Davidson College Bulletin XIX. NO. 10 "The Burning of Chambers"

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Davidson College Bulletin XIX. NO. 10 "The Burning of Chambers"

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Davidson College

Date

December 1921

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THE BURNING OF CHAMBERS
A stunning, indeed staggering blow
squarely in the face was received by the
College in the burning on the morning of
November 28th of Chambers building, the
pride and glory of the campus, providing
a home in its dormitory wings for 133
students and R. 0. T. C. Headquarters,
and containing in its central section five
class rooms, Geological and Mineralogical
museums, departments of the old Union
Library, Physical Laboratories, and the
large Commencement Auditorium Hall.
The building, an immense one, and most
imposing in its three-story height, with
cupola still more commanding in elevation,
and entrance adorned with four massive
Dorian pillars which were the admiration
of all visitors to the campt,ts, was
completed in 1859 at a cost of nearly $90,-
000. This money was a part of the quarter
of a million dollars given by Maxwell
Chambers to Davidson College, and owing
to the ravages of and the losses entailed
by the Civil War was the only fraction of
this princely gift that the College was
still reaping the benefit of, when the destructive
fire swept it away also. Its appraised
value under present conditions
was not less than $250,000. Sentiment
and affection and mathematical figures
alike combined to make one see in the
building a structure of almost inestimable
value, the loss of which constitutes a
crisis in the life of Davidson College.
The fire was not discovered until well
under way, and when awakened and
frightened students rushed from their
rooms in the early morning hour to fight
the raging flames, they did not discover
for some time that a fire above them was
burning more fiercely than that on the
third floor against which their attack was
being made. But at no time after the
alarm was given was there any chance to
bring the fire under control. ,Fortunately,
no lives were lost, and most of the students
saved their clothing and other
effects, though there were some exceptions
to this. A few men lost as much as
$200 each. One member of the Senior
Class, Harold McKeithen, jumped from
the third story but landed in mud and
water and thus escaped serious hurt. A
few other students received painful but
not dangerous burns in their fight against
the flames or in their zeal in saving articles
of various kinds.
As the entire student body and faculty
and citizens of the town stood and watched
the great building burn and saw that
only the high brick walls, and indeed
these only in part, together with the four
great sentinel pillars would be left stand•
ing, despondency and distress, not to say
despair, were written on every face and
showed in every voice that· spoke. Happily
the mood was a fleeting one, for hefore
the flames had died down, President
Martin, as the bugle, replacing the destroyed
bell, sounded its notes, called the
students in assembly around the campus
well and in impassioned tones and with
ringing words challenged each man to
hear the call of the College in its hour of ,
distress, to rally around its standard on
this day of misfortune and disaster, to
stand by the colors, to stick to his post,
to submit as cheerfully as could be to
necessary inconvenience and to resolve
that d:!spite any and all obstacles this
present year should be made the best that
Davidson had ever known. The response
was immediate, and the note of optimism
sounded here was repeated in a grand
rally held a few hours later in Shearer
Hall. With the coming of Tuesday, students,
now crowded together in the remaining
dormitories or placed in homes
in the village, a'nd professors, making
joint use of old or improvised class rooms,
among them the Literary Society halls,
took up their work and recitations were
resumed on regular schedule just as if no
fire had occurred on the preceding day.
Fortunately there was about $100,000
insurance on Chambers and its apparatus
and equipment of various kinds.
The Executive Committee of the College
met at Davidson a few days after the
fire and decided upon the following order :
(1) To let the contract at once for the
building of a large dormitory that will
house 115 students, plans for which building
have been on hand for a year or more.
(This dormitory will be ready for use in
September, 1922).
(2) To prepare plans for and to erect at
once an enlarged heating plant.
(3) To employ expert advice with reference
to the rebuilding or replacement
of Chambers.
(4) To start a campaign at the earliest
possible date for raising funds for the
above purposes and for the addition of
other buildings and for an increase in the
endowmeQt to a point where it will be
sufficient adequately to care for the number
of students now on the grounds. The
authorities are already at work preparing
plans for doing these things. Contractors
are preparing bids for the new dormitory
and we are seeking counsel on all the
other matters. A temporary building
desi gned especially for Physical Laboratory
and seven class rooms is ordered to
be ready February first. This will splendidly
serve until a New Chambers is built.
The College is deeply appreciative of
the many kind notes of sympathy and
offers of help that have been received
daily. It is confidently believed that
needed funds can be secured and that out
of the ruins of the old and greatly loved
Chambers will rise a handsome and more
imposing building, a building that in its
plan of structure and in its appointments
will meet modern needs and requirements
far more satisfactorily than the old one
could ever have done, no matter what remodelling
should have been undertaken
had the flames left it unhurt. But if this
is to be done, friends of Christian education
and of Davidson College in particular
must come out of their hiding or rather
throw off their reserve and hesistancy at
publicity and declare their willingness te
rescue the institution from its present
danger of being crippled in its usefulness
and in its ability to serve the church, a
service that under the blessing of God
• has been most pronounced and far-reacking,
and that in quality and character has
been distinctively good and beneficent,
rec@gnized in the regions about and beyond
its locality in the home field and in
the foreign, a service which there has
been every reason to believe would with
the passage of the years be multiplied
many fold and be fruitful of richer and
richer blessings to the Southern Church,
the nation and the world.
Rev. C. M. Richards in a recent sermo n
gave voice to a feeling that is in the
minds and hearts of all here when he said
that progress and development is plainly
the Divine plan, that the old is removed
to give place to a qew that shall better do
the work of the Lord, that it is inconceivable
that the Presbyterian Church, that
part of it at least interested in Davidson
and its work, would let slip or be slow to
seize this opportunity to enlarge the endowment
fund of the College and to place
the institution on a financial basis that
will make it stronger by far than ever
before to carry forward its work in Christian
education. Cowardice and faintheartedness
see lions in the way and obstacles
insurmountable, but faith in God
and in His power to work mightily for
the upbuilding of the Kingdom through
the upbuilding of this Christian College
can accomplish the impossible. "Let us
go forward" should be the watchword.
But fine words butter no parsnips, as the
proverb says. The College must find
friends who will rally to its support and
not only keep it from taking an inevitable
step-backwards; but will be willing to
push it forward into a larger place of
power, influence and efficiency in doing
the work of the Church of Jesus Christ.
C. R. HARDING.

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Davidson College

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