Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1892-05-14
l.. BRADEoBD PRINCE,
Governor New Mexico


Great public interest continues TO be
shown in the capitol fire and hundreds Of
people make it convenient to visit the
iuins Of this once stately edifce which
now stand in picturesque grandeur like
the towering walls of some historic build
ing in ancient Rome.
Architects and builders examined the
walls last evening and they unite in say
ing that large share Of tlfs material can
be again utilized, saving perhaps $780,
COO or 1000 in the construction of a
new building.
THE OFFICIAL INQUIRY.
The capitol commission ers began an
Official investigation at 10 O'Clock to day
into the probable cause Of the fire and
the failure to extinguish it in its Incl
piency. Commissioners B. M. Thomas,
and Sol. Spiegelherg, Solicitor General
Bartlett, District Attorney Twltchell
and Hon. B. Selgman examined aud
cross examined the witnesses, and Supt.
E. B. Seward was on hann as the water
company's representative, he also taking
part in asking questions.
FRANCISCO HERNANDEZ,
the convict, sentenced from Socorro, and
detailed from the penIentiary to irrigate
the capitol grounds, was the first witness
called. He said he reached the building
about 7 p. m. and was there about one
hour attending to his duties on the lower
floor when two men ran to the window
and told him the building was on fire in
the south dome. The night Waterman
had not yet reached the. building. When
be learned of the fire he ran to Janitor
Everhart's house to notify him. The two
men who first told him of the fire ran
away at once crying fire; he did not
know whether or not these were soldiers,
as it was then growing dark. There was
no pressure in the water pipes. When
he went to call Everhart be left the south
door unlocked. Preceding the alarm OF
fire he saw no one about the building; he
was there alone. There was very little
water in the stand-pipes.
: G. c. EyEkHART,
janitor, gave very vouminous testimony.
1t was very explicit as to details, par.
ticularly as to the lack of water in the
t stand-pipes. He said the hose in use
} about. the building was intact and in good
} condition when he inspected it six weeks
. ago; all the hose except that on the top
' floor was in almost daily use for irriga.
, ton. He got the hose out hoping tic
2 extinguish the fire in the hatch above the
9 fourth floor, but the water failed to flow
T There was no smell OF combustibles. He
3 passed through the gallery in the hall Of
! representatives, and there was no sign oil
, fire there. For the fire to spread from
r the south to the north dome it would
s have to first pass through the represen
tatives' hall gallery. The building, Mr.
Eyerhart thinks, must have been
FIRED IN BOTH DoMEs
about the same time, and he is equally
i convinced that the fire was of incendiary
origin. At o'clock Mr.. Everhart's tes.
I timony had filled five typewriter pages
. of legal cap, and he was called again at z
: O'Clock to give testimony touching the
. water service in particular. This testi
mony shows that for months, if not fol
years, the water companys supply valve
in the street in front Of the capitol
+ HAS BEEN DISTRACTED,
e and tends to show that while the service
, elsewher in the neighborhood was fair
!. to good, the service pipe which supplies
= the fire bydrant at the capital has been
g in anything but reasonably good condi-
r ton. the responsibility for which rests
with the water company, as frequent COM
plants OF the poor service had been made
by Janitor Everhart and members of the
n capitol commission
There are some twenty witnesses to
examine and several days will elapse be-