Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1911-04-12
DENVER HOTEL
DESTROYED
BY FIRE
.SCANTILY CLAD GUESTS
RESCUED IN SAFETY
Futrelle Furniture Store and
Contents Are Total Loss
Damage Estimated at Fifty
thousand Dollars,

Fire broke out in the Futrelle
furniture store ON the corner of Coal
and Second streets last night shortly
after midnight totally destroying the
immense stock carried by that firm,
also burning the Denver hotel which
was carried on in the second story of
the building. and at the time of GO
ing to press the fire was still burn
ing. The estimated loss is In the
neighborhood of $4,000.
The guests Of the Denver hotel were
awakened by their rooms being full
| OF black smoke shortly after mid
night. and at 1896 the alarm OF fire
was turned in, both companies re-
| spending. In the meantime all the
people In the house had been awak
sned and were beginning to &c; their
| effects out.
Before the department could reach
the scene, however, the flames were
shooting out of the roof OF the build
ing toward Iron avenue. In the middle
| ~ wv futluiHht hiip tHt ptbHlt uh
Coal avenue could also see the flames
eating their way into the front of
the furniture store which fronts on
Coal AS soon as this point was
reached II was impossible to stop the
mad progress OF the flames. The
polishes of the furniture caught with
astonishing rapidity and the water
pouring into the building from five
streams was on no avail.
At ] o'clock the Santa Fe shop de-
partment was cHIied out and added
their reels OF hose to those Of the city
department already at work When It
was seen that the fire had such head
way that II could not be stopped. the
wina@ws OF the building were smashed
In anH water poured into the seeth-
Eg eauldron Of flame from every
point of vantage This checked the
flames to certain extent. but not
sufficiently to save any Of the stock
of the store. The rooming house part
In the second story was by this time
doomed TO total loss.
Through the smoke and flames II
could be seen that the building was
or flImsy structure. thin brick ve-
neered over IA frame interior. and this
fact added TO the difficulty of fighting
the fire
George Snyder. who was the pro-
prietor of the hotel, had just taken
charge OF the house yesterday morn
Ing and moved his family. consisting
OF himself, wife and two boys into
the hotel His elder son has been
sick for some time and as soon ms he
could be bundled into some blankets
was rescued from the burning builc.
ing and taken 10 a hotel. With but
few personal effects every occupant
of the building was rescued, many of
them getting to the ground by the aid
of the trees In front of the store on
Second street
The cause OF the fire could not be
ascertalned last night but defective
wiring Is presumed to be the cause
Some hazarded the opinion that the
mattress packing of the furniture
store may have cought fire and have
been smoldering for hours before IL
finally caught sufficient draft TO
burst into a blaze.
The lurid glare Of the flames against
the sky. accentuated by the immense
volume of black smoke which hung
over the burning structure, made II
appear that the whole town In that
section was on fire.
Al 2:12 the explosion of can of
furniture polish on the inside of tho
burning building scattered the crowds.
The next instant, with deafening
clatter. the north and west walls of
the building fell outward into the
street with a frlghtful crash, knock
ing over the wires, and damaging the
furniture from the store which had
been taken out into the street
At this point the actual fight on the
building was gradually withdrawn and
the efforts of the firemen and volun-
teers devoted to keeping the flames
from attacking the planning mill inn
mediately next the viaduct. and the
laundry across the street to the north.
These efforts saved the other build
i ngs and enabled the flremen to re-
turn to the work OF subdulng the
flames on the Futrelle building. At
/ $3.50 this morning the whole was
tumbled mass of burning wood and
heated brick with few uprIshts
standing where the building had
been before sentinels over the pire
of destroyed stucture.
/ II Is understood that the Insurance.
on the building amounts to $4,000
while the stock Is adequately insured,
Mr.. Futrele stated last night that he
thought the fire was caused by de-
| fnrtlNn wiring.