MAY 21, 1951

A million-dollar mass of smoldering ashes and rubble lay at 1409 Boulevard this morning — all that remained of the 35-year-old main building of Lake Charles high school.

Flames which ravaged the building in a blazing holocaust last evening were first noticed by students and others gathering for the 6 o’clock baccalaureate service for the 92 members of the 1951 graduating class in the nearby school gymnasium.

Exact losses were not available late this morning but sources indicated the total figures will probably run well over $1,000,000 including school equipment and furnishings and construction material being used in the current $650,000 remodeling and building program at the school. Mark D. Wentz Jr., city school board president, estimated that the building itself, which was built in 1916-17 at a cost of $165,000 would cost approximately $1,000,000 to replace today.

Wentz pointed out that insurance provides for 90 percent coverage and an overall rider provides full coverage of the appraisal value. Consensus of witnesses who congregated by the hundreds within minutes after the alarm was spread indicated the fire started in the third floor of the building where a modeling program was under way. G.W. Ford, city school superintendent, said this morning valuable records were saved and removed from the office today without even having been wet.

The new $400,000 building under construction on the south side of the main building was undamaged by the blaze, Wentz said.

Firemen notified through the box alarm in front of the school at 5:42 p.m. arrived within seconds, an American Press staff member at the scene said.

City police did not arrive until some time after crowds had gathered, that witness said. In the meantime, the apparent lack of water pressure in the hoses hampered operations, many witnesses pointed out. Fire hoses either broke or came uncoupled several times, reducing the water to a “garden spray,” in the words of some of the witnesses. The flames were first noticed by some of the graduates whose attention was called to smoke issuing from the building. As some of the baccalaureate congregation went to investigate they saw the windows on the south side of the building burst out. The roof crashed first in the center of the building above the auditorium and cafeteria. Many telephone calls to the American Press office revealed citizenry’s indignation about reports that traffic hampered fire-fighting operations. Callers reported that firemen were at the scene almost immediately before the bulk of the crowd arrived. One, who said he arrived shortly after the alarm was sounded, reported firemen had great difficulty with water pressure and the south wing was badly burned before water was gotten to it. The walls were crumbling and only the north wing was left untouched by flames before hoses could be played on the rear of the building, he stated. Another witness, who said he was parked in front of the front gate screaming “fire,” said he asked why they did not enter the building and block off the north side before the flames spread.

” ‘We’re only obeying instructions,’ they replied,” he said.