Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-12-23
LoNGFELLoW SCHOOL
Building Quilted BY Fire This Fore
noon.

Fire came near totally destroying
Longfellow school building this morn
ing Blaze and smoke were seen is
suing from the roof about 11:2O this
forenoon and the department was at
once called, responding very quickly
Such progress had been made that
it was with difficulty the department
saved the lower part of the Build
ing. No one knows how the fire
started and only theory is advanced
George Weaver. member of the
school board says he does not think
sparks fired the cupalo. School was
closed yesterday evening until the
Both of the present month, and 1t
could net have been started from the
furnace, it is thought, as there would
be little if any fire there. 1t is GER
tain that the fire did not start in the
lower part or first story of the build
ing, In fact it did not reach that
portion from above.
Longfellow school building was
built in 1881. A little over a year
ago it received new floors throughout
and the school board had been plan.
ming on reshingling the building soon
although the roof had never leaked
The building in it's twenty years of
usefulness had housed several thou
sand children who received their first
lessons or had practically prepared
themselves there for life's work 1t
was the oldest school house in Du-
range. and fond memories here and
there throughout the civilized world
will recall happy days spent there
Alas, some of these recollections. in
the comparison will be sad. The
poor old building had done its best
but it had been scolded at and called
fever-breeding institution.
c. A. Pike. member of the school
board. says he thinks the building and
furniture are insured for about nine
thousand dollars Messrs. Thomas
lockwood. w. C. Chapman and John
Pearson are the other three members
of the school board. The board has
not had time in which to determine
what will be done with reference to
repairing or rebuilding the structure
Messrs. Pike and Weaver think the
walls are as good as ever and that
y" h'h thV duJuSlIlitutS nave DeeU
made on insurance the building will
be repaired There are four unfin-
ished rooms in the Park school build
ing, probably the best of the three
remaining school buildings, and
these may be finished and furnished
to accommodate two-thirds of those
thrown out of the Longfellow. or in
the neighborhood of 200 pupils. 1t
is not known now whether the other
one-third can be crowded into the high
school and North Side building or
not.
The rooms at the Park school can
be prepared to receive the Longfel-
low pupils more readily than the
burned structure can be repaired
The lower part of the Longfellow
building is waster-soaked, but the ex
tent of the damage is not known
The members of the school board
seen by The Herald reporter think
the insurance will fully cover the
damage and that the building can be
made as good as ever.
Insurance carried is by the follow.
ing companies respectively:
lhe FRANKLIN, represented by S. w
Pingrey, $2400; the Providence and
Washington, by Frank Eldredge
$1,000; the Sevra, by Campbell &
lockwood, $500 the Phoenix, Frank
Gallotti, $500; the Norwich of Eng
land, by Frank Gallotti $1,000: the
Royal. by the Local Security Co.
$1,000.
The latest information concerning
the fire is that it caught from the
chimney between the second story
and the roof