Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-07-17
RESTAURANT
DESTROYED
Destructive Fire Entirely Con-
sumes the Bon
Ten.
FIREMEN'S GOOD WORK
Persistent and Hersic Efforts of Santa
70 Department Prevents Fear
full confagrstion.

Santa Fe was visited last evening
with another destructive fire, which
for a time threatened to destroy the
entire north side of lower San Fran
cisco street. The alarm was turned in
about o'clock and the fire depart
ment made good run to the build
ing occupied by the Bon Ton restau-
rant at 253 San Francisco street. The
fire had started in the upper story just
over the kitchen and is supposed to
have been communicated from the f1ue
as there had been no other fire in the
building By the time the department
arrived on the scene the entire upper
rear part of the building was mass
of seething flames. The wood work
burned like so much tinder and for
awhile it seemed that it would be i'm
possible for the work of the fire lad
dies to make any impression upon the
roaring furnace of flames. In a short
time, however, two streams were play
ing upon the building from the front,
and shortly afterwards two more
streams were brought into play from
the rear. The fire hose from the Cap
. .itol was also brought down and con-
IecteG. and with it in service there
were five streams with which to fight
The devouring element.
After about an hour of the hardest
kind of work the firemen got the tiames
under control BY almost superhuman
efforts they confined the fire to the
restaurant building, although the First
National Bank building caught in sew
eral places and it required consider
able effort to put out the flames. The
Oxford Club, adjoining the restaurant,
was saved from destruction by heroic
and persistent efforts. Smoke and
flames poured from this building and
had there been much wind it would
have been impossible to have saved 1t.
Had it once gotten good start the en-
tire block to Burro Alley would have
been consumed, as no efforts OF any
department could have successfully
coped against the fierceness with
which these frame buildings would
have burned.
The damage was confined to the res
taurant and the two buildings adjoin'
ing. the one on the east, the First Ma
tional Bank, being, however, but slight
ly damaged The Oxford Clubs loss
is mostly from water and smoke, as
the flames were prevented from spread
t. l,n how.
ever, is badly wrecked and the upstairs
portion in a bad state. In the bank
building the principal damage is to the
window frames.
The restaurant is total wreck and
ruin. The interior is completely gutted,
the rear wall rendered useless and the
front destroyed The insurance car
ried on the restaurant is $1,000 in The
O. C. Watson & Company Agency,
with the Norwich Union Fire lnsur-
ance Society
The Oxford Club is closed to-day,
awaiting the arrival of the insurance
adjuster. The loss there will be prob
ably totally covered by the insurance,
as also that on the bank.
One of the electric light wires along
the front of the burning building was
melted by the heat and an end of the
live wire caused a scattering and con-
sternation among the people in the i'm
mediate vicinity. 1t flashed out great
arc of kissing, virile, dangerous blue
light, and was a decided menace to life
for a few minutes. However, prompt
communication with the power-house
resulted in the switching off of the cur
rent and there was no further danger
from the wires.
The firemen responded nobly to the
call for action and did most efficient
work. In fact, it is a very creditable
showing which they made in confining
the fire to the small area which is
devastated. The fact that the adjacent
buildings on the west are of wood and
that they were saved from all damage
is feather in the cap of the fire de-
partment of Santa Fe.
Fire Chief Frank owen was out of
the city and his absence was felt to
One of the blessings of Santa Fe is
a plentiful supply of water and the
heavy pressure at the fire last night
was one of the elements which made
the fight of the firemen as efficient as
it was. A small pressure or lack of
water for the hose would have resulted
disastrously to the business section of
the Capital City.
The building occupied by the Bon
Ton restaurant and the Oxford Club is
owned by N. Salmon, who has it in
sured with the o. C. Watson & Com
pany Agency in the North British and
Mercantile, and the Liverpool & Lon
don Globe. ]. E. Lacombe, owner of the
Oxford Club, has his insurance also
placed with o. c. Watson & Company