Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-11-26
HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING
PARTIALLY BURNED

High school building An alarm was
turned In and the fire department re-
sponded promptly.
The fire was confined to the second
floor, garret and roof, the first noor
and basement not being damaged ex-
cept from water. The second floor IT,
self was not burned but the windows.
wainscoting and all woodwork above
the floor were burned and the roof was
completely destroyed. Some of the
furniture and fixtures on this hoor
were left unburned, but were damaged
by the heat and water SO as To be un-
flt for use. The fire began to crawl
down the west stairway leading to the
first floor and burned the wainscotlng
at the bottom landing, bur was exlin-
guished before spreading further.
Three streams of wafer were kept
pouring into the building, hut the fire
had gained such headway that 1t was
three hours from the time the alarm
was turned in before the flames were
exunguished
The fire is supposed to have origin
ated from combustion Of chemicals In
the laboratory, which was on the sec.
ond floor.
While the basement, which was also
used for school rooms. and the first
floor. were not injured from fire, ali
rooms on these Two floors as well as
their contents, are damaged from wa
ter. everything being thoroughly
soaked. The plaster is all loose. and
what has not fallen already has been
knocked down by workmen who are
cleaning up the building. The walls
are not greatiy damaged and can cas-
lily be patched up on the Top.
The insurance carried on the build
Ing was $4,000. and that on the fur
niture and fixtures and books was 49,.
express no opinion for publication, II Is
believed that the $4,000 will cover
the loss. The insurance is carried
by the following firms: Frank Gallot'
II, $500; Frank Eldredge, $4,000,
lockwood & Perkins $1,000; G. c. Per
kins. $4,000; Local Security Co, $5.-
900: s. w. Pingrey. $l.500.
Workmen were put to work yester-
day clearing away the debris and n
large force il still employed today
gathering up the loose timbers, shovel
ing out the lead embers, piling up the
ruined furniture, etc. What plaster
has not already fallen has been knock
ed from the ceiling in the lower rooms
and the litter shoveled up and the
floors swept.
The furnace is kept going and the
rooms will soon be dry. and mem
bers of the school board are confident
that school can be resumed next Mon
day II Is proposed to crowd the
rooms In the basement and on the first
floor. and assign some OF the classes
to the Park school, and some to the
Whittier school. and by renting one
room somewhere 1t Is expected that
all the classes can be provided for
until such time as the High school
can be repaired.
The High school was the pride oi
Durango, and It's burning Is greatly de-
plored The building originally was
flye room structure. and was built TO
replace an older building which was
burned few years ago. Last year
an addition of nine rooms was built,
four small rooms were made by TAX.
ing out partitions and utilizing closets
and recesses that had been built for
various purposes. and the basement,
which was not originally intended to
be used for school rooms, was fitted up
for teaching by enlarging windows,
building partitions and improving the
ventilation. That made total OF
eighteen rooms.
Further announcement as to assign
ment OF classes Will be made some
time this week All classes except
those OF the High school will be re
sumed next Monday, and II is expect
ed that the High school will be con
tinued one week later.
About 450 pupils were enrolled In
this building and IA teachers, besides
the superintendent. were employed.
The total cost of the building. fur
niture and fixtures. books and appar-
atus in the laboratory will figure up
close to $4,000. Some expensive ad
ditions had been made to the CONNER
cial department and the laboratory
this year. and some Improvement Is
continually being made from time t.
time, so 1t would be hard IN determine
from the Information at hand, just
what the total cost of the proper. r
10.
The school board decided withoo,
any hesitation to rush repairs as fast
as possible after the insurance Is ad-
justed. It is probable that the rooms
will be arranged so as to have largt
assembly room. which has been one
OF the evident needs of late. Another
thing that will be considered will be
an isolated place or at least room
that is hre-proof. for keeping the chem
icals in.
A call has been issued for all pu-
pills OF the High school who have books
at home to report at the school house
tomorrow morning. and as soon as II
can be learned how many new books
will be required. the books will be or
dered by wire.
From Mondays Daily:
Turkeys are certainly roostlng high
these days.