Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1918-03-22
s. P. Rebuilding Here
and Future is Bright
Temporary Quarters Growing
Over NIght.-.POsslbllltleS
Are Excellent

That LOrdsburg will obtain one
Of the larger division points and shops
on the Southern Pacific lines is q gen.
eral opinion advanced as the result
Of the cOnfiagration which wiped out
the rOundhOuse, oil tanks and engines
here on Thursday morning Of last
/ week.
Superintendent William Wilson Of
the Tucson division end other officials
Of the Southern Pacific arrived here
within q few hours after the fire be-
gan and stayed several days. This
week more officials have been in
Lordsburg in consultatiOn as to the
future construction work.
While opinions - to what the
Southern Pacific will do are advanced
by everyone, no one knows for a GER
tSinty what construction will be done.
The officials Of the road win not COM
NIT themselves with opinions or news.
Il takes time to work out such cOlos-
sal problems. They are all capable
men and LordsburR need not feel III
Z
The matter OF future construction will
likely come up both in San Francisco,
New York and Washington.
One thing IL certain, however, and
this anyone with eyes may observe.
the Southern Pacific il working
rapidly e possible ct erecting tenn
porary quarters here, The back walls
Of the rOundhOuse are standing intact
and to them the side walls and q roof
is being built and arrangements made
| TOR seven stalls. Temporary machine
| shops, Office and work rooms are being
built at the rear Of the rcundhouso.
Two wreckinR derticks are here ~.
moving the debris. Several hundred
men are also at work cleaning up the
yards and site Of the fire. The turn
.able was the first thing to be eleanet
out and put IN repair.
For oil storage one Of the old pita
and tanks win Be used with pump
pressure.
At the present time the locomotives
are being cared for by the mechanice
On the south track in the yards and
traffic is going on as usual with very
few delays caused by the fire.
Within several days time the yards
will likely be cleaned up and engines
I
as they have in the past.
As TO the future construction, no
one can say. Capable men are han
ding this work and it is possible and
likely that Lordsburg will obtain
modern shops, bigger yards and CO.
l0ssal oil storage tanks, giving en-
ployment to several hundred men.
Deming, N. NJ, March 16.-A field
battery was sent from Camp Cody
here to Lordsburg, NJ NJ, Thursday
night 10 be used in wrecking an oil
tank to prevent the spread Of the oil
fire there. But the fire was con-
trolled before the arrival Of the field
gun battery and It was returned to-
day to Deming.
In reporting the fire the Deming
Headlight had the following to say,
which shows that this paper iS .
friend to LOrdsburg:
"The flames were brought under
control about o'clock in the after
noon, but long before that time the
railroad officials and the people Of
Lordsburg were burning up the wires
between that town and the Southern
Pacific Offices, making arrangements
NOE the VI hAA Sur
that had been taken by the hAmes.
A suggestion made over the telo-
phone from Deming to the effect that
this city stood q chance Of landing
the division point here, now that
Lordsburg had lost all the railroad
shops, was met with a profane warn
ing that Deming did not stand q
chance Of getting tho shops here, as
LordSburg had practically completed
all arrangements for the replacement
Of the tanks and the roundhouse.
Then the. Deming Graphic said In
part;
The Southern Pacific was the heavy
loser by the flames, which started at
about 1890 q. m. in the pit under the
track at q big oil tank, while an en-
gine was taking oil and quickly spread
to the tank itself. After that there
was nothing to be done but let the
flro take its course, as Lordsburg has
no fire-hghting equipment TO speak Of.
The Graphic should become better
posted on an oil FIRE. All the fire.
fighting apparatus in New Mexico
could not have put out the big FIRE.
| Water only adds 10 the fierceness and
spreading OF the haAea. The Liberal
should like TO see TIE fire apparatus
that could put out this fire.