The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1919-10-10
|STOCKHAM HOSPITAL
DESTROYED BY FIRE

Last saturday morning at l:1S
CLOCK the citizens of Phoebe were
rudely awakened by the clanRinR of
the nre bells. Hurriedly putting on
their clothes, 1t was hut q few min
utes before large number Of willing
workers were at the scene of action.
the well-equipped Stcckham hoepitai
ut the upper end Of Main street.
| However, In those few minutes the
fames had gained SO great headvay
that the hospital was doomed and
the two strings Of hose were turned
on the ruined building with the pur-
pose OF preventing any further spread
OF the flames. Luckily the air was
stiil, what little breeze there Was
blowing turning the flames away
from the nearest dwellings ON upper
Main street. all of which are occu-
pied. Those nearest the confla9ra-
tion were the Shaw family. livins In
the Wheatley residence, and d. d.
Stockham. brother of DR.. w. w
Stockham, occupying the old Lam
mon residence. Although the flames
were intensely hot, streams Of water
saved all the threatened structures
intact.
For . while 1t seemed likely that
should the breeze strengthen the we'll
appointed residence of former judge
Charles Lee Horsey would catch fre
from the sparks and large pieces OF
burning embers flying In the air. but
the force OF water turned ON the up-
per portion OF the hospital gradually
subdued the flames, which for . time
roared and cracked fully q hundred
feet in the air.
The fire department, assisted By
numerous volunteers, did excellent
work, and owing to the ready re-
. . sponse to the alarms the are wss
confined to the one building. A
spread in any direction might have
caused q serious calamity to Phoebe,
. as dwellings are already scarce.
! Among the workers who were not
: AFRAID OF the heat and good wetting
were Ben Gerke, william Hoakins.
Charles Culverwell. John Lewis, Earl
: Godbe, John +. Roeder. A. A. Car
: man, Arthur Thomas. John Fitseer-
v aid. Alex lloyd. Joe Hagel, CeorRs
1 Franks and many others. DR., Stock
ham and Hubert Cline shared the
honors Of saving the material effects
g from the fiery furnace. Between
o them they carried out Q small heat
o ing stove, an empty bookcase and the
It doctors favOrite rocker. Everything
l. else, including over $500 worth Of
drugs, was consumed. The biz safe,
which contained variety Of valuahlG
9, fpapers, went through the hottest ol
Ie the fire, but on being opened last
{; Monday the contents, which included
a. Liberty bonds and war saving stamps,
~ were found to be in fair condition,
although the leather purse which
-, contained the bonds was shPunk to
m half its natural size and was a. brit.
=. - tie as an incandescent mantle.
80 DR.. StOckham and one county pa
= tient were the only occupants Of the
= hospital at the time of the nre. DR.
% Stockham believes the fire had III
inception in the kitchen. The doctor
\. had arisen at 4:lO q. m. to lool
10 after his patient. Lighting q lamp
he left it on the kitchen table and re
turning in few minutes he fount
10 the kitchen mass of flames. Run
~ ming to the ward, the doctor got hi
~ patient out through q window an,
then rushed through the building ii
an effort to save some of its valuabl,
contents. However, the fire sprea,
so rapidly that he was driven out b,
dense pail of smoke, which prevent
II
O however, get his typewriter a. far =
the porch, where 1t was later con
sumed by the flames.
at The hospital was built In 1907 an
on DR.. Stockham became its owner
ng year ago last spring. The loss o
X the building is about 5000 and o
he contents $4,000. Insurance on th
mr. building amounted to $2,500 and o
les contents $1,000.
DR.. Stockham had q deal nearl
ice consummated with DR.. ]. H. Has
ere ings for the sale of the building an
ate good will and he has the sympath
tn of the entire community in his o
me we're loss, the building and conten
,er- being insured for hardly half Of the
ng. salable value.
am DR.. J. H. Hastings has opened n
and gotiations with the Miners Union
ark Denver for the purchase of the Mi
the ers' Union hall in Phoebe. II the
an negotiations are successful the bull
ing will be rem0deled for hospit
niz- purposes. At the present time Ii
res coin county is without hospital fac
as tiles, and as the present cost Of co
,ext struction will not permit Of the !
dne building Of the burned building 1t
deemed advisable to secure 9th
pi- quarters as soon as possible.