Evening star., 1949-02-28
Heat Prevents Search
For 6 Still Missing in
Kenyon College Fire
by the Associated Press

mounted that they were trapped
in the inferno which claimed two
lives and injured 26 others.
There was no official comment
from college officials. However,
it was pointed out that the stu
dents were out of town for the
week end. they probably would
have returned for classes this
morning.
President Gordon K. Chalmers
said the ruins of the 122-year- old
sandstone building were still too
hot to search. He said the search
probably would start tomorrow.
Smoking debris was scattered
between the gaunt stone walls of
"Old Kenyon" 1t was the Oldest
building on the campus of the
school for men.
The walls were all that was left
Of a 122-year-old dormitory that
housed 100 men. The 4-foot walls
of gray stone withstood three
hours of fire that ragged through
Middle Kenyon" and adjoining
wings early yesterday.
List of Missing.
The missing students were:
Ernest AhwaJee of Akron, Is, a
sophomore and former star tennis
player at Akron West High School
Albert J. Lewis, Hazelton, Pa.
George Pincus, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Stephen Shepard. New York.
Colin Woodwork, Jamaica
Plain. Mass.
Martin E. Mangel, 18, son of a
o New York retail store executive,
The dead were:
Edward Brout of Mount Ver-
non, N. Y. 10, a premedical stu
dent. He tried unsuccessfully to
jump from the window of his
room to a fire escape along the
wall and three stories up.
Dies of Burns.
Marc S. Peck of Fenton. Mich.
He died of burns in Mercy Hos
pital at nearby Mount Vernon,
Ohio.
Mercy Hospital reported one
man critically injured. He is Jack
Mcdonald of Hamilton, Ohio. He
suffered skull fracture and pos
sible lung injuries.
Another student, Robert Nc
Farland of Ames. Iowa, originally
was reported hurt critically. He
is reported improved today. He
suffered cuts and burns about the
head and feet.
Saturday night was dance night
ut Kenyon College. Many of the
students donned stiff shirts and
dress clothes. Students were in
and out of historic "Old Kenyon"
all evening.
By midnight the fun began to
slacken. The boys began taking
off up the grand staircase to their
rooms. Many already were in
bed. BY 3 am. it was quiet. A
CHEEKY fire cracked in the great
fireplace.
Fire Vaults Upward.
An hour later, fire was raging
up the aged Middle Kenyon" sec
ton. Officials believed a spark
from the fireplace ignited a rug.
When firemen first arrived they
believed the flames could be con-
tanned with the fire walls separat-
ing the wings from the main part
of the structure.
But the fire vaulted upward and
raced along the common roof.
Frightened students dived head
first from second and third story
windows. Others attempted to
descend the walls down the ivy
that matted the damp stone.
Still others jumped for nearby
fire escapes. They were blocked
from reaching them by normal
means by flames filling the hall
ways. Mr.. Brout was killed in
this manner; his roommate, Paul
Sanders of Mount Vernon, N. Y.
jumped just ahead of him. Mr.
Sanders. made it with compare
lively minor injuries.
Students and townspeople
hastily aroused from the tiny
village of Gambler, performed
many feats of heroism.
Weight Litter Saves Two.
One of the most unbelievable
was performed by Edwin Collins
of Crosse Pointe, Mich, a men,
ber of the college weight lifting
team. He saved the lives of two
other students. Mr.. Collins
jumped from the window of his
second-hoor room in "Old Ken
yon" to a fire escape. where he
swung by one arm.
In the other arm, he first
caught a student who jumped
from the third floor. He trans
ferred that student to the fire
escape with the free arm.
Still he hung there. The hot
metal of the escape ate into the
palm of his hand, but he clung
grimly. Flames licked at his face
Another student jumped from
an adjoining second-story window
Mr.. Collins saught him in his pow
erful left arm and transferred him
to safety on the escape.
Forced to Drop.
Finally. he could stand no more
He dropped to the ground. The
weight litter is a patient at Mercy
Hospital in Mount Vernon will,
facial burns and badly burned
hands.
The story of Robert Colin. {
student of Stamford, Conn. gave
a clue to the possible fate of one
of the missing.
MIR. Cohn was awakened by the