Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1892-11-21
FIGHTING THE FLAMES.
A Sunday Morning Blaze Wipes Ont
$4,000 Worth Of Property-A. T.
Grisg the Chief Sufferer.
J. W. Conway Loses S2,ooO-Heroio
Work by the Boys in Blue Saves
the Block--Total Losses
and Insurance.

A. 7. Grigg's undertaking department,
large stock OF furniture and ]. W. Con-
ways dwelling rooms were destroyed by
fire at an early hour yesterday morning,
entailing loss of some $4,000.
Tenants of the Lamy rooms on Palace
avenue discovered the fire about 2:l5
o'clock and gave the alarm. When first
seen the flames were Issuing from the
southeast corner of the placita in the
rear of the old Hotel Capital from the
doors and windows of adobe rooms
which were occupied by Mr.. Grigg's I'M
dertaking department and as a storage
room for "knocked-down" furniture, At
the same time the frame rooms on the
opposite side of the adobe wall, and in
which j. W. Conway and, family resided
were also enveloped in flames. Mr. Con-
ways little girl awoke to find the room
full of smoke and alarmed the family
none of whom had time to dress so near
were the flames upon them.
The fire bell was rung and the fire de-
partment came upon the scene promptly,
but despite the excellent water service
little or nothing could be saved from the
buildings then on fire. The whole gar
rison from Fort Marcy from Col. Pearson
down was on hand and worked heroically
to confne the flames and keep them from
spreading to the adjacent network of
business houses. In fact, to the hard and
! IL e hn NG, II cT1-
diers at Fort Marcy is due the safety of the
adjoining property, if not the whole block,
as comparatively few citizens were on
hand and work as hard as they could they
could not alone have checked the flames.
The burnt district covers four large
one story rooms owned by J. B. Lamy
and occupied by A. T. Grigg, and nine
frame rooms built by j. W. Conway at
the rear of the Nasario Gonzales prop
erty. Mr.. Grigg lost his hearse, valued
at $1,000. all his undertaken goods and a
great stock of furniture which was stored
in the rooms destroyed. He estimates
his loss at fully $4,000. In the way of
insurance Mr.. Grigg carried $1,000 in the
National of Ireland on his undertaken
stock, and also carried "blanket" in
surance covering all furniture, that in
the main store and in the ware rooms as
well, of $500 divided in $1,000 amounts
in the following named companies repre-
sented by Valentine Carson: Spring
Garden, of Philadelphia; London & Ian
cashire, Merchants of Newark; Western
Assurance, Atlas Assurance, Royal Assur-
ance and the Palatine companies.
j. W. Conway estimates his loss at So
900, with an insurance on his household
effects of $500 in Mr.. Carson's agency
the Caledonia of Scotland carrying the
risk Among other things Conway lost 6
billiard and roulette table, buggy, har
ness, saddles, all the family clothing
| table linen for the restaurant, etc. Young
| Conway hadn't time to snatch his ves
from a chair, SO quickly were the flames
spreading, and thereby lost his gold watcf
and chain; also rather nice library
valued at $3.50 and which included full
set of Chambers Encyclopedia.
| J. B. Lamy carried no insurance on thu
rooms destroyed. He values these room
at about 800. He carried $1,000 insur
ance in the Norwich Union, represented
Iby Mr.. Wunschmann, on the room
fronting on Palace avenue, occupied a
tenements by several families, and tn
damage to these rooms he estimates a
about $500.
How the fire originated is mystery
The Conways occupied sleeping apart
ments nearest to where the blaze was frs
seen but they do think the blaze original
ed in either of their bed rooms. The
also say there had not been any fire il
their bath room for weeks, the stow
being out of order. Mr.. Grigg said h
could not see how any one could com
through the placita gate and start fir
inside his warehouse as all the doors an
windows on his side of the adobe wal
were securely fastened.
In this connection the New MExICA
suggests the raising of a purse amonl
citizens to treat the soldiers at For
Marcy to big Thanksgiving dinner, il
recognition of the excellent service the
rendered in extinguishing the flames. Il
furtherance of this suggestion the NE,
MEXICAN hereby offers to head such sub
scription with IS, and the Water & I'm
provement company authorizes the an
nouncement that it will subscribe SINH
lar amount.