Show NEW BUILDING NEARLY BURNED A Fire in the Laboratory of oE the Science Building SAVED BY A PRESENTIMENT I Night Watchman Frank Prank Van Cott II Ill Feeling Impelled to Make Investigation Investigation Investigation I gation in Chemical Laboratory Discovers Gas Burning and to Occur Oc Oc- cur Strange cur Strange Fate that Impelled Him to Begin Duty on Night of Ii t Fire I A curious presentiment of evil which impelled Frank Van Cott to make an investigation and discover a lighted gas flame was all that prevented another disastrous fire at the University of Utah And the only reason that the new museum and mining building is not now a sister ruin to the walls of the physical building is due to the s strange range accident of fate that impelled Van Cott ott to begin duty before the date late at which he was vas employed to begin BEGAN DEGAN WORK EARLY P Frank Van Cott had been employed as night watchman of the University and in instructed instructed instructed in- in to begin work on February 1st But on Sunday evening without any rea rea- rea- rea sons son that he lie could explain he went to President Kingsbury and said aid that he would begin next night instead of waiting till the first of the month Accordingly the new watchman began duty the next evening He made the round of the buildings soon after dark and found everything apparently all well DISCOVERED A FLAME When scarcely half an art h hour r had passed however at about 8 o'clock he he- began to feel uneasy and without any appa apparent apparent ap ap- pa parent ent reason he seemed to be impelled to tomake tomake tomake make another and more careful round of inspection ion He walked over to the museum museum museum mu mu- seum entered it and passed into into the chemical la laboratory oratory Still there was no sign of anything wrong for he did lid not detect the dull duB blue twilight in inthe inthe inthe the room on account of having a lantern in his hand But so strong was his presentiment presentiment pre pre- sentiment of something wrong that he lie started to make a rigid examination of evary table and corner in the room In Inthe Inthe the farther corner of the room he was startled at the discovery of of- ofa a gas flame burning beneath the wooden frame above the tables and so charred was the wood that in a few minutes more more the dry wooden tables and the factory cloth partitions partitions partitions par par- would have been in flames FLAME DUE TO CARELESS ESS PLUMBER The report had exaggerated among some of the students to the statement statement that the flame was due to a careless student leaving his Bunsen burner lighted on his table but this was wa The bur burning ing i 1 rt gas came from froma a a leak in the coupling of off z f the 17 gas piping It w was s no doubt lighted by y a plumber passing along g with a a candle in search for possible leakes and in his notice that he 1 haste he either did not lighted the gas at this leak or r else forgot to fix it after discovering it THE TilE STRANGENESS OF IT The whole affair has almose made Van Cott feel somewhat superstitious He can not explain his to instructions instructions impulse to act just contrary and afterward within half an hour after his tour of inspection I Its ts t's mighty strange the strange the whole affair is all he can say |