Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-04-17
HOT FIRE ON
EASTER MORN
Destruction Of lhe Gregory
Lodging House
BURNED LIKE A BONFIRE
Good Work Saved the Out
side Shell and Prevented
Spread No Personal In
jury Occurred-Loss Is
About $4,000.

The property known "a the Greg
ory lodging house on the south side
Of Washington streets. between Sec
ond and Third streets. owned by
Barney Kersting, was burned beyond
any possible repair yesterday morn
inE. between S:45 and s:15 o'clock.
Twenty guests had rooms in the
lodging house which was conducted
under lease by William Fox and Ed
Folk. who also ran Il restaurant in
the adjoining one-story building.
Some Of the guests had left their
rooms but a great many We're still
in them. All got out without in
jury though practically no personal
effects were saved only such little
things as one could grab in his hand
in the course of flight. The loss
to the Gregory house property is es-
timated at $4,000 with S2lo0 insur-
ance Fox * Folks loss consists
only Of the drenching of their res
taurant and the loss Of business.
temporarily at least. and some little
loss on the bedding and furnishings
though most Of the furnishings be-
longed 10 the property as leased. Mr..
Fox had no insurance.
Following is a list Of the guests Of
the house. all of whom were later
accounted for: Edward W. Curtis.
Roy Taylor. Roy Head. J. \. Arthur.
r. l.. Davis. Jerry Clifford, Tom
Wall. Harry Nehan. George Lever
ing. Romo Luplow. Chas Debolt
I aRR
b. Heiman. Louis Burgman. W. NJ
Lewis, John Hannus, w b. Fox and
Ed Folk proprietors. Mrs Earl
Count Melnick. +. Christopher. Frank
SUITE. James Carey Wylie Nash
The fire started at S:45 and as
near as can be decided was caused
by sparks from the top of stove
pipe leading from the pa~trv range
i'm the restaurant. These sparks ig-
nited the c0rnice Of the lodging
house, AT the eve about the center
Of the building Not only the building
but its contents were SO inflammabIe
that the fire spread i'm "a twinkiins
up and down the hall after il once
reached that point in the center of
the second story. Jumping across
the hall it soon reached the west side
and broke out into the alley with a
sheet of flame. meantime eating
hole or two through the roof and
later several of them.
The fire department responded
promptly and did fine work. It was
50 short a run. being only a block
from the fire house. that steam was
not quite ready when the connec-
tions were made but il did not take
long to- get il going The second
engine was brought out by reason
Of the structure being 50 inflammable
and closely surrounded by other
property. but il was not needed In
the meantime the chemical was do
ing its best but the blaze was too
big and too fierce To be overcome
with anything except a flood Of wa
ter. That it was finally eNtinguish-
ed leaving the outside structure
Of the building standing with only a
few holes burned through. was the
marvel of the day
The usefulness of the building is
destroyed utterly and even II II could
be repaired that probably would not
be permitted as il is such an old
one. a veritable fire trap erected
tWentY-SiX years ago and is located
i'm the center of the special fire lin
its. The building was built by J
NJ. Gregory. before Phoenix had q
railroad and when all the lumber was
brought in by freight team, either
from Prescott or from Maricopa. Mr.
Gregory being then engaged i'm both
the lumber and the freighting bust
ness. In its day it was regarded as
the swell rooming house in the
city
one of the plucky incidents Of the
SubduinS Of the fire was when a
bunch of firemen in charge Of noz-
zle. mounted the porch i'm front of
the second story and pushing the
nozzle ahead of them. literally dove
INTO the building. The SMOKE was
issuing from every window and door
SO densely the men could not he seen
for a time and it looked as though
they had deliberately jumped into
fiery furnace. but in q minute or So
the water had pushed back the vol
ume of smoke. though it is hardly
conceivable that they could have
breathed during the time.
The building was 30x10 feet i'm size
and contained forty rooms During
the progress of the fire there was
much speculation as to what might
happen To the adjoining property or
the east. Next to the restaurant
was a little frame barber shop. a
was expected would burn. together