Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-11-13
FIRE THREATENS
CAPITOL BUILDING
Snouldering Flame
inBasernentS Store
Room.
SMOKE DOES MOST HARM
Thick Coat of SCOT in Every
Office ---- Custodian Miller
Rendered Unconscious.

The handsome Territorial Capitol,
which with its furnishings cost over
$l50,00O, was threatened with destruc-
tion at o'clock this morning, when
the night watchman discovered the
entire building full of choking smoke,
as the result of fire which was fast
gaining headway in the store room
near the center of the basement. Da-
vid l.. Miller, custodian, was overcome
by smoke and fell unconscious at the
edge of the fire. He was rescued by
his son, Walter Miller, who carried
him through window into the air
where he quickly revived
1t is not possible to estimate the
loss at this time. 1t Is certain to
amount to several hundred dollars at
least. Owing to the fact that the val
liable books in the library are dam
aged and not an Office escaped some
harm from smoke, the amount may b,
much larger. 1t is said that the whole
building was endangered for nearly
an hour by recently appointed night
watchman, who apparently made in
efficient efforts to extinguish the
flames without summoning sufficient
assistance. This is borne out by the
fact that no alarm reached the fire
department.
To the prompt work of Custodian
Miller, however, really belongs the
credit for saving the Capitol.
Whatever loss there may be Is fully
covered by insurance, the total
amount on the building and fixtures
being about $l50,000.
1t seems that about o'clock this
morning Thomas Alarid, the night
watchman, smelled the smoke which
was pouring into the corridors from
the basement. He investigated and
found that in the long store room back
of the engine room, near the center of
the building. there was fire. He
could not enter the room because OF
the clouds of smoke. The watchman
then summoned the engineer and sew.
eral others whom he could arouse
having failed to communicate with the
telephone exchange because the fire
had burned out the wires to the tele
phones in the building al the point
where they entered the capitol. The
frightened men made an attempt to
extinguish the blaze, which was
smouldering for want of air. Being
unsuccessful, they sent post haste for
Custodian Miller who, with his SON
arrived quickly. Mr.. Miller opened the
windows leading into the engine room
in order to let out the smoke. In
stantly there was flash of flames, as
the fresh air reached the smoulderine
fire.
Custodian Fell Unconscious at Edge oi
Fire.
Before opening the windows. Mr.
Miller dragged a line of hose into the
engine room and as near to the fire as
he could get. He then stood his
ground, playing stream of water
upon the fire until he grew so weal
from inhaling smoke that he could nc
longer hold the nozzle. He called fol
assistance, but the janitor force unde,
the directions of his son. was engaged
in getting other hose. Just what hap
pened then Mr.. Miller can not clearl!
recall except that he fell in the smoke
at the edge of the fire. His son, Ell
tering the room minute later, found
Mr.. Miller and carried him thror
a window to the fresh air, where he
revived. Father and son, with lines o
hose, then re-entered the store room
and began directing effective stream!
of water on the fire which was quick
ly subdued. The other men worked
valiantly in fighting the fire. remov
ing combustible material and aiding
in handling the nozzles.
Corded Wood and Fuel Added t,
Danger.
The greatest difficulty which tn
fire fighters had was to prevent tw,
long cords of wood. piled in the stor,
room from becoming ignited. Ha,
this wood caught fire, 1t is doubtful |
the building could have been saved
Besides the fuel, the woodwork of tn
structure was exposed to the flame
and that it ignited easily is shown b,
the manner in which 1t is charred an,
blackened
There Is considerable mystery as tt
how the fire started. At first it wa
thought that defective wire from th
electric light company's cable cause,
the flames. Manager Frank Owen
however, made an examination AM
found the wires intact, except wher
the force of water from the hose ha
torn the cables loose from the fasten
ings. The lights were burning in tn
building and there was nothing to In
dicate that short circuit had beel
formed. 1t therefore developed tina
spontaneous combustion was a prof.
able cause, but whether it was tn
real reason for the fire is not We
know. A box full of SCOT from the er
gine, which had been left in the stor
room, might have had something t
do with the starting of the fire which
from appearances, originated in tha
vicinity. Members Of the custodian
committee will make thorough inves
tigation
Smoke Caused Greatest Damage I
Structure.
The greatest damage to the capito
resulted from smoke. The pungen