Swarthmore College - Halcyon Yearbook (Swarthmore, PA)

Page 27 text:

time, early in the Ninth month. Soon after the re-opening, on Seventh-day, the 24th, a committee of the Man- agers met at the College to locate and lay out the new Science building. The ground was chosen west of the main building, between the College and the President ' s house, the east wall of the new building to be only about twenty-five feet from the west wall of the College. Some one objected to this locality as being too near the Col- lege in case of fire, as both buildings would be liable to be destroyed in case of the destruction of either. A highly esteemed Manager, of excellent judgment and large business experience, remarked that he would not be afraid to assume the personal responsibility of the loss of the College by fire. The location w-as accordingly approved, and the stakes were set. The next afternoon (First-day) the President noticed, especially, the beautiful landscape in front, and the newly-painted College, so well equipped within and without for its work, as he rode out on horse- back to visit his good friend, and the good friend of the College, Isaac H. Clothier, of the Board of Managers, who then resided at Sharon Hill, but four miles away. Their conversation is well remembered, after the lapse of more than seventeen years, and they both felt that the prospects of the College were never so bright as on that beautiful autumn day. At or near 1 1 p. m. the President passed the front door of the College on his return, and found there our most faithful watchman, William Mullen, who, as often before, accompanied the President to his stable, and at once returned to the College. A few minutes later a loud explosion was heard, and looking from his chamber window the President saw a long column of fire shooting out of the west side of the dome. His first thought was, it is above the level of the great tank, and we have no appliances for forcing water above that level. Of course it was soon found that the College was doomed, for although the wings were separated from the main building by fire-proof connections, the separating walls did not rise sufficiently high to prevent the fire from spreading, and the roof being of combustible material it w-as not long before it was in flames throughout the entire extent. The students were aroused with difficulty at that dead hour of the night, but they were all rescued without a single accident. The young men soon, of themselves, formed a line, passing down the larger or southwest stairway, and up the smaller in the northwest, thus saving most of their effects, and some of the College furniture, including all the mattresses of the west end, which they threw out the windows, and which fur- nished fairly comfortable lodging on the front lawn later in the night, after the excitement and highest glare of the fire had somewhat subsided. The young women fared worse, and their trunks and clothing were very gen- erally destroyed. There being six stairways from the top to the bottom of the College, escape was not difficult, although at that time there were no outside fire escapes. Fire companies from Philadelphia were sent for promptly by telegraph, but when they arrived, about 4 A. m., the building was a mass of smouldering ruins. Friends ' His- ' 3

Page 26 text:

Swarthmore College ITS ORIGIN AND SOME NOTES UPON ITS EARLY HISTORY. By Edward H. Magill, LL. D. CHAPTER VI. Destruction and Reconstruction ofjthe College. HE previous chapter closed with an account of the work and condition of the College in its twelfth gj year (1880-81 ). during which the elimination of the Preparatory School began bythe omission of J-.v Tl ' the lowest class. Notwithstanding this omission, the number of students continued the same as the previous year (266), being the largest number thus far reached in the history of the Col- lege. During the summer which followed the Commencement of ' 81. an unusual amount of re- pairs and slight improvements was accomplished, including a general painting of the College anew, within and without. The subject of the need of a new Science Building continued to be actively considered, and early in the vacation Professor Beardslev, of the Engineering Department, visited Samuel YVillets. in Xew York, and presented the great need of the College in this respect, receiving from him the promise to give S10.000 toward the building proposed. The Professor felt that $35,000 would be needed to carry out the plans which he proposed, and next visited Joseph Wharton, who offered to give what Samuel Wil- lets would, but no more. Later the plans were so modified as to bring the price down to $25,000, when Joseph Wharton agreed to give the same as Samuel Willets, — S10.000 for the building, and add the $5,000 necessary for its equipment. It was therefore under very encouraging auspices that the students were assembled at the usual 12

Page 28 text:

torical Library, in the west alcove room, second floor, and a Professor ' s room above it, were saved by the fire- proof ceilings. In the Historical Library the heat was so great that a bust of Lucretia Mott was calcined, one of Elias Hicks much defaced, and a picture of Elias Hicks and one of George Fox were entirely destroyed. Except these two rooms in the west alcove, the main building and wings were totally destroyed. As in the haste and con- fusion of the night we stumbled over the stakes for the Science building, at the west end of the College, we con- cluded that the new site for that building would be no longer urged ; and it was not, but it was placed later where it now stands, at a safe distance from other buildings, between the main building and the Meeting House. As the Laundry was saved by the fire-proof shed which united it with the main building, the College bell was struck for breakfast at the usual hour next morning, for by the kind thoughtfulness of Col. Theodore Hyatt and his son, of Chester Military Academy, who were promptly on hand, the bakeries of Chester and their own sup- plies were liberally drawn upon during the night, and an ample breakfast was set out on rude, improvised tables of boards and barrels, on the front lawn, at the usual hour of 7.30. When on assembling for breakfast, the roll was called, it was a great relief to find that every student responded except a few sent away on necessary errands. Notice was at once given that the College would re-open in two weeks within some reasonable distance from its present location. The Managers were summoned by telegraph, and in a few hours a meeting was held in the Meeting House ; and as they assembled all were impressed by the contrast of the purpose of the meeting and one which was to have been held in that place on that day, as others throughout the country, during the funeral exercises of our martyred President Garfield. A committee was appointed to proceed at once to Media and se- cure temporary quarters for the College, and before night the Grove House had been secured for the home, the general College exercises, and the rooms for the young women ; and the Gayley House, a few squares distant, for the rooms of the young men. These quarters were found sufficient, though quite restricted, for all were dis- posed to make the best of everything in view of our great disaster. When the fire occurred two hundred and nineteen students had arrived at the College, and two hundred and sixteen of these returned to our new quar- ters, in Media, on the re-opening. Six more were received in a few days, and then all other applicants were de- clined for want of room. The two weeks were very fully occupied in securing the necessary furniture, apparatus, and books. A number of publishers and authors contributed liberally toward our new supply of books, both for the classes and for the library which had been totally destroyed. The Alumni, too, quickly came to the rescue, and started a subscription, headed by the late J. Reese Lewis, of the Class of ' 74, for the sum of $1,000. Officers of the First National Bank of Media, who were present at the fire, at once offered the College, without interest, a