Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-08-18
BURNED TO The GROUND
The Handsome Ramona School Building on
Buena Vista Hill Became the Prey Of
Flames This Forenoon.
HOUSE and FURNITURE INSURED

The handsome pressed brick and
stone structure on the heights at the
head of Gaspar avenue and known as
the Ramona school building a de-
stroyed by fire this forenoon. The fire
was apparently of incendiary origin,
and Is said to have been started by a
tramp. The main part of the building
was occupied by Mr.. w. H. Goebel, the
dence, and in the east wing We're the
headquarters of the Mesa Golf Club.
Mr.. Goebel is an early riser, has break
fast about six o'clock and reaches his
store before seven o'clock. Soon after
he left home this morning a tramp ap-
peared at the rear part of the house
and in a rather insolent tone demanded
his breakfast, observing that Mrs. Goe-
bel was there alone with the children.
Having had so many calls of the kind
and not caring to encourage hobos to
come about the premises since last
spring when tramps set fire to the
frame dormitory near by and destroyed
it, Mrs. Goebel declined to give the
tramp food and directed him to leave
the grounds. She went into the house
and looked through the window, but
the visitor had so suddenly faded from
view that she concluded he must have
gone into the cellar. Plumber Davis
arrived at the house just before eight
o'clock and, at Mrs. Goebel's request
he went into the cellar, which is a large,
deep and dark room beneath the main
building to see if the tramp was not
concealed there. Mr.. Davis CROPPED
around the room without a light. but
found no tramp. The plumber finished
his task and departed, but Mrs. Goebel
still felt quite nervous owe the Incl
| she took the children and went to the
house of a neighbor, where she was in
the midst Of relating the circumstance
when one of the neighbours children
| saw smoke in volume arising from the
rear of the Ramona building and noti-
fed Mrs. Goebel of the fact. She was
not greatly alarmed then, saying there
was no fire in the house at all and it
could not be possible that the building
was burning. Hurrying home, however,
she found the passage leading to the
| cellar in flames and the first and Sec
ond floor rooms so full Of sitting smoke
| that it was impossible to save anything
beyond a scant supply of wearing ap-
parel. The alarm was given and sew
| eral persons got Upon the ground and
undertook to get out some of the fur
niture, but except two or three mat
tresses and a few chairs nothing was
saved in the main building. The Golf
Clubs equipment was saved.
A twelve-inch water main runs with
in thirty feet of the house, but the near
est fire plug is 5000 feet distant, so only
the chemical engine had to be relied on
to battle with the flames. When r. G.
Huber and a force of volunteer firemen
! reached the scene the flames had not
| broken through the windows and were
confined to the cellar passageway and
kitchen at the rear part of the house.
But after the first charge in the chem
ical engine had been exhausted there
was no water at hand with which to
~concoct a second charge. access to the
domestic supply hydrant having been
cut off by the flames. Finally the fire.
men secured a supply of water from the
faucet in the Golf Clubs room. but by
that time the fire had made such head
way that it was impossible to cope with
it. and the handsome structure went to
wreck in the presence Of several hun-
dred helpless spectators. Mr.. GOebel
has his household effects insured in
Lankard's agency for $1,000, having
added $500 insurance a few months
since, after the golfers took quarters in
the east wing. On the building there Is
4. 1000 insurance. $4,000 in the Orient and
as much in the Fire Assurance Com
pany, both represented locally by
s. F.. Lankard. The building was
erected in 1880 by the University Of
New Mexico corporation at a cost of
49, 500 and was used as an Indian school
until a few years ago when the govern
ment withdrew its support from de-
~nominational schools, this being run by
the Congregationalists. At this time
the American Missionary Society has
under consideration a proposition to
take charge of the University Of New
Mexico's property here, which included
the Ramona building and "a acres Of
land on Buena Vista hill and the Within
hall property and establish a college
here. Ex-Governor Prince is president
and VIM. M. Berger secretary of the
University of New Mexico corporation.
AS to the origin of the fire Mr.. Davis
statement gives further color to The
theory that it was of incendiary origin,
as he states that when he was repairing
the plumbing in the kitchen at eight
o'clock, the fire in the family range had
| A. -,