University of Iowa - Hawkeye Yearbook (Iowa City, IA)

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University Ube 13ttnitng of the librarp Etten In. no It was four o ' clock, June 19, 1897. For three clays the heat been excessive. An oppressive atmosphere pervaded Toward ing it began rain and good of Iowa from sheer haustion, asleep. A faint glimmer of the coming was in the sky and the night shadows were receding when many were rudely awakened by a vivid flash of lightning anci a terrific crash of thunder. A few minutes later the odor of hot but less pine drifted over the northeastern portion of the city, giving due notice that the lightning had somewhere done its deadly work. Anxious householders searched their premises for traces of fire, the odor of pine still increasing. At last, when several minutes had elapsed, there rang out the alarm of fire. Following this came the dreadful announcement, The library is on fire. Hundreds of people rushed to the rescue, but there was no rescue. The lightning had struck the southwest corner of the building and in an incredibly short time the fire had spread under the whole roof. The building being large and tall, with low attic and self-supporting roof, the fire was difficult to reach. The pres. sure at the hydrants was low and the fire companies were weary with 18

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Viniversit Ebe rear Eighteen Hundred and Ninety-seven was an important year in the history of S. U. I. It was a year of steady progress, standing the fact that it witnessed the most serious disaster that ever befell a western university. The incidents which have contributed to make the year ant have not been such as to give rise to a newspaper notoriety, but ours has been a peaceful progress toward a higher standard, a greater influence, and a larger usefulness. The destruction of our general library by fire in the month of June was looked upon by many as a sure check upon our growth; but the event has proved, that not only is there no decrease in the attendance at the University as a whole, but that the Collegiate Department, which, it was supposed, would be most seriously affected, increased in numbers in about the usual ratio. A large proportion of those who have entered this year have come from other colleges. A most significant feature of our growth has been the increase. in the number of graduate students—graduates both of our own University and of other institutions. The large number seeking graduate work here has compelled the faculty to prepare tional courses for advanced degrees, including that of Doctor of Philosophy. Two new chairs have been created in the Collegiate Faculty—that of Government and Administration and that of Morphology. In the coming March the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery will be conferred for the last time upon students taking a course of three six-month years, the course having been lengthened to three nine-month years. Similarly the present Senior class in Medicine is the last of the three-year classes, the course now requiring four years ' work. These requirements materially raise the standard of the University in these two departments. In athletics the year was just fairly successful, but in debate we administered a severe defeat to both our adversaries—the versity of Chicago and the University of Minnesota. 17

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a four clays ' tournament, which closed late the night before. Alto- gether it was a combination of unfavorable circumstances, and the flames met little resistance. When entrance was gained to the building, the attic was a seething furnace, to which the only access was through a small seethi man-hole in the ceiling. It became at once apparent that the brary was doomed, and effort was made to save something before the roof came down. By the th ' o tghtfulness and courage of Miss Mary E. Barrett, the reference rian, who was among the first to enter the building, the accession ters were saved from the rian ' s Mr. L. M. of the firemen, while making a heroic effort to save a tion of the card catalogue, located near the center of the building, was caught by falling timbers and perished in the flames.The men were compellel to run for their lives, for at one crash the whole roof gave way, and slate, timbers and plaster all came down into the library. Book cases, with their precious freight, were precipitated to the floor and ignited. It was a wild scene of the fiery elements never to be forgotten. The water supply was insufficient and the marl elements did their worst. Thousands of precious volumes, valuable beyond comparison, became thousands of burning fagots. Useful, every-day working books, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, Leek, one 19