The Socorro chieftain. [volume] (Socorro, N.M.) 1902-1959, 1902-06-28

Memory Of A Prominent Citizen.
For the first time in several
months citizens of Socorro were
startled Wednesday afternoon by
an alarm of fire. What proved
to be one OF the most distressing
accidents in the history of the
city soon followed. A column of
smoke rising near the Garcia
opera house attracted attention
there and the fire was quickly
located in a wooden rooted adobe
building belonging to Abran
Abeyta. The building stood
just across the alley north of the
opera house and was partly occu-
pied by family and partly used
as a storehouse for hay and other
commodities.
The members of Socorro Hose
Co. No. l appeared upon the
scene with their usual prompt
ness. Had conditions been as
they should have been the fire
would have been extinguished
without damage to the amount
of hundred dollars, the city
would have been spared the loss
of prominent and useful citizen,
and a large family would not
now be mourning the death of a
husband and father. But when
the water was turned on there
was not force enough to drive it
twenty feet horizontally from the
nozzle of the hose. Some parties
were using water from the fire
plugs for illegitmate purposes,
probably for irrigation. 1t was
at once seen that the building
already on fire and also adjoin-
ing property were at the mercy
of the flames. Fortunately, by
very hard work on part of the
hose company and others the fire
was prevented from spreading to
eighboring buildings.
1t was not until the fire was
practically extinguished that the
mournful accident of the day oc-
Cured. 1t was then thought
necessary to pull down a smould-
ering roof. To accomplish this
purpose several members of the
hose company including Mr..
Cortesy, passed through an open
ing in a high adobe wall, loosen
ed the roof from its fastenings,
and ran back through the open
ing through which they had just
passed. Had Mr.. Cortesy kept
straight on all would have been
well, but he turned to one side,
the roof fell against the wall
and toppled it over, and in an
instant Antonio Cortesy with a
laugh on his lips was crushed
out of nearly all semblance of
his former self. Death must
have been instantaneous. In an
incredibly short time willing and
eager hands cleared away the
debris only to find that Mr..
Cortesy's remains showed abso-
lutely no signs of life. Andy
COrtesy witnessed the terrible
tragedy and in fact helped to res
cue his fathers remains.
Thus by what may best in
charity be called somebody's over
sight in official duty is another
of life's tragedies ended.
THE FUNERAL.
Mr.. Cortesy's remains were
laid to rest in the Catholic GEM
etery yesterday morning. Brief
| funeral services at the church of
San Miguel were attended by a
concourse of friends and acquaiu-
tances of the deceased that filled
the church toits utmost capacity.
Many more were Obliged to re-
main outside unable to gain adj
mittance. Rio Grande Lodge
No. 3, knights of Pythias, and
Socorro Hose Co. No. / attended
as organizations, the former hav-
ing charge of the funeral pre-
liminaries and the burial. The
beautiful funeral service of the
order was rendered by Prelate
John e. Griffith in a most inn
pressive manner. All business
was suspended in the city and
all business houses closed until
10 o'clock a. IN. in honor of the
memory of the deceased. So
corro never paid a more striking
tribute to departed citizen.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
! Antonio Cortesy was born in