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High School Burned

High School Burned image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
May
Year
1894
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

For the second time in 20 years Ypsianti has lost her high school building by fire. An alarm was turned in at 1:50 yesterday afternoon and by 4 o'clock he building was practically in ruins. The pupils had just got fairly seated or the afternoon's work when the first ntimation of the fire came in the &hape of a terrific crash in the chapel which frightened everyone. An investigation by those in charge of the school soon discovered the fact that the entire ceilng of the chapel was on fire. With the itmost calmness the teachers were notified quietly of the condition of affairs and told to exercise the greatest caution in getting the children out of the building. They were told that there was plenty of time and there was no danger. Some of the pupils were rendered frantic, however, having previously been startled by the crash of the falling ceiling and some jumped from the windows. It is to the great credit of the teachers in charge, however, that as good order was maintained and that more of a panic did not prevalí and more were not injured. Aa soon as the children learned the cause of the trouble the most frantic scène imaginable ensued. Most of the small children as they got out of danger and commenced to realize what might have been ran hither and thither crying at the top of their voices. While the larger ones were so excited as to render them incapable or fendering any assistance. The good people of the neighborhood turned out with a will and taking the children into their houses quieted them down as well as possible. Both fire departments made good runs to the scène No. 2 reaching the fire first. The Ypsilanti Dress Stay Co. hose cart under charge of Ike Davis, was the first hose on the scène, however, and performed splendid work. Ike going right up into the building. The roof meantime had begun to blaze fiercely and when the hose was coupled it was found that the pressure was inadequate and the streams hardly reached the fire. To complícate matters the hose bursted three times. Soon the tower caught fire and this was quickly followed by the burning of the entire second story. By this time the mothers had learned the location of the fire and were hurrying to and fro In seaj-ch for their loved ones. It was an exciting scène and became very affecting1 as mothers found their children were safe. The fire progressed slowly destroying the building foot by foot the three streams seming powerless to check the fire. At 2:45 the Ann Arbor Hose Co., with Chief Sipley, Moses Seabolt and Driver Max Wittinger arrived. They had made the run from Ann Arbor in just 3S minutes and had a stream playing on the fire in just 40 minutes from the time they had left the hose house. The team showed the effects of its hard run being covered with foam. It was the greys that made the run. With the assistanee of the Ann Arbor Co. the fire was got under control by 4 o'clock and the walls are left standing perfectly sound. It is thought that they can be used again. The building was insured for $26,000 and was valued at $45,000. The following were injured: Olive Collins, jumped from second story, broken leg. It is reported that Stella McClenahan jumped from the second story, but we are unable to learn. Robert Wiard jumped from &econd story and is unhurt. It is reported that a lady teacher jumped from first story and sprained her ankle. Supt. Whitney says that he does not know what provisions will be made for continuing the school. The Fourth and Fifth ward children will meet tomorrow at their respective schools. He said, "I do not think, as many claim, that the fire caught from combustión in the laboratory. I thing it caught from a spark in the ceiling of the chapel. There was a small fire in the building this morning."

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News