Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1898-06-20
SUNDAY
BIG BLAZE
The Grant Opera House and IIfeId
Bros Big Store Destroyed.
LOSS OVER HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.

INK 70 ABOUT tlO,VUV. lnelr insurance IN
a. follows.
With Metcalf Il strauss-In Fireman's
Fund company, 5000; Scottish Union
National, $500; North British Mercan-
tile, 1880; Orient, $1,000. Total, $4,000.
With Otto Deickfnann-In PalRtine
company. $500; Norwich Union, $500;
Traders, 5000. Total, $4,000.
With Culley & ArmijO-In Royal com.
pany, $500; Fire Association OF Phila-
delphia, 1900; Springfield Fire and
Marine, $1,000; st. Paul Fire and Ma
rine 1850. Total, $4,000.
With Calvin Whiting-In Aetna COM
pany 5000; Underwriters' Policy, $1,000;
Continental, $1,000. Total, $4,000
With Y. II. Kent-In Liverpool, Lon
don n Globe company, 5000; London n
Lacanshire, $3.50; Hartford, 1000. To-
tai, $10,500.
With b. A. sleyster-In National com.
pany. $4,000; Atlas, $500. Total,
fil,500.
company, $4,000.
With W. A. Rankin-In British Amer
lean Assurance company. $500.
With Henry LOckhart-Philadelphia
Underwriters, $1,000; Insurance Company
VI NNINu AnltAANns LAtNNVs AUhMA OtlONs
With A. n. Walker-In Northern As
surance company, $500; Lion company.
1900. Total, 1880.
Grand total, 100000, OF which amount
$4,000 was on fixtures and the 100000
on stock. On the LIST Of June, 30 reported
by Book. keeper WOrmser and confirmed
by Messrs. Ilfeld, the firm cancelled
$4,000. Until their losses are adjusted
md tho anaunt ~ oolvaua knnuun eha
HELD Bros. are unsettled as 10 future
plans.
OTHER ASSURANCES.
Collier n Marion, attorneys, carried an
insurance OF $1,000 in companies repre-
scented by Calvin Whiting. MIR. Marion
states that their loss IL fully covered by
the insurance held, and that they will be-
established In new quarters In a few
days. They saved a large portion OF their
best and most valuable books.
Donacian0 Chayes, attorney, informs
The CITIZEN that his loss will amount 10
about $3.50, a very good library OF law
books being totally destroyed. He carried
no Insurance.
X. v. ChAves states that his library and
furniture, although somewhat damaged
by water and breakage, was saved. He
Is insured for 300 in the Royal, repre-
scented by Culley a. Armijo, and considers
his loss fully covered.
Adjoining Mr.. Chayes' law office was
the insurance and real estate office OF
Henry LOckhart. A few articles were
removed from the room, but Mr.. Lock
hart says his loss will foot up between
t4OO and $500, upon which he carried no
Insurance.
Dr.. j. A. Henry's office adjolned that OF
Mr.. L0ckhart, and q few things were re-
moved. The doctor, however, IL out OF
the city, and his loss, IL any, cannot be
given. IL Ia presumed by al intimate
friend that what loss he suffered Is c0y-
cred by insurance.
To the east Of the stairway, on the
second door OF the opera house, was the
office OF j. NJ. Moore, real estate and in
surance agent, and manager OF the New
Mexico Abstract company. The Office
furniture, books, etc were insured In the
name OF the New Mexico Abstract COM
pany, In the Royal Exchange Assurance
company, for $4,000. ut Is true" stated
Mr.. Moore, 'that a lot OF articles and
papers In the room we're removed, but the
loss estimate will easily foot up between
$500 and $500. Stored away In the office
VI ME mNoh0 NuH ~ NV VI NhAunllt DnltIH
and documents belonging TO q. l.. Brooks,
as the railway live stock agent and
secretary OF several big cattle
companies. These papers were badly
damaged by water and FIRE, and are al
most a total loss, although Mr.. Brooks.
who obtained some OF them late yester-
day afternoon, will endeayOr TO get them
In a condition for future use. Hank
Pinkney had an abstract book OF a NUM-
Der OF mining claims in the COehiti dis
trict In the office Of Mr.. Moore; this book
was among the loss.
ID. j Abel. the tOcacc0 dealer, Eugene
Kempenich and Q. May, two clerks In the
llfeld Bros, store, had sleeping quarters
on the second floor and the former esti-
mates his loss In furniture, etc, at about
$3.50. He succeeded In saving about $3.50
worth OF goods and personal effects. The
clerks had left early In the morning for a
days visit 10 Alameda friends, and on
their return found everything they owned
destroyed. The furniture In the room
belonged 10 llfeld Bros, and amounted
10 800. Messrs. Kempenich and MAYS
loss will amount 10 about 500 each in
personal effects, etc.
SEVERAL THEORIES.
Chief Ruppe expresses the opinion
that had not the flooring OF the opera
house and banquet hall caVed In the fire
would never have reached llfeld Bros.
stock beneath. The back wall and the
roof falling In on the floor caused II 10
give away and the great gap which II
left open allowed the fire 10 circulate all
through the building. Mr.. Ruppe saws
the Ore started underneath the stage, and
FOremen Trimble and Knight, who were
early on the scene. are OF the same Opin-
ion. The chief says he thinks the fire
must have been smOldering for hours be-
fore IL broke out under a strong head
way. As 10 the cause OF the Ere, none OF
the tiremen desire to be quoted as
making any impression they may have
as a positive statement. One OF the
FIRST theories advanced, that electric light
wires passing around the stage had
crossed In some mAnner had ignited the
scenery has been abandoned, on IL being
asserted positively that there was no cur
rent on these particular wires for some
days. That the hre could have been
started by the exploding Of chemicals
used In the preparing OF colored lights
used On the stage is credited by some. but
this without knowing that there was
really anything OF the kind In the opera
house at the time. The theory of incen-
diarism also has its advocates.
FIRE BREvITIEs.
The man who told "hOw II all hap.
pened' was numerous, but was a little
less frequent than the fellow who adj
yised what he would do II he were fight
ing the fire.
Kodak hends were numerous, but
BrOckmeier and Sleyster evidently Sc
cured the best Genes OF the big fire.
"BrOcky" will have these pictures on sale
in a few days.
The fire boys and others, who helped
at the burning building, are grateful 10
the ladies for several buckets OF fine cOf-
Zee, steaming hot, furnished at very Op,
perfume times yesterday. The first TO
supply this necessary want was Mrs, W.
T. McCrelght, who supplied the boys
with two full buckets, and this was fol-
lowed by several buckets OF coffee from
ladies OF the WOman's Christian Tenn