Evening star., 1933-01-07
Loss in Early Morning Nc
Mahcn Hall Blaze Placed
at S25, 900.
RARE REFERENCE BOOKS
ALSO PARTLY DESTROYED
Stranger Held by Police for Inves-
tigation Not Believed Response
bic for Flames.

Valuable plant SPECIMENS gathered
from all parts of the world and rare
scientific reference books were badly
damaged By FIRE which broke out shortly
before 2 am. today in Mcmahon Hall
at Catholic University.
No lives were endangered. as the
building is devoted entirely to lecture
rooms and laboratories, but the heat
and smoke played havoc with mounted
plants and scientific data in the herba-
rum on the third floor, near which the
fire is believed to have started.
Three-A!arm Fire.
Firemen, responding from all parts
of the city to three alarms, succeeded
in holding the fire to the central por-
ton of the large gray stont structure,
which occupies prominent location in
the center of the campus. The fire got
into the spaces between the flooring of
the top story and the ceilings below
The firehghters, under Acting Chief
Engineer Charles E. Schrom, had the
blaze quickly under control and in a
little more than an hour had it ex-
tinguished.
Their efforts were highly praised to-
day by Harvey Cain, treasurer at the
University. Students and priests were
aroused by the fire and offered aid.
The walls of the herbariun, where
most Of the damage was done, were
lined with cabinets containing the COL
lection of mounted plants, many of
which were damaged. Prof. J. B.
Parker, head of the department of BIZ
ology, said a hasty examination indi-
Gated that valuable collection Of
l. rzII Ill GaI
been damaged. 1t consisted of many
volumes dealing with plant and animal
cell structure and was being added to
all the time.
Fire Marshal LAUDER had not COM
pIeted his investigation of the damage
and cause early this morning At the
university the damage was estimated at
SIS 900, which is covered by insurance.
Although a man who was seen by a
night watchman in the hallway of an
other building on the university grounds
was taken to a police station and de-
tanned for investigation, police said to-
day they do not believe he had any,
thing to do with the fire. Police said
they learned that the man had asked
priest at the university last night
about sleeping there.
Old Specimens Destroyed.
Many Of the plant specimens in the
burned laboratory in Mcmahon Hall
had been collected by Rev. Hugh O'NeilI
of the Benedictine Order, who, Prof.
Parker said, had worked on the problem
Of exterminating the Florida fruit fly.
He also had many specimens which
were gathered from various parts Of
the world through Catholic missions.
Only more complete survey will show
how many of these specimens were
damaged. Some OF them had been pre-
served since the early days OF the
university, and were used by students
in research work.
Across the corridor from the her
bariCm on the third floor is an extern
sive anthropological museum, but this
was saved from damage. A few boards
were removed from the floor at the
door of the museum to get at the fire.
The fire was discovered by Harry
Grove. a night watchman, making his
rounds. Another watchman, Charles
H. Grove, who was nearby at the time,
turned in the alarm.