El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-14
FIRE
Continued from First Page.)


stances In Galveston where they have
six or seven engines they sometimes
lose an entire building. 1t seems that
because the Ell Paso department has
heretofore been successful the people
are spoiled and think that they should
under difficulties.
Who said a bucket of water would
have put it out?" asked one of the boys.
why | saw it from up stairs when the
first alarm was turned in and there
was a blaze fifteen feet high shooting
out of that cupola and it looked like
the whole north end of town was on
fire. | don't understand why an alarm
was not turned in sooner.
The whistle at the light plant did
not blow last night because the tip was
up with SCOT The whistle Is
located on top of the boilers and when
the fIues are blown out it is covered
with SCOT They were blown out yes
terday and no one had thought to clean
the whistle off. 1t is operated by cleo
tricity from the fire department and
when the box is pulled the whistle is
blown. if it is in blowing order. but
last night it was not.
There was nothing wrong with the
engine" said a fireman. except that
a fiue burst and made it harder to keep
ND the steam. but it was kept up TO the
100 notch all right. And as for the
railway fireman, our own fireman Sam
worth. is just as good fireman as
ever touched an engine. but owing TO
the bursting of the flue the work was
too hard for any one man to stay with
it all through the fire.
An Old Landmark.
The historic Pierson hotel was joint
Nv owned by Mrs. A. p. Coles and Mrs.
l.. M. Bell. her mother. Mrs. Bell is
now in New York but was notified last
night of her loss.
The building was erected in 1888 by
Judge Pierson, one of the original p1o-
neer residents of E, Paso, who came
here many years ago and amassed a
fortune, so that when he died he left
property to the amount of 100000
which was bequeathed to his lister, Mrs.
Bell. and her two children, one of
whom is Mrs. A. p. Coles.
The Pierson was constructed of brick
and California redwood and contained
iifty-two rooms.
At the time of it's erection it was
looked upon as one of the great sights
of this section of the country. 1t was
out OF the city, then, and
overtopped every thing else here, and
travellers were so amazed at the daring
Of the builder that they could not be-
gin to set a figure on its cost. The
general impression was abroad that it
had cost anywhere from 100000 to
500, 900, so vague was the notion OF
such things among the early visitors
o these parts.
Judge Persons body was for long
ime inferred in a brick vault just
lcross St Louis street from the hotel.
The hotel at the time of the fire was
n the same shape as it was when it
vas built, no addition having been
made to it since.
1t had been leased for six years to 1.
". Rogers, the present proprietor, and
,ielded a rental of $1,000 per year,
bout ten per cent of the present valu-
.tion.
During it's existence many notable
IN
zen place in the Pierson and in former
ears it was famed for it's brilliant balls
md other gathering. The funeral of
is builder, Judge Pierson, was preach
d in the dining room, and the eccen- |
ric and romantic Baron Hardin
Tickle, who married the daughter of
he New York multi-millionaire, chose |
he Pierson hotel as the place for com !
hitting suicide.
The Loss.
At Judge Persons death the proper
y was appraised at $4,000, but while
he building is probably not so valuable
s it was ten years ago still it is esti-
mated that it would cost a great deal
# money to repair the damage done |
asst night.
A. P. Coles, whose wife owns half of
he building, said this morning that the
oss to the owners would amount to
bove $50, 900 and probably go as far as
25, 900 The building was greatly |
throughout. not only by fire |
ut water and the front is in such |
that it cannot be repaired.
Insurance.