Arizona republican., 1911-09-06

Dearing and George Curnutt, attend
ants: Miss Iva Lake, assistant in the
superintendent office, who gave the
telephone alarms to the fire depart
ments of Phoenix and Tempe; Miss
Helen VI. Jennings. acting matron;
Mrs. ]. Z. Fisher, wife of the head
farmer. rooming in the main building.
which was burned; Miss Florence Nc
Donald. Miss Effie Choate, Miss Birdie
Smith, Mrs Florence Peacock, Mrs.
Thompson. The night workers, all
but Mr. Schumacher, who slept
through the fire because he couldn't
help it. and who were among the most
efficient OF the fire fighters, were B.
s Wright, outside night watchman;
George Brisbois, night attendant at
ward a: and Miss Allie Story, woman
night watch. All of these roomed in
the basement of the burned building.
THE employees did their duty to the
limit" said the physician in charge,
DR.. Stevens, yesterday.
Story of the Fire.
At o'clock in the morning DIR.
Stevens, on his rounds of inspection,
found well" patient working on the
second floor of the administration
portion of the main building, with
plumbers fire, soldering some pipes
in a dumb waiter running from the
kitchen in the basement to the roof.
As he went out of the room, Engineer
McFadden. under whose direction and
oversight the man was working, came
in at another door Everything to
both Of these was apparently in prop
er shape at the time Of their visits;
but they had been away not more
than five or ten minutes when the en-
gineer, standing in the door of the
engine house. which is about one hun
dred feet in the rear of the main
building where the plumber was work,
saw smoke issuing from the upper
part of the building. Giving the
alarm TO the superntendent's office
he called out the fire department.
composed of other workers in other
capacities at the asylum, and pro-
ceeded to bring into action the chem
ical engine with which the asylum
was sometime ago supplied and at
tach the hose to the hydrants fed from
supply and fire fighting apparatus of
the institution. Willing hands direct
ed the hose from both, and with bet
ter hose and more Of it and a better
supply of water it is the judgment of
the working force of the asylum that
the fire could have been conquered
without Serious loss. But the dumb
waiter was of wood. seasoned to the
condition of tinder by the heat Of thf
kitchen below through many years.
and leading to an attic that was like
tinder-box for the same reason. In
but the shortest time flames were
breaking out. Naturally the flames
spread rapidly, especially to the east,
the direction Of the prevailing wind.
Owing to the place of its origin the
fire was mostly confined to the upper
part of the building.
The plumber could give TO explana-
ton of the origin of the fire when
questioned by the officials.
The Fire Fighters.
The Phoenix fire department re-
sronded quickly to the alarm, Chief
Sullivan. President Norton. and one
ala rapidly reached the IRE In the
presidents auto. But much delay en-
sued on account of the undesirability
of using the department horses and
the inability to find an auto that
could be used to pull the engine to
the fire. II seemed that autos were
never so scarce in town. The con-
sequence was that, with another de-
lay caused by stalling in a mud hole
after starting, it was said, nearly an
hour before the engine reached the
fire. At least it seemed so to the
asylum people bravely battling with
the fierce flames as best they could
with the insufficient means at their
hands. The hose cart was promptly
on the grounds, but could be of little
service because of difference i'm size