Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 29, 1976)
Page 2 THE BATTALION THURSDAY, JAN. 29, 1976 Cause of fire was not 1st concern By DON MIDDLETON and JOHN ADAMS Battalion Staff Writers Recall that last week we began “The Mystery of Burning of Old Main. Before we tackle the exciting conclusion, it is neccessary to correct some minor errors that have little bearing on the outcome of the case. However, for the sake of perfection, the facts should be clarified. The fire took place on Monday, not Sunday. Some of you sharper readers would have noticed that mis take right away. After all, what good Aggie would be burning the mid night oil on a Saturday night? And secondly, the studious Cadets, Ashford and Church, lived in Foster Hall rather than Ross Hall. Old Main, Ross Hall and Foster formed a triangle, with Old Main at the apex pointing toward the Chemistry Building. The Chemistry Building stood where the Cushing Library now stands. The reflection of the fire in the Chemistry Building windows could have conceivably been seen from either Ross or Foster halls. But it was from the window of No. 32 Foster I lull that Ashford spotted the blaze. Taking up where we left off, on Tuesday, not Monday, the day after the fire, we find the Investigating Committee installed in the Civil En gineering Building, hearing tes timony in regards to the time, origin and nature of the fire. C. O. Watkins, the second witness to be called, was questioned primar ily about the prevalence of gambling among the students and staff mem bers. He testified that several times he had found rooms in the Main Building in a state of disorder. Once he had found some candles and a deck of cards in a dormitory room during a summer when no students were at the college. It might have seemed to an ob server that the Committee was try ing to establish the fact that there had been a card game going in Old Main the night it burned. When Clyde Threkel later tes tified that he had heard the noise of chairs being shuffled on an upper floor, it seemed even more likely that participants in a midnight poker giune could have accidentally caused the disaster. But the possibility was not pur sued by the Committee. As witness after witness was questioned as to the amount of gambling and drinking that went on among the cadets, it slowly became clear that the Com mittee was after something else. English Professor W.W. Wood was asked if he had any information regarding the subject of gambling. He replied that it had been men tioned in several assigned compo sitions dealing with campus life. “I remember one theme that de scribed a dice game,” Wood tes tified, “and another student having been told to count off in ranks, he responded Three-Jacks. Y. M.C.A. Secretary F.D. Steger was a close friend of many cadets. They often took him into their confi dence about personal matters. Gambling was a subject that was fre quently discussed by the students with Steger. The Investigating Committee questioned Steger almost viciously regarding the students who had talked to him about gambling. Even tually Steger was persuaded to give names. The questioning went on, the fire never being mentioned. The subject of drinking and gambling among members of the faculty was broached. Steger became hesitant and apprehensive. He was criticized by the Commit tee for not reporting students guilty of gambling and drinking to the Commandant or President. He an swered that he did not wish to violate the students’ confidence. He also stated that it was the opin ion of some students that, “Members of the Faculty are guilty of the same thing of which they (the students) are accused. Further testimony indi cated there were some ill feelings between the students and faculty for some unstated reason. Steger was dismissed. The hearing went on. Witness after witness was called, and it was eventually established that the fire began on the fourth floor. But Ashford and other cadets, who had made it up to the top floor before the fire became too danger ous, insisted that there were three separate fires with no possible con nection between them. Each witness in turn, students and staff alike were questioned about their knowledge of gambling and drinking on campus. The Committee invariably asked: “Is gambling more prevalent this year then last? Is drinking more prevalent this year than last? Have you heard of anyone drinking or gambling? Have you witnessed a card game? Where do the students get liquor and beer? Which dormitory has the most gambling?” The answers ran like this: “There is less drinking and gambling this year than last.” “There is more. T have heard that students gamble but have never seen it. ” “I have suspected that some of my fellow faculty members drink but can not say for sure.” “There is more gambling in Legett than any other dormitory. “Milner Hall has more gambling than other dor mitories.” On Wednesday, head yell leader J.E.L. “Lindy Millender was called to testify. Like the other witnesses, he was asked, “Is it your impression that there is more or less drinking this year than last. Millender answered, “Taken al together, 1 don’t think there was, but within the last week, since all this investigation by the Discipline Committee I think there has been a great deal more. “In other words, you think it had not gotten to light before? he was asked. “I think so, he replied. “Some times I drink myself. Millender was later asked, “What is your impression of the origin of the fire?” “1 think somebody walked up there and set it afire. Mr. Burleson accosted a man out here (after the fire) and talked to him, he gave me a description of the man and he has spent this afternoon looking for this “Witness dismissed.” Millender was the first to mention the investigation of students’ drink ing and gambling habits by the Dis cipline Committee. He was also the first student to admit that he himself drank. Slowly the cloud of mystery and uncertainty surrounding the Fire Committee’s intention began to lift. On Thursday the Committee called T.G. Huth to the stand. Huth was Cadet Colonel of the Regiment. Cbe Battalion Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the writer of the article and are not necessarily those of the university administration or the Board of Regents. The Battal ion is a non-profit, self-supporting enterprise operated.by stu dents as a university and community newspaper. Editorial policy is determined by the editor. Represented nationally by National Educational Advertising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. The Battalion, a student newspaper at Texas A&M, is published in College Station, Texas, daily except Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and holiday periods. Sep- tember through May, and once a week during summer school. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school year; $35. (K) per full ; year. All subscriptions subject to 5% sales tax. Advertising rate furnished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit such letters and does not guaran tee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephone number for verifica tion. The Associated Press is entitled exclusively to the use for reproduction of all news dispatched credited to it or not otherwise credited in the paper and local news of spontaneous origin published herein. Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein are also reserved. Second-Class postage paid at College Station, Texas. Address correspondence to Listen Up, The Battalion, Room 217, Services Building, College Station, Texas 77843. Members of the Student Publications Board are: Bob G. Rogers, Chairman: Dr. Gan- Halter; Dr. John Hanna: Roger P. Miller; Dr. Clinton A. Phillips, Jeff Dunn, Tom Dawsey and Jerri Ward. Director of Student Publications: Gael L. Cooper. MEMBER The Associated Press, Texas Press Association Editor James Breedlove Managing Editor Roxie Hearn News Editor Pam Whigham City Editor Jim Peters Contributing Editors Sandy Russo, Steve Gray Sports Editor Paul McGrath UNIVERSITY STUDIOS SHOOTING SCHEDULE FOR THE AGGIELAND 76 SENIOR and GRADUATE MAKEUPS .LAST DATE FOR DEAD ELEPHANTS IS JANUARY 31 JUNIORS and SOPHOMORES . JAN 19-JAN 23 JAN 26-JAN 30 FEB 2-FEB 6 FEB 9-FEB 13 FEB 16-FEB 20 FEB 23-MAR 12 A-G H-M N-R S-V W-Z MAKEUPS FOR SOPHOMORES AND JUNIORS ONLY Huth was first asked routine ques tions conerning the fire, almost as a formality. Then the committee turned to the subject which they seemed to be obsessed with— drinking and gambling. They asked Huth the same ques tions they had asked all the other witnesses, to which Huth gave the now standard answers. Then Capt. Chauncey Fenton asked Huth, “Do you think there is any widespread feeling in the corps, such that any boy or group of boys would go to the extent of burning a building on the campus?” Answer: “No I don’t!” But the Committee didn’t seem satisfied with Huth s answer. They asked the same question of three other witnesses, including Professor J. C. Nagle. All answered, “no.” And even though an instructor whose classroom was on the fourth floor, where the fire began, admitted smoking in an area where the floor was covered with oiled sawdust, a smouldering cigarettee butt was ruled out as the cause of the fire. To hasten the end of Old Main, explosives were brought in to topple its still rigid walls. Numerous charges were used to no avail. Not to be defeated, college officials and cadets rolled up the battalion can nons in an effort to raze the walls by concussion. The hearing of testimony was en ded. In the report the committee made to President Milner and the State of Texas they simply stated that the fire was “of incendiary origin.” Faulty wiring was ruled out on the basis of the testimony given by Pro fessor of Electrical Engineering F.C. Bolton. In arriving at their conclusion, the committee seemed to ignore tes timony that Lindy Millender gave in which he stated that a friend had seen two obviously drunk men leave the Old Main Building about 1:30 Out of the slowly growing crowd of watchers, Lindy Millender emerged with a lasso. Without waiting for ap proval he lassoed one of the 60 foot towers, had the cadets grab the rope and within minutes they had pulled the tower down. At commencement excercises in June, Governor O.B. Colquitt announced that he had au thorized $200,000 for the construc tion of a new main building. The building, known today as the Academic Building, was built on the site of Old Main. Constructed under the direction of college architect F.E. Giesecke 86, it was completed in 1914. A gasoline can found in the rubble caused no great concern to the com mittee and was not mentioned in the official report. They also chose to think that the man who Millender had mentioned as having been observed loitering around Legett Hall after the fire was out, laughing about how pretty it had been, had no bearing on the pos sible origin of the fire. The plans for the new building called for concrete and steel to add reinforcement to the massive new structure. Unfamiliar with these rel atively new materials, Geiesecke used double concrete and steel to insure a sturdy bu ilding. Upon granting the money to A&M for construction of the new struc ture, Colquitt cautioned the admin istration on their plans: “Build a building that will last at least 50 years,” he said. So be it, 62 years young and still going strong. It was never discov ered who burned Old Main. WEIGHT WATCHERS ANNOUNCES NEW CLASS Monday 6:30 p.m. Feb. 2nd A&M Presbyterian Church 301 Church Street — Fellowship Hall Call 822-7303 for other classes in Area we’re tooting our horn - • . for this great sale! r & j* ' A 2 hour program o/yonxiJj l color & song."-SanFitnitM PRESENTED BY f' 0 * TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY < TOWN HALL (~ UNIVERSITY VARIETY SERIES ^ 37 THURSDAY FEBRUARY 5, 1976 8.00 Pip RUDDER CENTER AUDITORIUM STUDENT/DATE $3.50 ... GENERAL PUBLIC $6.00 TICKETS AT MSC BOX OFFICE FIRST FLOOR OF RUDDER TOWEIMK Houston Symphon and Singing Cade in A TAMU Centennial Performer Mon., Feb. 2 8:00; Rudder Auditorium Tickets Regular — 7.50, 6.20, 4.95 A&M Student- 6.00, 4.95, 3.95 Tickets and Information MSC Box Office — 845-2916 Presented by UP TO 50% OFF LADIES’ BLOUSES, DRESSES AND PANTS. MEN’S SPORT COATS & PANTS. TEXA& A&M In the Memorial Student Center