The daily sentinel., 1909-06-03
FIRE TODAY DESTROYS
PIONEER HOTEL BUILDING
Continued from Page -

north, the big structure was soon
roaring mass of flames. The building
burned at remarkably rapid rate.
No little difficulty was experienced
in preventing the flames from spread
ing to the row of frame residences on
Ute avenue east of the hotel, and
flying embers and sparks endangered
several of the brick business houses
on Second street. south of the hotel.
However. the owners of these build
fngs and the members of the fire de-
partment kept close watch on all
these neighboring buildings and none
of them were damaged.
The great trees that stood in front
and to the side of the hotel were
burned black.
The fire. even at that early hour,
attracted big crowd and caused
much excitement.
BY o'clock all that was left of
the Schwalbach Inn was a great mass
of smouldering ruins. So thoroughly
and rapidly did the flames do their
work that hardly thing was left of
the walls, roof. floors and other por- |
tions of the building, or of the several
dozen frame bedsteads, dressers, the
large piano and scores of other pieces
of furniture and furnishings within
an hour after the fire had been dis
covered.
Hundreds of people visited the
ruins during the early hours of the
forenoon.
Miss Schwalbach was seen at a
neighboring rooming house by The
Sentinel short time after the fire.
She was naturally feeling very badly
over the disastrous fire and the
heavy loss it means to her. The fact
that Miss Schwalbach' hair was
quite badly burned shows that she
had narrow escape from serious in
jury.
81 have no idea in the world how
the fire started" said Miss Schwal-
bach. THAT it started in the kit
chen is certain. however. | know
positively that there was no fire in
the range after o'clock last night.
only dead ashes; and there was no
lamp in there and no live wire. There
was no gasoline or coal oil or any
other combustible material in the kit
chen or anywhere else in the build
ing. 1t is certainly a mystery how
the fire started. AS far as | know,
there was no one connected with the
hotel or having rooms in the hotel
who was in the kitchen during the
evening or night"
When asked If she thought some
one had set the building on fire Miss
Schwalbach said:
II would not and could not make
positive statement to that effect. for
do not know; but there is certainly
something strange and wrong about
1T. | can't help but think that it
might have been set on fire. but 1
may be wrong. l don't know of any
reason anybody could have for burn
ing me out"
The Schwalbach Inn was erected
about "a years ago. being one of the
first large buildings to be erected in
Grand Junction. 1t was about so
by 10 feet in outside dimensions. two
stories high, contained more than 20
rooms and had long, roomy verandas
around two sides.
In its early days the hotel did a.
great business, and for number of
years during the pioneer period of
Grand Junction it was considered the
leading hostelry. Not few big So
cial functions and banquets occurred
at this hotel in it's early days. Lo-
Gated as it was on Second street, only
two blocks from the depot, the hotel
formerly did big transient and rail-
road business.
During the past 3 years the hotel
had changed owners several times.
When newer and larger hotels We're
opened further up town this pioneer
hotels popularity began to wane. 1t
did not attempt to keep step with the
more modern houses further up town
and for long time had ranked as a
second-class hostelry. Miss Schwal-
bach has owned the property for a
number of years and has successfully
operated it. 1t is said that the prop
erty always has been money-maker
During the course of years the old
hotel had frequently changed its
name For many years it was known
as the Revere house then as the Val
ley hotelS then as the Schwalbach
Inn. For time it was called the
Lincoln house, but later was again
given the name of the Schwalbach
Inn.
The location is valuable one and
Miss Schwalbach will probably put a
new building on the lots in the near
future, although she has no definite
plans just now.