I was studying at McDonalds next to campus around 2:30am when I saw a bunch of cops speed by. They turned on to campus across the street to the bonfire sight. Bonfire was not there. It had collapsed with about 25 people working on it at the time at "stack." Bonfire is a Texas A&M tradition that has been going on for over 75 years. Every year, thousands of hours of labor by the student body is put into making this special event happen. As we are approaching the Thanksgiving Day football game, the work load increases, and there are people out there 24hours a day. I can only thank God that it fell in the middle of the night instead of the day when there are hundreds of people out there. I also thank God that it wasn't my dorm's shift(which was 12-6am yesternight). But I am at a lost for words to truly express how tragic this is. As of now, there are 2 Aggies still burried under the wood pile, and they're tunneling to try to get them out. About 10 ambulences already have taken the others away. We have a few hundred people out there trying to help clean up. I just pray that everyone will be ok, and I ask for all of you to share a prayer if you can also. Kim M. A&M c/o '03 ------------------ Oldest Junior Member on the BBS (since June '98)
The AP Article about the tradgedy. ---------------- Thursday, November 18 Four students crushed while building bonfire Associated Press COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- A 40-foot stack of logs being assembled for a Texas A&M pregame bonfire collapsed early Thursday while dozens of students were climbing on it. At least four students were killed and 25 were injured, university officials said. Officials were performing head counts at the university's residence halls in an effort to account for everybody who may have been working on the structure. At St. Joseph Regional Health Center, spokesman Bill Hyer said there were reports that more students were still trapped in the structure's rubble, but he declined to release further details. Twenty-five students were taken to hospitals, university President Ray Bowen said. He said four people died. "The scene right now is a scene of disbelief," said Sallie Turner, editor of the Battalion, the student newspaper. "A lot of the students just feel it's surreal." The bonfire is an annual tradition since 1909 to get students fired up for the big football game against archrival Texas. The large structure is built over the course of several weeks with multiple stacks of full-size logs put in place by cranes, tractors and crews of students. The stack of logs would have topped 60 feet when completed; at the time of the collapse Thursday, it was perhaps two-thirds of that, or 40 feet high. Students who build the bonfire get safety training in advance, Bowen said. Charles Hill of Crockett told WBAP-AM that his son, Caleb, was on the stack when it fell. "He happened to be very fortunate. He has only a broken arm and a broken nose. He fell about 50 feet," Hill said. "Caleb is very emotional and very scared. Being part of the tradition, he feels a responsibility for those who have been injured. In a sense his family has been hurt." The Aggies are set to play Texas on Nov. 26, the day after Thanksgiving. The bonfire ceremony usually features performances by the Aggie band, school cheers called "yells," and pep talks by administrators, football players and coaches. But the project hasn't always been trouble-free: One stack collapsed in 1994, and a second was built and ignited. The accident was the third disaster related to the 43,000-student Texas A&M this fall. On Sept. 18, five people were killed in the crash of a plane used by the Ags Over Texas skydiving club, often used by Texas A&M University students and alumni. On Oct. 10, six college students walking to a fraternity party about two miles west of the campus were killed by a pickup truck driver who had fallen asleep, police said. The victims were four students from Baylor University, one from Texas A&M and one from Southwest Texas State.
It's up to 9 now. God!!! My prayers and thoughts are with the families. Even though I went to SHSU. I actually went to one bonfire while in school. Those things were spectacular. So sad....
I am praying for everyone involved. I'm just really surprised this hasn't already happened in 90 years.
Does anyone know where names of the dead can be found??? I know a whole bunch of people at A&M..... they are the types who get involved with school traditions and such. Anyone know?
this is truly a great tragedy and both aggies and longhorns are mourning greatly along with the rest of the country and world. they have been releasing the names of some of the dead and some of the injured on the newscasts. our prayers are with the victims and families
Here is a link to the Battallion newspaper on campus that has the list: http://battalion.tamu.edu/web/daily/update.html [This message has been edited by Ih8walton (edited November 18, 1999).]
