Springfield School Before Fire

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Source:
Brick, A Monthly Record of the World’s Progress in Clayworking
Volume XXIX, Number 1, July 1908
Kenfield-Leach Company, Chicago, IL
Page 298

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The recent $35,000 school building fire, at Springfield, Minn., offers convincing evidence of the stability of brick under the severest fire tests.  The standing walls are all that is left of a once handsome structure.  These walls are of brick manufactured at Springfield by the A. C. Ochs Brick & Tile Co., and an examination of the ruins shows that the intense heat did not cause the walls to crumble nor the brick to crack.  All the stone in the building which came in contact with the heat were badly cracked or entirely disintegrated.

Source:
Brick, A Monthly Record of the World’s Progress in Clayworking
Volume XXVIII, Number 6, June 1908
Kenfield-Leach Company, Chicago, IL
Page 274

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BIG $35,000 FIRE LOSS

Handsome Brick Public School Building Reduced to Ashes Tuesday.

FLAMES DID DESTRUCTIVE WORK IN LESS THAN HOUR

The Origin of the Fire is Not Known But Appearances Indicated that It Started in the Laboratory on the Third Floor.  Building was Insured for $20,000 and Contents for $2,000.

Fire Tuesday morning [April 28, 1908] at 6 o’clock completely destroyed the handsome and costly brick public school building in this city, together with the contents, with the exception of some of the books and desks of two lower rooms.

Not since the memorable fire twelve years ago, which destroyed the Bendixen block, has Springfield been visited with such a dire calamity as befell its citizens Tuesday morning, when their fine public school building was reduced to a worthless heap of ruins, the only remnants of the once beautiful building being the charred standing walls of brick; unsightly in the extreme, and sufficient evidence that the fiery elements accomplished the work of ruin and destruction so completely as to cause anyone to turn from the unsightly wreck with a heavy heart.

In less than one hour after the fire was discovered every inflammable thing about the building was reduced to ashes, and in fact at the time the alarm was turned in at ten minutes to six the flames had gained such headway in the upper rooms that it was useless to attempt to save the building.  Many of the citizens, as well as members of the fire department could but stand idly by and watch the ravages of the flames, as they shot up thru the roof, as well as converting the rooms into veritable furnaces.  Considering that the massive building was a brick structure it was reduced to ashes in a remarkably short period of time.

At exactly ten minutes to six in the morning W. F. Swetlan, the janitor, went to the building to perform his morning duties, but the moment he unlocked and opened the front doors he was met with a dense smoke and he also heard some of the burning embers fall to the floor in one of the front rooms on the second floor, known as the 6th grade room.  He hurriedly closed the doors and turned in an alarm. Unfortunately the power house was closed and immediate use of the big fire whistle could not be had.  As a last resort the curfew bell was sounded, but the alarm as was the case at the time of the Metzinger fire, did not call out many of the citizens, who are accustomed to the big whistle for such occasions.  After a delay in calling the engineer to the power house the whistle finally sounded the alarm and there was a ready response.  But even had there been a ready response to the first alarm, no number of willing citizens could have successfully coped with the flames.  It was simply a matter of standing idly by and witnessing the destruction of a public building – the pride of Springfield – which had been erected by a liberal, painstaking and public spirited band of citizens solely in the interests of a better and higher education for the younger generation.

The cause of the fire will perhaps always remain a mystery, for the janitor, Mr. Swetlan, informed the writer that the last time he coaled up the heating plant was at 3 o’clock the afternoon before, and at that time there was very little fire in the furnace, so that the origin could not have been from that source.  Both Mr. Swetlan and Superintendant C. A. Patchin were in the latter’s office on the second floor as late as 8 o’clock Monday night, and when they left the building there was no indication of smoke or fire.

The only plausible solution to the problem at this time is that the laboratory was the cause of the disastrous blaze.  The laboratory was located on the third floor directly over the superintendent’s office, and in that part of the building where the flames first broke out thru the roof.  All of which would indicate that the blaze started on the third floor and well to the front of the building, as that portion of the structure was first to burn.  Be the origin what it may, no possible blame can be attached to the janitor, who always attended to his duties in a faithful and observing manner, having a particular care to paying the building a visit before retiring for the night.  Neither can it be said that with better fire protection the building could have been saved from total destruction, for too much headway had been gained by the time it was discovered.  However, there is a bare possibility that the rear half of the structure, at least, might have been saved had the fire ladies had access to a modern system of waterworks, such as the town voted for at the last March election.

The school building, ever since the fine large addition was built in the year 1898, presented an elegant and substantial appearance, which naturally had a tendency of calling forth expressions of pride and admiration not only from the citizens of our town, but from the many visitors from other places as well.  The Advance most emphatically wishes to reiterate that ever since the fine building was dedicated on Friday evening, October 14, 1898, to the noble work of education, it has been one of the real prides to the generous people of school district 64.

During the year 1890 the main building was erected, which consisted of four rooms.  As is usual when a district builds a school house, the board at that time took it for granted that it would for years meet with all the requirements, but only eight years lapsed when it was made necessary by reason of increased enrollment to build the annex.  This annex was built in the year 1898 and was formally dedicated Friday Oct. 14, 1898.  At that time Prof. W. W. Barnum was superintendent, and many Advance readers will recall that the dedication was made an occasion of an appropriate celebration which included a most interesting program.  Since ’98 however, the enrollment has again been greatly on the increase, in fact to such an extent that a new high school building had at various times been spoken of as a necessity.  Many of the grades were cramped for room, and the high school has also been overly crowded during the past few years.

Now that it will be necessary to build a new school house the board, which is composed of good capable men, will undoubtedly provide one amply large to accommodate the needs of the district for some years to come.

There were eight rooms in the building which was valued at about $32,000, on which $20,000 insurance is carried in several companies of which local people are agencies.  The school equipment was valued at $3,000, which is covered by $2,000 insurance.  The board of education is composed of H. Bendixen, president; A. Frederickson, clerk; Wm. F. Runck, treasurer; Dr. J. C. Rothenburg, John Schmelz and Ernest Altermatt, directors; and all of whom have at all times since they assumed their official responsibilities had the welfare of both taxpayers and pupils at heart.  They have also exercised great care in providing for as much insurance as was permissible, for less than six months ago the building was insured for only $15,000, but at that time an additional $5,000 was taken out, the very limit which the companies would allow on the building.  Such splendid forethought certainly ought to appeal most forcibly to the taxpayers that the welfare of the district is in thoroughly capable hands.  The board will waste no time in making the preliminary arrangements for a new and suitable building, and at a special meeting held Tuesday evening the clerk was instructed to correspond with architects who make a specialty of providing plans for strictly modern school buildings, to submit such plans at once.  This step is necessary at this time so that the board will be better enabled to ascertain approximately the amount of new bonds to be voted upon at a special election, which will be called as soon after the loss is adjusted as possible.

A rough estimate of the possible amount needed in addition to the insurance money is placed at $15,000.  The financial condition of the district at this time is excellent, for there is now on hand $4,000, and after July 1st there will be owing on the old indebtedness only $2,000.

At the special meeting of board Tuesday night it was decided to dismiss all of the grades including the kindergarten, with the exception of the eighth grade and high school.  For these two departments the kindergarten building will be used, the lower floor for the former and the second floor for the latter.  The kindergarten pupils will not be dismissed until Friday, and beginning Monday the eighth grade and high school will occupy the building for the balance of the term.

For the benefit of the scholars of the public schools, particularly the grades which have been dismissed, The Advance would state that promotions will be made as usual at the beginning of another school year, where the standing of the pupil has been favorable during the present term.

The various teachers also sustained losses of books, etc., Superintendent Patchin being the most unfortunate as his fine library together with other personal effects and records to the amount of fully $200 were destroyed.  Since the meeting with the superintendent Tuesday night all of the teachers are now busily engaged making out reports, and those whose departments have been dismissed will go to their respective homes tomorrow or Saturday.

The standing walls of the burned public school building [are] all that is left of a once handsome structure once more substantiates the fact that brick manufactured by the A. C. Ochs Brick & Tile company will stand up well under the most trying and drastic conditions, in fact they have a great deal more endurance than the stone used in the same building.  Every brick used in the building was the product of the home manufacturing plant, and a casual examination of the walls, which now tower high in the air, reveals the fact that the intense heat did not cause the walls to crumble and fall, neither did the brick crack.  On the other hand nearly all of the stone which came in contact with the heat were either badly cracked or otherwise shattered.  This evidence of the excellent qualities contained in the product of our local manufacturing plant should be a source of pride to our citizens as well as to the manufacturer.

Source:
Springfield Advance-Press
Thursday, April 30, 1908
Volume XXII, Number 14, Page 1