St. Mary's Academy is in ruin and ashes. A devastating fire, probably the biggest and costliest in northen Nebraska history, ended an era and transformed into rubble a once proud and imposing institution.

Miraculously there waas no loss of life. Three fire-fighters were injured , none seriously.

Mother school , which had served three generations so faithfully and well, stood helpless before the ravages of a mystery fire that dramatically consumed that which thousands held dear.

The blaze was discovered near a basement shower room at 4:08 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 1965. The alarm was sounded by a high school student, John Dewitt, who had left the new half-million-dollar St. Mary's High School to go to the original portion of the Academy to practice piano. He activated the fire alarm when he saw smoke. The alarm brought Phil Haverkamp, the schol custodian, from the newer portion (west wing) to the fire detection station to determine where the fire was located.

Sightingwhat appeared to be the source of the blaze, he met young Dewitt, ordered th student to summon the fire department and then assist him in removeing the Haverkamp family of six childern. The family lived on the third floor of the east portion of the sprawling buildings. Also living near the Haverkamps were three high schools girls: Jane Muff, Clearwater; Sandy Pfiester, Long Pine, and Rita Shindler, Neligh.

All were safely evacuated as flames spread rapidly, fanned by drafts created in the thousands of square feet of hallways, corridors, and passageways.

O'Neills fire chief G. E. miles immediately invoked the county wide mutual fire defence plan which brought firemen and equipment from Atkinson, Chambers, Page, and Stuart.

One O'Neill truck was directed to the rear of the old portion of the building. Firemen entered the building through the rear, and began to knock down the flames with booster lines while other firemen bagan laying a 2 1/2 inch hose line.

For a time it was felt the blaze could be brought under control as firemen made headway against the basement flames, where it was belived the fire originated.

But within seconds the flames roared to the top of the east wing and the entire three stories erupted into a roaring inferno. Apparently the fire broke through the first floor near a steam heat arterial, and the draft created near an open stair well accounted for the dramatic turn.Tinder dry flooring and casings were especially inviting to the fierce flames which generated intence heat.

Some firemen were pinned down protecting nearby St. Patrick's church, rectory, new high school, new convent and near -new St. Anthony's Hospital.

During the course of the fire, when all seven fire-fighting units were drawing water from the city's water mains, the pressure dropped.