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Show FIRE DESTROYS COLLEGE HALL One of Oldest and Largest ""Buildings at Wellesley1 Burns Down. DAMAGE $1,500,000 College Sessions Suspended and Women Students to Be Sent Home. Wellesley, Mass., March 17. Two hundred and fifty "Wellesley students stu-dents and one hundred other persons per-sons including members of the faculty facul-ty and servants, fled for their lives early today when fire destroyed Col-lego Col-lego hall, the largest and most pretentious pre-tentious of the buildings in the college col-lege group. No one was injured. The loss is estimated at 1,500,000. The college sessions have been temporarily suspended and special trains wore made up to take the girls to their homes. Practically all of those who had rooms in the building lost their personal possessions and' clothing. Students Remain Calm. The superb behavior of the young women probably prevented heavy loss of life or Injury to many who groped their way through smoke-filled halls and down stairways and firo escapes to safety. College hall had a commanding site on a hill just east of Lake Waban. The cornerstone was laid in 1871. The building was of brick and stone, with an interior of wooden fittings. It was five stories high, with a floor space of 500 by 120 feet. The building was divided into dormitories, dor-mitories, administrative offices and quarters for servants. Three hundred hun-dred and fifty persons slept there last night 250 students, fifty members mem-bers of the faculty, and fifty maids employed by the faculty and students. stu-dents. Heroines of Fire. Miss Charolette Donnell of Wiscas-set, Wiscas-set, Me., and Miss Virginia Moffat of Orange, N. J., both seniors, were the heroines of the fire They occupied rooms on the third floor, under the laboratory, where tho fire originated, supposedly from spontaneous combustion. com-bustion. Their rooms faced on tho court around which the building was constructed and tho glare of the flames aroused them. Miss Moffat sprang from her bed and rushed into the hall whore she met Miss Donnell. Don-nell. "There is a fire," she cried. Miss Donnell replied: "I'll ring tho fire alarm, while you call the girls." Suiting action to word. Miss Donnell Don-nell ran down, a flight of stairs and started the fire gong on the second floor. Miss Moffat hurried along the halls pounding on every door. She did not cry "fire" but commanded: "Put on your wraps quickly." Studentc Quickly Roused. Miss Donnell then joined the other and together they aroused all those who had not already responded to the gong. Soon tho halls were filled with startled young women. Some carried personal effocts In their arms, but the greater number had not waited wait-ed to save their belongings, Tho halls were already filled with smoke, as the girls formed in line and marched from the building. The college volunteer fire brigade - was i early in action and made sure that none of the sleepers was left to the flames. Once outside, several of the girls sought to re-enter the building to save valuable papers in the offices. Miss Mary Smith of West Chester, Pa., secretary to the dean, made a bold dash Into the dean's office on the first floor and with the aid of Edward C. Monahan, an employe, saved most of the Sean's records. Aged Women Takcnto Scene, MrsrlKJnry V. oraitCvTdbwFlhe founder of the college, who is 00 years of age, witnesses the fire, be-ing be-ing taken to the scene in a wheel chair. Fire companies from Newton, Na-tick Na-tick and Needhain responded to an alarm, but were unable to stay the flames, which were burning themselves them-selves out when the students assembled assem-bled at chapel at 9 o'clock. President Ellen S. Pendleton announced an-nounced that the college would be closed until the end of the usual spring vacation April 7. Sessions were to have continued until March 27. The president asked all who could make arrangements to leave Wellesley today, so that accommodations accommoda-tions could be had for those who would be obliged to remain. Scores of telegrams, asking that money and clothing be sent from their homes, were dispatched by the 3tudents. Officials of the college made arrangements ar-rangements to provide funds for any who were In immediate need, and citizens threw open their homes to the students. Wellesley, Mass., March 17. Women Wom-en students swarmed down fire escapes es-capes and stairways at dawn today to escape a fire which destroyed College Hall, one of tho largest and oldest buildings of Wellesley college. The fire started in the chemical laboratory labora-tory on the fourth floor and although 300 women students and several members of the faculty wcro asleep on the fifth floor, none was injured. There was no time, however, to save personal belongings. It was later announced that tho fire loss was estimated at $1,500,000. College sessions wore suspended this morning and the students will be sent home. no |