Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1906-11-17
TERRITORIAL CAPITOL BUILDING
SCORCHED BY AN UGLY FIRE
SmOuldering Flame Discovered in Base
ment and ExtinguIShed Just in Time
to Prevent Costly COnflagratiOR--
Custodian Miller Unconscious.

Corded weed and Fuel Added 90
DANGER
The greatest difficulty which the
hfo hEhtega had was % prevent two
long cords OF wood. piled in the store
room. from becoming ignited. Had
thla wood caught IRE, @ is 0sebiiui "
the building could have been saved.
hcaiic1 tho fuel. the woodwork ni the
structure was EXPOSED Go the namoa
and that Il lgnl,cd easily ig shown By
the manner iu which D Is Chnrrcd nad
hlnokcnc6
There "a considerable mystery ns 30
how the Ere started AZ FIRST O. was
thought that q detective wire from
the electric light comnany's cable
caused the flames Manager Frank
owen. however. made On examination
ana found the wirea intact. except
whore tho force 81 water from the
hose had torn the cables loose from
the fastening The lights were burn.
Ing 10 tho building and thoro was
nothing 20 Indicate that a short cir
cult had been FORMED. n therefore
developed that spontaneous Cumbus
iiOn WIS a probable cause. hut wheth-
or u was the real reason for The IRE
~ not yet known. A box full of eoot
from the engine. which had been ion
ln the store room. might have had
something to do with the starting Of
the nre. which from appearances.
orieintcd en- that vicinity Members
Of the custodian oCmmiiico VIII make
q thorough Investigation.
Smoke Caused Greatest Damage 10
Structure.
Tho greatest damage 10 the capitol
resulted from smoke. The pungcnt
odOf Of the Ere ID strong IN the build.
ing. although doors and windows were
opened Ia an uncrt 90 rid the place of
the diangrcoablo SMELL Not "a single
once escaped The Law books Ia tro
iibury two stories above whore the
FIRE burncd we're covered with q thick
coating Of smoke. giving them the ap.
pearancO OF having been scorched.
Tho governors once was filled with
the clinglng, sooty substance. The
Nofh of the SNAKE was noticeable on
an aldoE. The wallis can probably be
cieansed after considerable work. but
OF present In many spots they are
covered with a dark coating. giving
them an unsightly appearance. Leaves
were strewn about the wide corridors
where the mon had left the doors
open in order 20 clear the building OF
smoke
some safeguards Badly Needed In
Capitol.
Tho are yesterday morning. has
given rise 90 many suggestions Aor
safeguaTdlng The terruorys big head
quarters.
ono thing is certain, and that is
ntchmau alarm boxes should Dec con-
nectCd with q register On the Office
or home ui the custodian nO that q
the watchmnn nt night failed 90 pail
thc lever at the appointed time each
hour bis work during the night could
be- investigated
Another timely suggestion b that
/ INC exposed woodwork in The baHo
ment should bo coated with nrepr0pl
I naini. which has been found u great
safeguard DO an largo Institutions nno
plants
Capitol Was Damaged BY Flr'
In 1882.
The people 90 the turriiory have mel
forgotten thp destruction oi the ter
/ rltorinl capitol by Gre, which occurred
en- May ~. 1892. The ola capitol
which cost 100000, was burned &,
tho Ground By flames which origin
aicd IN one OF che cupoias All &c
loria al comhntting the ore were fruit
less AZ that time the structure wal
noi insured uud The whole was q ioln
loss.