DESTRUCTION OF GREAT STANFORD UNIVERSITY.
=California's Magnificent Educational Institution, the
Pride of the State, Wrecked by Quake--Founded by the
Late Senator Leland Stanford as a Memorial to His Son
and Namesake--Loss $3,000,000.=
One of the most deplorable features of the great California calamity
was the destruction of the Leland Stanford, Jr., University, situated
at Palo Alto.
The magnificent buildings, including a beautiful memorial hall erected
by Mrs. Stanford to the memory of her husband and son, were
practically wrecked.
Leland Stanford University was one of the most richly endowed, most
architecturally beautiful, and best equipped institutions of learning
in the world. Mrs. Jane Stanford, widow of the school's founder, in
1901 gave it outright $30,000,000--$18,000,000 in gilt edged bonds and
securities and $12,000,000 in an aggregate of 100,000 acres of land in
twenty-six counties in California. This, with what the university had
received from Leland Stanford himself, made its endowment the enormous
sum of $34,000,000 besides its original capital, and on the death of
Mrs. Stanford this was raised to $36,000,000.
In a way the real founder of the university was a young boy, Leland
Stanford, Jr. On his death bed he was asked by his parents what he
would like them to do with the vast fortune which would have been his
had he lived. He replied he would like them to found a great
university where young men and women without means could get an
education, "for," he added, "that is what I intended all along to do
before I knew I was going to die."
The dying wish was carried out.
The foundation stone was laid on the nineteenth anniversary of the
boy's birth, and in a few years there sprang into existence at Palo
Alto, about thirty-three miles southeast of San Francisco, the "Leland
Stanford University for Both Sexes," with the colleges, schools,
seminaries of learning, mechanical institutes, museums, galleries of
art, and all other things necessary and appropriate to a university of
high degree, with the avowed object of "qualifying students for
personal success and direct usefulness in life."
The architecture was a modification of the Moorish and Romanesque,
with yet a strong blending of the picturesque mission type, which has
come down from the early days of Spanish settlement in California.
Driving up the avenue of palms from the university entrance to the
quadrangle, one was faced by the massive, majestic memorial arch.
Augustus St. Gaudens, the great sculptor, embodied his noblest
conceptions in the magnificent frieze which adorned the arch.
However beautiful the other buildings, they were easily surpassed by
the marvelous Memorial Church, which was built at a cost of
$1,000,000.
The organ in this magnificent new edifice was the largest and most
expensive in the world. It had nearly 3,000 pipes and forty-six stops.
The church was 190 feet in length and 156 feet in width. It cost
$840,000.
The substantial magnificence of Memorial Church was followed in every
line of the university's program. The assembly hall and the library
were adjoining buildings of the outer quadrangle. The former had a
seating capacity of 1,700, and with its stage and dressing rooms
possessed all the conveniences of a modern theater.
When Stanford University opened its doors almost fifteen years ago
people thought the Pacific coast was too wild and woolly to support
Stanford in addition to the big state university at Berkeley, Cal.,
and, as President David Starr Jordan remarked: "It was the opinion in
the east that there was as much room for a new university in
California as for an asylum of broken down sea captains in
Switzerland."
But Stanford grew steadily and rapidly, until last year its attendance
was more than 1,600. Its president is David Starr Jordan.
The gateway to the university is opposite the town of Palo Alto, which
has a population of 4,000. It is surrounded by part of its endowment,
the magnificent Palo Alto estate of seventy-three hundred acres. The
value of the total endowment is estimated at $35,000,000. The
university buildings are the most beautiful group of public buildings
in America. They are but parts of one plan, and are constructed of
Santa Clara Valley brown sandstone throughout--beautiful and restful
in color and in pleasing contrast to the walls of green of the
surrounding hills and the great campus in front. The buildings of the
university are not piled sky high, but with long corridors rise two
stories, for the most part completely enclosing a beautiful
quadrangle, in itself about a ninth of a mile long by eighty yards
broad. The massive memorial arch in front, and the beautiful Memorial
Church, with its cathedral-like interior, great arches and allegorical
windows, are the most imposing features of the group. Flanking the
main buildings to the right is Encina Hall for the boys and Roble Hall
for the girls, while across the campus are the new chemistry building
and the museum. The large grounds are most carefully tended, and all
the flowers and trees and shrubs that help beautify California find a
home here. The walks and drives are delightful. There is no other
alliance of buildings and surrounding grounds quite so pleasing as
those of Stanford University. Tuition at the University is free, and
the equipment is that naturally to be expected in the richest endowed
university in the world. The students of the present semester number
fifteen hundred. Financial figures mean but little in connection with
a university--and yet since the new church is not describable, it may
be mentioned that it cost $500,000. The buildings represent an
expenditure of several million dollars.
To reach Palo Alto and Stanford University one has to travel from San
Francisco thirty-three miles southward over the coast line of the
Southern Pacific road. The town of Palo Alto is situated in the Santa
Clara Valley--a riverless area of bottomland lying between San
Francisco bay and the Santa Cruz range. The Santa Clara Valley is one
of the various vales found here and there about the continent which
proudly lay claim to the title "garden spot of the world."
The Memorial Church was Mrs. Stanford's gift to the university from
her private fortune, was dedicated "to the glory of God and in loving
memory of my husband, Leland Stanford." Its erection and
administration were matters entirely apart from the regular university
control. In terms of money, it probably cost over $1,000,000. Clinton
Day of San Francisco drew the plans, which were complemented in a
hundred ways, from the ideas of Mrs. Stanford herself and suggestions
obtained by her from a scrutiny of old world cathedrals.
The building of the university was decided upon by Mr. and Mrs. Leland
Stanford in March, 1884, after their only son had died in Italy at the
age of 16. Construction began, May 14, 1887, the anniversary of the
boy's birth, and instruction October 1, 1891. As for the name, here is
the joint declaration of the Stanfords: "Since the idea of
establishing an institution of this kind came directly and largely
from our son and only child, Leland, and in the belief that had he
been spared to advise as to the disposition of our estate he would
have desired the devotion of a large portion thereof to this purpose,
we will that for all time to come the institution hereby founded shall
bear his name and shall be known as the Leland Stanford Junior
University." The object was declared to be "to qualify students for
personal success and direct usefulness in life." On the title page of
the first register ever printed and of every one since, appear these
words of Senator Stanford's: "A generous education is the birthright
of every man and woman in America." This and President Jordan's
favorite quotation, "Die Luft der Freiheit weht"--"the winds of
freedom are blowing," reveal somewhat the genius of the place.
The major study was the key to Stanford's elective system of
instruction. The ordinary class divisions were not officially
recognized. Even the students until recently made far less of the
terms "freshmen," "sophomore," "junior" and "senior," than is made of
them at most colleges. Each student elected at the start some major
study, by which he steered his course for the four years, unless he
changed "majors," which was not unusual or inadvisable during the
first two years, for after they had "learned the ropes" students
naturally gravitated to the department whose lines they are best
fitted to follow. The Stanford departments numbered 23, as follows:
Greek, Latin, German, Romantic languages, English, philosophy,
psychology, education, history, economics, law, drawing, mathematics,
physics, chemistry, botany, physiology, zoology, entomology, geology
and mining, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical
engineering.
The chosen site of the university was part of the great Palo Alto
ranch of the Stanfords, devoted to the raising of grain, grapes and
the famous trotting horses that were "the Senator's" hobby and
California's pride. It resembled the Berkeley situation, in that the
bay lies before it and the foothills of the Santa Cruz range behind,
but the former is three miles away and the Palo Alto country is so
level that only when one climbs the rolling slopes behind the college
does he realize that the great inlet is so near. The view from the
foothills, by the way, or better still from the crest of the mountain
range farther back, where the Pacific ocean roars away to the westward
and the valley and bay appear to divide the space between you and the
mountains that cut the horizon to the east, is one of California's
treasures.
The idea that made the Spanish mission the model for the Stanford
buildings was translated into plans by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge. If
ever there was an inspiration, says the visitor, this was one. Ever so
many millions put into ever so ornate structures of the type prevalent
elsewhere could not give these halls their appealing beauty. The main
group of buildings formed two quadrangles. The 12 one-story members of
the inner quadrangle were ready in 1891, and with the shops of the
engineering departments, were for several years "the university." The
12 structures of the inner quad were increased to 13, for the church,
provided for in the original scheme, but not begun until 1899, was
added. Those inclosed--to quote statistics from the register--a court
586 feet long by 246 feet wide--31/4 acres--relieved from barrenness by
big circular plots in which flourished palms, bamboos and a medley of
other tropical translations. Penetrate 10 feet into one of these
plots, which are always damp from much watering, and it takes little
imagining to fancy yourself in an equatorial jungle. Surrounding this
quadrangle was another--the "outer quad," of 14 buildings that were
bigger and higher and considerably more impressive than the pioneers.
The extreme length of the second quadrangle was 894 feet. All the way
around it stretched the same colonnades, with their open-arched
facades, that flanked the inner court. And in addition the outer and
inner quadrangles were connected here and there with these same arched
pathways, which subdivide the space between the two into little
reproductions in miniature of the main plaza within. The colonnades,
the tiled roofs and peculiar yellow sandstone of which all the
quadrangles were constructed formed a combination which is not easily
nor willingly forgotten.
Outside this central group, of which the great church and the memorial
arch were badly wrecked by the quake, were enough other buildings used
for the university proper to bring the number up to fifty or so. They
include chemistry building, museum, library, gymnasium, engineering
and two dormitories--one, Roble hall, for women; the other, Encina
hall, for men.
The ruins wrought among those magnificent buildings by the frightful
upheaval of the earth which wrenched some of them apart and threw down
huge sections of walls aggregated in money value about $3,000,000.
The gymnasium and the library were wholly destroyed, nothing but
skeletons of twisted steel remaining. The loss was half a million
dollars on each. The Memorial church was left merely a frame, the
mosaic work being torn down. The top of the 80-foot high memorial arch
was crashed to the ground a heap of ruins. The original quadrangle was
but little damaged. Many rare specimens from Egypt were lost in the
museum, which was only partly destroyed. The fraternity lodge and Chi
Psi Hall were a total loss. The engineering buildings were partly
demolished. Encina Hall, where 200 boys stayed, was much shaken, and a
large stone chimney crashed through the four floors, burying student
Hanna, of Bradford, Pa. He was the only student killed. About twelve
others were slightly hurt.
Roble Hall, women's dormitory, escaped without a scratch.
The damage at Palo Alto City amounts to $200,000. The damage in the
neighboring towns was also heavy. San Mateo suffered more than Palo
Alto. The Redwood city jail was torn down and all the prisoners
escaped.
There was severe damage at Menlo Park. Burlingame suffered a loss of
fully $100,000. Many houses were torn down there. The only other death
in that vicinity was that of Fireman Otto Gordes, who was buried under
the chimney of the power house at Palo Alto.
All the towns mentioned were left without light or power.
President David Starr Jordan of Stanford University announced that the
university authorities would begin at once to repair the quadrangle,
laboratories and dormitories. The Memorial church was sheltered to
prevent further injury and work in all classes was resumed on April
23.
[Illustration: =CORNER OF A BAPTIST CHURCH.=
A view of a Baptist Church on St. Pablo Avenue, Oakland.]
[Illustration: =KEARNEY STREET, SAN FRANCISCO.=
Looking north from Market Street.]
[Illustration: Copyright 1906 by Tom M. Phillips.
=FERRY BUILDING.=
The clock in tower stopped at 5:15.]
[Illustration: Copyright 1906 by Tom M. Phillips.
=MILITARY QUARTERS.=
A view in Golden Gate Park.]
President Jordan said that it was unlikely any attempt would be
made to restore the Memorial church, the memorial arch, the new
library, the gymnasium or the museum of the university.
The great rival of the Leland Stanford, Jr., University is the
University of California at Berkeley, a suburb of San Francisco. The
effect of the earthquake there is tersely told by Professor Alpheus B.
Streedain of the zoological department. There were eight severe shocks
in succession.
"It all lasted about twenty-five seconds," said Professor Streedain,
"and talk about being frightened, to be more expressive I thought hell
was coming to earth. I rushed down to the street in my pajamas, and
people were almost crazy. Chimneys were down all over. I was safe and
trusted to God for any coming shocks. It was a mighty serious
proposition, and one I shall never forget."
By a seeming miracle the big California University buildings that
stand on the campus elevations escaped harm in the earthquake shock.
Recorder James Sutton of the University said: "I made a personal
examination of the buildings on the campus and received reports from
deans of the colleges and it appears that not one of the buildings was
harmed in the slightest degree.
"Professor O'Neill of the chemistry department reported that the
damage done to the instruments in the building did not aggregate more
than $50. California Hall had not a mark on it to indicate that an
earthquake occurred that morning. The other buildings were in the same
condition. The Greek theater had not a scratch on its walls."
The town of Berkeley was not so fortunate as the university in the
matter of damage sustained. No lives were lost, nor were there any
notable disasters to buildings, but the aggregate damage in the shape
of twisted structures, broken chimneys and falling walls was many
thousands of dollars.
The destruction of so many magnificent buildings at the Leland
Stanford, Jr., University was one of the worst calamities that has
ever befallen an American educational institution.