do.
the firemen did-though unwittingly.
Hacking away the caves, they turned
the hose on the aperture. The power
full stream cut away more Of the
roof. spread out and sent a miniature
Niagara down for a distance of per-
haps fifty feet. The hundreds OF stu
dents who had been crowding ever
closer received q drenching almost
as thorough as IL they had fallen into
a lake.
Half a dozen students were trying
to put out the blaze when the hre-
men arrived. with wet towels wrap
ped about their faces, they fought as
best they were able with small pat
ent extinguished which they carried
up to the burning section. All or
them received slight burns on the
hands None of them would give
their names.
After the luncheon hour. the blaze
entirely extinguisbed, the university
resumed classes as usual.
It was announced that not single
sleeping quarter had been damaged,
saye those Immediately beneath the
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