books and manuscripts. The fire consumed the building in three hours. The building contained most of the school's educational and administrative activities, refectories, and student and faculty living quarters. The flames also consumed The Saint Francis Old Men's Home, the Infirmary, the Minims Hall (the grade school program), and the Music Hall. The fire fighters from South Bend arrived in time help save the kitchen, steam house, printing office, Presbytery, Washington Hall and Sacred Heart Church. Additionally, the lack of strong winds prevented the fire from spreading to these other buildings. Many students, nuns and faculty narrowly escaped serious injury or death while they tried to save the Main Building's contents as parts of the structure came tumbling down around them. Most of the university library, the scientific equipment, the paintings and sculptures that adorned the hallways, the furnishings and furniture, students' clothes and possessions, natural and skeletal collections were lost in the fire. The loss was estimated at $200,000 and only $45,000 was recovered from the insurance. At three o'clock Father William Corby, the university president, met with his wisest assistants and they determined that nothing could be done but close the college for the year. An hour after he communicated the decision to the students assembled in the church. Students did not want to leave, but Fr. Corby made it clear that the university could not provide any accommodations, hence the students were sent home for the semester. An early graduation ceremony was held for the seniors of all schools. Corby also promised that "a new Notre Dame" would reopen in the fall with a new Main Building "more accommodating and grandiose". Condolences started to pour into the school immediately, many of them published in subsequent issues of the student weekly magazine Scholastic. Father Edward Sorin, now the superior-general of the Congregation of Holy Cross, had left on a trip to Europe two days prior to the fire. He immediately returned to campus after the fire to find much of his school in ruins. Together with Corby, he vowed to the students and faculty to rebuild the school in time for the fall semester. During the next Sunday's Mass, Rev. Sorin delivered the homily and said "If it were all gone, I should not give up!", which electrified the crowd and provided morale for the reconstruction. He wrote to the members of the congregation: "By all means we