Semi-weekly herald., 1907-12-05

BLAZE
tFrom Wednesdays DailyJ

1 ~ hAVot hA0AHAl pha ulf iHhA Hih
visited Durango since that of 1883.
which destroyed practically the whole
town. occurred at an early hour this
morning In the Henderson a Lotus
block AT the southeast corner of Main
avenue and Ninth street. occupied on
the first floor by j. l.. Parsons drug
store and j. STEMS dry goods and
clothing store
A little before o'clock Or. ]. W.
Lackey who has offices and sleeping
| apartments in the second story, was
aroused by sunocating smoke. He
| hastily arouse i. II. Arnold and Curly
! Knight. who were also sleeping on
the floor and while knight went to
| turn in the alarm DR.. I4ackey went
To the apartments Of ], j German. who
recently finished installing a steam
heating plant in the basement OF the
building. and together they went to
| the basement In an effort 50 locate the
! fire, They pried open the door into
| the boiler room and were driven back
| almost sufrocated by the dense volume
| o' smoke Unable To locate the source
OF the fire they went to the second
| story and attempted to save their be.
| longings, DR.. Laekey savel only few
| Instruments and going into the offices
OF Dr. H. C. Hurd saved his diploma
but nothing else. j. II Arnold saved
only few of his belongings.
AS smoke and flames were first no
ticed by those who responded to the
alarm, among whom was The Herald
reporter and his family and Sllas w.
| Smith. coming from the coal holes
connected with the boiler room 1t ap-
peared as though the fire had origi-
| holes were open and the whole build
ing was filed with smoke It is only
| natural that they should form the out
let The plumbers who were working
in the basement yesterday made an
examination Of the boiler room after
the heat had somewhat cooled off this
morning and they are authority for
the statement that II was practically
impossible for the fire to originate
there. They stated that everything
In the boiler room was Just as they
left 1t last night. Even the paper and
kinding wood left there for starting
the fire this morning was not charred
As the heat plant has only recently
been Installed the owners OF the build
putting in concrete and asbestos to
make the boiler room fire proof Other
people who made an examination oi
the boiler room express doubts as to
that being the origin of the fire.
The flremen state that the smoke
was so dense when they entered the
boiler room that they would not care
to say whether 1t did or did not start
there.
DR.. Lackey gives 1t as his opinion
that the fire originated in the boiler
room.
Mr.. Stein. It is stated, called Mr..
Henderson's attention to what he con
sidered the unsafe condition of the
boiler room only yesterday.
On account OF the many rnmors as
to the origin OF the fire The Herald
gives the above statements as they
have been made by the various parties
and does not desire TO be understood
as accusing or blaming anyone for the
fire.
In the meantime the fire department
had arrived and as the fire appeared
to be located In the basement In
the rear OF STEMS store they attacked
| that quarter, but owing to the dense
smoke throughout the whole building
they were compelled to fight from the
outside and made but little headway
| the flames gradually eating their way
to the front of Stcin's and to the sec
| ond floor.
The fire boys were badly handicap.
ped at the outset for lack of assist
ance, as the fire force consists of but
the chief. two firemen and minute
man and the people did not tura out
at the first alarm. However. the boys
fought dercely with what assistance
they had and kept five streams playing
on the building. At 5:30 an emer-
gency alarm was sounded and the peo-
pie for the first time realized that a
goodly portion Of the town was threat
ened with destruction. When it was
realized that the building was doomed
the force was divided and part sent
To save the adjoining buildings. After
a fierce fight Of fiye hours the nre
was under control and confined to the
Henderson block. although the Nc
Closkey block adjoining. was badly
damaged. 1t was a hard fight wei
fought.
The first floor OF the Henderson &
; LOTUS block was occupied by j. l.
:. Parsons drug store and ]. STEMS
clothing and dry goods store. From
the latter nothing was served.
: The hre did not get into Parson',
' k..s L. Ia lnx a On