An Exaggerated Report: Many Valuable Books Saved: Flame Fighters Helped by Students While the fire at Nanking last week doubtless wrought a large mount of destruction at the National Southeastern University at Nanking, reports of the disaster which were sent to Shanghai were apparently somewhat exaggerated, and we are glad to state that, after a visit to Nanking during the week-end, a representative of the '"North-China Daily News" found matters not nearly as bad as reported.
The quadrangle, containing the chemistry and physics laboratory ies and the old library, separated from other parts of the University, was the section where the outbreak occurred, and, had Nanking's fire apparatus been modern instead of the crude old water-bucket fire-fighting type, the fire might have been controlled and the amounted of damage greatly reduced.
In our foot-note to the report of the fire it was erroneously stated that the library was built by funds generously contributed by Marshal Chi Hsieh-yuan, Military Governor of Kiangsu, and his father, who have evinced much interest in the National Southeastern University.
The library building, built by these funds, was known as the new library and this was entirely from that in which the nated. Fortunately, the more important and more valluable text and reference books had been removed from the old library into the new library building, hut this did not prevent the more less entire destruction of a large number of valuable reference books and manuscripts in the old library. The physics laboratory suffered most, nearly everything here being destroyed, but of the chemistry laboratory apparatus more than 70 per cent. was saved.
The fire continued for several hours, and eVerybody speaks very highly of the conduct of the students. There was no panic; everything was done in an orderly fashion which bespeaks much -of the excellent work of the teachers and of Dr, (P. W. Kuo, the president, in their teaching. The students rendered yeoman service and did much towards extinguishing the blaze. In spite of the cold morning, most of the students helped in handling the water-buckets, etc.
In spite of everything, Dr. Kuo was extremely optimistic over the situation. He- informed our representative that immediately after the fire, the students "got together" and decided to subscribe or collect funds for the erection of a new bnildine. It was expected that their efforts would result in am income of $10,000. The teachers, seeing this excellent spirit, also met and a deputation informed Dr. Kuo
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.