Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-12-03
|B|C BLAZE
LAST NIGHT
Cement House At Santa Fe
Shops Filled With Oil Stufrs
Destroyed
MARROW ESCAP E
Miraculous Failure Of Gasoline
Tanks to Explode Saves Scores
Of Lives

night fire was discovered in the build
J. ing known as the Cement house In the
railroad shop yards The alarm was
promptly given. and the fire cempan-
les quickly responded. but owing To
the ignitable nature OF the contents,
the fire spread rapidly. and all that
could be done was TO save the other
buildings. The origin Of the fire Is
believed to be incendiary. When first
discovered the building was ablaze in
two places.-on the southwest corner
and on the northwest corner. The
building was filled with oil snffs
among other things two tanks Of gaso-
line Of seyenty-five gallons each As
soon as the fire reached the oil moth.
ing could prevent the advance OF the
flames. They leaped forty feet into
the air. and the burning oil emitted d
heavy smoke
In spite Of the extreme danger which
the explosion Of the gasoline tanks
at any moment might bring. the fire.
men OF the railroad company and OF
both town companies rushed gallantIy
to the front and attempted to save the
adjoining building, known as the gen
eral storehouse.
Great praise is due to the men for
their courageous work. Had the gas,
oline in tho steel-riveted tanks ex-
ploded.--as II seemed they must. t.--it
would have meant the certain death
OF those fghting the fire and probably
large loss Of life among the many
spectators, from the flying steel.
These tanks are made to Withstand a
200-pound pressure. the same as en-
gines are built for.
Many Of the firemen were badly
scorched about the face, and one fell
PROSTATE from the extreme heat. The
flames had matters their own way
and jumped quickly from the cement
house to car standing on the track
near by. This car also contained com.
bustibles and burned as rapidly as the
store house. Some other cars were
ON fire. but they were finally drawn
away after getting severe scorching
In less than an hour the fire had prac-
tically burned out, leaving nothing but
the smoking embers. The loss Is es.
timated at s1,45O. which was fully GOV.
cred by insurance.
But for the meritorious work Of the
fire companies and the favorable di.
rection Of the wind, which blew a.
rectly from the big general storehouse
only forty feet away, the loss would
have been much greater. This Is the
second nre In the railroad yards at
which greater loss has been prevent
ed by the ready succor Of the town
uC toHuVhuitbs iuctt rHouiu Ccttniu-
" be substantial support given 10
these companies by the railroad
The motive from which the fre was
set remains mystery. In addition 10
the fact that the fire was Arst seeen
In two places. II will be remembered
that . serious fre. also supposed 10
be Of incendiary origin. took place In
the wood preserving works and lum.
Ter yards less than three weeks ago.
Just before that blaze an attempt to
burn another building In the yards
was thwarted, and only q few nights
after that another nre was discov.
cred and promptly extinsuished. All
these events naturally make the on
cials very suspicious. and the nre Of
last night viii be promptly and thor
oughly investigated. II the Are was
set BY some one from q grudge against
the company, the plan has entirely
miscarried. because the loss will fall
only on the insurance companies