Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1905-05-06
DISCUSSING THE VARlUos
MYSTERIOUS FIRES

tfrom Thursdays Daily Citlzonl
Several tnoores nave been ad.
Vanccd a. 20 the cause OF the ires.
which occurred yesterday In The
ncigor building a. the corner OF Rail
road avenue and Second street, hut
the authorities are got ance tain as 90
Hhero the egpOnsibillty rests.
TIE IRE Ia the Harper club place.
now closed. was of the same charac.
ter and the cause OF Il Is also pug.
ding.
The first nre In the Zelger build.
ING occurred in the ceiling oi the west
entrance To Quickci x Bottles club
and barrOOm. where combination
gloci iC and gas fixture is suspended
through a metal ceiling 40 o o'clock
In the altcruon. The blaze was dts.
covered in 10 Infancy and was easily
.At.uFuishcd, with % small chemical
.ns.ue.
The second are occurred at $3.50
ihdt niEht IN the ceiling of the second
story, ln an unoccupiod room. aud ap.
Iarcnuy originated from a cause siml.
.ar to that OF the drsi hre. u had
iuitt a start before being discovered
and hole eighteen inches In dla-
Noior was bu.n ned in toe ceiling A
arEe volume of smoke poured from
roof OF the building and the large
I'Wu, which had cungrcgated in the
atrclt below. feared that extensive
damage would Doc done 20 tho build.
ing.
The FIRST theory advanced was that
these hros had heou caused by de-
lcuye wiring but there ID scarcely
800 evidence that this is true. The
lu.liiug which is owned hy The First
National bank was newly wired last
October Just before The Territorial
l.r. aud tho wiring was passed upon
1y ID J. Rankin. then city electrical
Inspector
A second theory advanced was that
the electric wires had become CROSSED
ln Tuesday while the wind was blow
nr and that a heavy voltage was
turned IN over the light wires, burn.
Ing ont the insulation around thoL
However, this theory Ia not given
much credit as none of the lncandes.
cent lamps in the building we're burnt
1ut, which would be- the case II
heavy voltage was tho cause.
This theory arose from an oUplOa.
lon which occurred IN the ceiling Of
,ae building ON Tuesday afternoon,
while The recent wind storm was az It's
highest Following the explosion
sparks came down through the ceiling
along The combination electric and gas
fixtures, and these sparks have been
falling with much regularity the past
Two days What the cause of these
sparks vas, electrical exports have
us yet been unable 20 say
h. G. Allen. manager Tor the Alhu-
Querque Gas Electric Light A Power
company, was scon and gave the fol-
lowing plausible explanation as 10 the
causes of the LpiRor building fires.
The cause OF the nrst nro.' said
Mr. Allen. is very plain. The wind
kept blowing the gas and electrical
hNturc al the entrance of the build.
Ing until % had worked tine Joints
loose and let the gas le8k This
blowing also rubbed tH. wire against
Jha metal ceiling unit tlU insulation
on the wire was Wu.l through and
then parks from the wire ignited the
gas Ia the case OF che second IRE.
don't known much about 49,. as
have not made an Investigation of a.,
out / wish To- state thei the rumOr
circulated that goo volts were
thrown into the building by the eros.
sing OF some outside wires is prepOs.
ferrous. The fuses were undisturbed.
the lights burned both UofD.o and af
ter tho fire. aud this .s proof that no
nigh voltage went into The building
Roderic Stoyer, president OF the
Southwestern Electric a Construction
company, viewed the places whore the
fires occurred, and after an lnvestlga-
ton. said that from appearances one
side OF the current had been 81 ounded
on the metal ceiling some time and
that tho insulation on the other wire
OF the current had worn through re-
Gently This would cause a blaze sui
hciont 10 fire most anything com.
bustihle.
a. NJ. WhltcOmb. the newly elected
building aud electrical Inspector. WnB
seen and stated that be- had received
no notification In the matter and had
not inspected the place. but u WIS his
opinion that IL was The result Of an
accident. that the burning out OF the
insulation OF tho wires was probably
caused by crossed wires some place tn
the city.
The electricians removed the
troublesome fixtures this morning,
HflHH-H