Community Corner
UMd. Marks 100th Anniversary of ‘Great Fire’
Students lost all of their belongings and their homes in the blaze.
One hundred years ago this week in College Park, a huge fire swept through what was then the Maryland Agricultural College, destroying the administration building and barracks, but also giving birth to the modern University of Maryland, reports CBSBaltimore.
Though the cause of the blaze is still unknown, what is now known as the Great Fire of 1912 began in the administration building and quickly spread due to high winds, UMd. Archivist Ann Turkos told CBSBaltimore.
Low water pressure from a damaged water tower and rifle ammunition in the student barracks made the flames difficult to extinguish, and students lost nearly all of their belongings and their home, Turkos said. The college had to find students new lodgings in the town.
Click here to see the full story on CBSBaltimore.
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