Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-01-08
STEAM LAUNDRY
BURNS YESTERDAY
Large Number of
Citizens Turn
Out for Blaze.
WILL Be REBUILT At ONCE
AS Consequence of Fire Some
Citizens Short of Wear
ing Apparel.

Should any Santa Fe young man or
old one either for the matter Of that
make calls while wearing a rubber
collar or one that shows previous
wear, he should be excused as re-
suit of the early morning fire yester-
day which put the local laundry,
owned by O. H. John, at 10S Guada
lupe Street, out of business with a
loss estimated by Chief Frank Owen
of the fire department at $500. The
fire had evidently been burning all
night but was not discovered until
about 1880 o'clock yesterday morn.
ing, when the flames and smoke shoot.
ing out beneath the ewes Of the build.
ing, attracted the attention of John
Hampel who was passing. He quick
ly telephoned central and the ringing
of the fire bell alarmed the local fire
department which sped to the rescue.
Fire Chief Owen made the run in
record time, mounted on pony. Fire
Marshal A. NJ. Dettlebach lives near
the scene of the confagration and ar
rived ahead of the hose cart When
the firemen reached the building, the
inside was mass of smoke and
flames and it was impossible at first
to enter. So quickly did they work
however, that within five minutes, the
fire was under control and shortly af-
terwards the last flames died away.
Origin of Flames.
The origin of the fire is not known
for certain, but the blaze Is supposed
to have started from a stove near
the center of the building. The floor
burned away first, allowing the stove
to fall through into the basement. The
wringer which was near the stove also
fell through the floor. followed by a
few pieces OF smaller machinery. The
inside of the building was badly
scOrclIed and blockeneu with omokv,
but the structure is to all appearances
perfectly sound. 1t was constructed of
stone and this is responsible for the
fact that 1t was not entirely destroyed.
The walls and roof still stand and can
be used as they are so that it will be
an easy matter to remodel the build
ing. Whether the machinery is suit
able for use is matter OF specula-
ton as from appearances after the
fire, it suffered somewhat from water
and smoke. Mr. Johns was attending
to business in Waldo last night and
did not learn of his misfortune until
several hours later when he was noti-
fed by wire. He returned to Santa
Fe at once.
The local fire department deserves
considerable credit for the manner in
which this building was saved and the
rapid manner in which 1t responded
to the alarm.
AT the time of the fire, most of the
residents were asleep and when the
noise made by the fire department as
the men began work was heard, there
was crowd of scantily clothed spec
tators at windows in the neighborhood.
Point of Interest.
All day Sunday, the scene of the
fire was a point of interest to citizens
who found 1t a comfortable walk from
their homes. They came in twos,
threes and crowds to stand about in
the street before the door and won
der what would have happened had
the firemen been half hour later, or
had the wind blown from the south
instead of not at all.
Mr.. John told the flremen that his
loss was probably greater than they
had estimated it, as much of the ma
chinery was ruined by water. The
machinery was insured for $500. He
will begin work at once refitting a
new laundry and expects to have 1t
in operation in short time. All
laundry this week will be sent to AL
buquerque. There was not much
laundry in the building at the time of
the fire but what was there, was de-
stroyed. One young man lost $40
worth of shirts and collars and was
forced to borrow a shirt from a
friend IN mako hie uc,la1 Sunday nipht
call. The building in which the laun.
dry was operated, is owned by John
Dendahl and was covered by insur-
ance., Had it not been for the fact
that it was built of stone with a roof
Of metal 1t would undoubtedly have
been totally destroyed. This is a
strong argument in favor of fire proof
buildings In Santa Fe even though the
city is not large enough to make such
thing compulsory.