Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1901-03-25
OPERA HOUSE FIRE
Pretty Playhouse Goes
Up in Smoke.
Flames Lit Up Third Street
for Many Squares.
One Of Quickest ard Most Destruc-
tive Fires Seen in This City.
the LIST or INSURANCE.

located on North Third street, be
tween Copper and Tijeras avenues,
was completely destroyed by fire last
Saturday night. and by the time The
Citizen goes to press this afternoon
the huge brick walls. that enclosed
the smoldering ruins, will also be
levelled with the ground. thus wiping
out as complete as possible a build.
ing which had been in constant liti.
CATION since Its construction by Frank
y. Mcclure. who appeared here sew.
eral years ago as an opera house build.
er from Decatur. Illinois.
THE ALARM.
At 1880 o'clock Saturday night
the people Of Albuquerque. especially
those within a square or two of Rail
road avenue. were startled by various
pistol shots and the yells OF Fire"
followed Immediately thereafter by
the mocking bird whistle.
There was q fire In progress, and
by looking toward the opera house
building II was plain to be seen that
the pretty playhouse was doomed to
destruction, great volumes OF smoke,
lii up by vivid streaks OF flames, were
at that time coming through the roof.
The fire department. followed by
crowds OF excited citizens. hurried to
the scene OF destruction, and In a
very short space OF time Chief Ruppe
had several streams OF water playing
on the building, but II was too far
gone to be saved for the fiery ele-
ments were licking up everything
within the walls, and inside OF half
an hour all that was left OF the struc.
ture, handsomely and conveniently
arranged on the inside, was In heap
OF smouldering debris.
Attention was then directed to saw.
ing the adjoining store building oc.
cupied by Toti Il Gradi, and the big
Red Barn" OF w. J.. Trimble 4 Co.
nearby. At both places the fire de.
partment also did good work and pre-
vented the flames from gaining foot.
hold, although the outhouses in the
rear of Toti & Gradis store were
burned, entailing loss OF several
hundred dollars to the firm, upon
which there is no insurance.
ORIGIN A MYSTERY.
Since the fire many theories az to
the origin have been advanced. and
they all point to the fact that the
burning OF the opera house was the
direct result OF the work of an incen.
diary. Mr.. Gradi, whose store is ad-
joining on the SOUTH states that at
1880 O'Clock last Saturday night he
heard an explosion which shook his
building. and on going outside to learn
the cause he discovered the opera
house on fire; In fact, the whole roof
seemed to be In mass of flames
Others In that neighborhood claim
that they heard the explosion, and a
few minutes later the opera house
was noticed on fire.
Last Saturday afternoon Mrs. Wal
ton held her dancing class In the hall
of the opera house, and she states
that the hall was for q short time full
of smoke. She inquired as to the
cause. and was informed that the
property men. Burt Jackson and as.
sistant. were at work cleaning out the
furnace. However when Mrs. Walton
and her pupils left the building the
smoke had disappeared. and there
was no occasion for alarm.
In the evening. at 1880 o'clock, the
republicans OF the Fourth ward held
their primary at the building, and
when they left everything, apparent
ly was all right.
II Is learned that Jackson and as
sistant, a short time before the fire,
called at the White ELEPHANT to get
their weekly wages from Mr.. Neher,
and were there when the alarm was
turned in. Jackson, so II Ia stated by
Chief Ruppe, rushed out OF the White
Elephant and on reaching the opera
house bolted inside and secured his
bicycle. Jackson states that, at that
time. there was no fire on the stage
h. k.,s L.s Al -.