Wellsville, NY High School Fire, Nov 1924

WELLSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL RAZED BY FIRE EARLY TODAY.

LOSS OF $150,000 COVERED BY INSURANCE OF $80,000 -- BELIEVE BLAZE OF INCENDIARY ORIGIN -- RESUME CLASSES NEXT MONDAY IN VARIOUS LODGE ROOMS AND SIMILAR QUARTERS.

PROMINENT GROCER DROPS DEAD FROM HEART DISEASE AT FIRE.

(Special to The Herald)
Wellsville, N. Y., Nov. 25. -- The Wellsville High school building was completely destroyed by fire early today resulting in a loss of at least $150,000, of which $80,000 is covered by insurance.
Five recent fires of incendiary origin in the immediate vicinity of the high school have led authorities to believe that today's fire was of suspicious character. An investigation will be started, according to present indications.
Between 450 and 500 students were enrolled in the school. Plans are already under way to hold classes in various lodge rooms and other similar quarters beginning next Monday. It will be a year before the razed structure can be replaced by a modern building, school officials said.
The fire broke out at 1:30 o'clock this morning in the basement near the furnace. The flames made rapid headway through the flues and in an hour the entire building was a mass of flames and beyond control. Fire departments from Scio and Andover responded to the alarms and made the trip here in record time.
WHITFIELD CARPENTER, prominent in the grocery business here, dropped dead from heart disease while watching the blaze. Excitement is believed to have caused death.
The building was re-built following a fire 15 years ago. At that time a new front was installed semi-fire proof material being used.

Olean Evening Herald New York 1924-11-25
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!