Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-12-27
DESTROYED BY FIRE
Santa Fe Mercantile Company's
Large Establishment in Ashes
Loss About S40,000.
LAMY NEARLY WIPED OUT
Six Of Principal Buildings in the Village
Went Up in Smoke-Depot Had Close
Call-Loss Will Aggregate
$4,000.

At | o'clock last night fire was dis
covered in the Santa Fe Mercantile
Company's store. The alarm was
sounded at once, and the efficient fire
brigade responded promptly. In less
than five minutes the firemen had two
streams of water playing N the flames.
Their efforts We're unavailing, and in
about Is minutes the contents of the
building were in ashes. In a short time
nothing was left of the building but the
outside walls.
The origin of the fire is unknown. Ad
Gusdorf, manager of the Santa Fe Mer-
camille Company, was on the streets
when the alarm was sounded, but it
was found impossible to do anything
towards saving the stock. Gursom
tily called to the scene of the c%ontlagra-
ton, and he rushed into the burning
building and saved the cash register
and a bicycle. He lost all of his cloth
ing and personal effects.
After the fire had practically spent
it's fury another blaze was discovered
in a dark room in Fischer's drug store.
The fire department quickly put it out.
The discovery led to the belief that the
first fire was of incendiary origin.
Last nights was the second attempt
to burn the Gusdorf store, a previous
trial being made some six months ago.
The loss to the Santa Fe Mercantile
Company is estimated at $40, 900; in
was owned by Mrs. Henrietta Ilfeld,
and was insured for $4,000.
During the attempt to put out the
fire in the Fischer drug store, the hose
became unmanageable and stock was
damaged to the extent of $500. Abe
~Spiegelberg also suffered some loss
from the effects of water. An old pic
ture valued at $1,000 was ruined and
some other goods deluged with water.
At least 1000 people witnessed he
fire and the streets surrounding he
plaza were densely packed with people.
Mr.. Gusdorf, interviewed by a New
Mexican representative, said: Il was
playing cards in the Arcade and some
one came into the room and said:
There is a fire No one paid n at
tention to the remark at the time. Lat
er, another man came in and said that
the whole side of the street was on fire
across the road. I rushed out then and
tried to save something. There was a
pile of silks behind the counter that
was worth about 1000 and | tried to
get them out, but the smoke suffocated
me and l. fell down. Mr.. DoWnie
dragged me out. 1t looks to me as
though the fire started upstairs. Ev-
erything was full of smoke, but the
flames first burst out in the rear Of the
second story. We carried the largest
stock in town."
LAMY ALMOST WIPED OUT.
The town of Lamy was swept by fire
yesterday evening and everything de-
stroyed except the Santa Fe depot.
Charles Haspelmath, of this city, re-
ceiyed a telegram from John Pfeuger
about 6 o'clock. which read: Burned
out completely.' Mr.. Haspelmath I'M
mediately boarded the train for Lamy
and found everything in ashes when he
arrived there.
The general merchandise store, stone
house adjoining, brick residence and
small warehouse owned by Mr.. Pfeu-
ger, and the tWo-story Santa Fe section
house were totally destroyed. Mr..
Pfeuger's loss will amount to $4,000,
and the total loss will aggregate $4,000.
The fire originated in the office of
Pheuger's store. 1t is presumed that
gas accumulated in the stove, and that
the door was forced open, blowing Goals
out on the office floor. After noticing
the fire, Mr.. Pheuger had only time to
close the safe door and run. The flames
seemed to follow him close and it was
found impossible to save anything.
John Bach, the section who oc-
cupied the first floor of the section
house, saved all of his furniture, but
Mrs. Talbot, wife of a fireman, who
lived in the second floor, could not save
anything, and barely escaped with her
life. The fact that a light wind was
blowing accounts for the preservation
of the Santa Fe depot, for the roof of
the building was repeatedly covered