Fire at the Congress Hotel; heroes show their stuff

TELEPHONE GIRL HOLDS POST AS CONGRESS BURNS

Tucson Hotel Swept by Fire With Resultant Loss of Near $100,000

GUESTS ARE UNINJURED

Fire Department Uses Full Equipment to Battle Record City Blaze

The Congress hotel was almost completely ruined by fire and water yesterday morning when the third disastrous blaze in a month gutted the structure. Valued at approximately $250,000 and in its fifteenth year, the building appeared to be nearly a total loss yesterday, according to Monte Mansfield, representing the owner, Leo Goldsmith.

Mrs. Helga Nelson, day clerk at the Congress, had been on duty but a few minutes when the fire shot up from the basement. Glued to her telephone exchange box, Mrs. Nelson stuck to her post awakening guests and summoning them from their rooms. As she completed the calls on the second floor heat reached the telephone system and cut it out. Employes and police officers dashed up to the third floor, warning the guests there.

Entire Department

Apparently starting in the vicinity of the oil furnace and oil supply in the basement at about seven o'clock yesterday morning, the fire was reported at 7:20, calling forth the total in man power and equipment of the Tucson fire department. By 10:30 o'clock all but a few smoldering areas were extinguished; the entire roof had fallen in; the third floor was a littered wreck; and the entire building had been flooded with water.

Three general alarms brought every piece of fire fighting equipment and Chief Joe Roberts' full complement of men. Five pumpers were available and three used. There were 10 pressure lines and five streams of water, direct from the plugs, focused upon the fire. Ample pressure was obtained throughout the nearly three-hour battle with the flames, with the pressure records at the water superintendent's office bearing out the statements of firemen that they had all the pressure and water necessary.

Well Started

The fire apparently gained good headway before reported. Believed to have started at or near the furnace and oil supply, the flames roared up the elevator shaft and to the roof. The 100 guests in the hotel, awakened by calls, smoke and shouting, grabbed hastily at clothing and sought the street. All were removed from the flaming building without injury. In a state of dishabile, the guests flocked into Martin's drug store across Congress street, where coffee was consumed and experiences were exchanged.

Police officers arriving with the first call, aided the management in removing the guests. Across Fifth avenue D. R. Lance, proprietor of the Manhattan café, served hot coffee to the firemen, as they emerged cold and wet from the building. In this Lance was aided by several Boy Scouts.

As the fire spread over the entire third floor and roof area, every available hose line was put to work shooting streams of high pressure water into the flaming building. The aerial ladder truck was placed on the north side of the building where the greatest mass of flame was, and at corners the three pumpers roared away at their task of boosting the pressure.

Roof Collapses

The roof fell in at 8 o'clock followed by the cupola over the front entrance, which fell to the street with a crash. Police officers were busy keeping back a curious throng which gathered from all parts of the city drawn by the mounting column of smoke and radio announcements.

In the main entrance lay a white slipper, lost by some woman guest beating her retreat. Lone, lost and pathetic, the slipper lay in an ever growing stream of dirty water, as firemen rushed in and out of the doomed building.

As the last of the guests were leaving Jesus Comacho of the police, was sent to the third floor to remove one guest who had not left his room. The guest, very drunk, was still in bed. "Get out," Comacho ordered, "The place is burning up."

"Let the blankety-blank burn," responded the drunk, "I've got my room paid for for a week." But he left anyhow.

Business Improved

The Congress Hotel is owned by the Congress Realty company, Leo Goldsmith, president. Until a short time ago it was leased and managed by John Latz, veteran Tucson hotel man. Last month after a receivership action Latz left the hotel and Monte Mansfield, representing Goldsmith, leased it to Perry M. Hatcher. The hotel, under Hatcher, had been doing an excellent business, Mansfield said yesterday. Mansfield stated that he could not give a definite statement of the damage until he had conferred with insurance adjustors, but gave as his opinion the fact that the damage must approach complete destruction, with fire and water. There was only partial coverage from insurance, Mansfield said.

The Congress hotel building was erected on a then empty lot in 1919. At the time of its construction, various mixups took place with local labor groups, as nearly all the workmen were imported from California.

Four In Month

The destructive fire of yesterday marks the fourth actually destructive or threatening fore of the past 30 days. On December 18, the building occupied by the Arizona Daily Star was nearly demolished. Then in quick succession followed a fire in the ancient and historic Orndorff hotel, which was miraculously saved by the fire department, the Silver Slipper, East Broadway roadhouse, which was burned to the ground (this structure was outside the city limits and the fire department could not make the run) and the one of yesterday.

Estimated of damage to the Congress ranged from $80,000 to $150,000, with nothing definite until the loss has been checked and adjusted.

Businesses located in the building were the Blue Bird Beauty shop, Triplett Brothers Construction company, the Congress Barber shop, the Art Craft Stationery company and the Congress [unreadable word].

One water-drenched guest of the Congress walked across Toole avenue holding in his arms his hastily collected luggage and personal effects. As he crossed the street a picture dropped from his arms. A spectator saw it fall, picked it up and handed to the visitor. The visitor took one look at it and remarked, "Oh, that is just my mother-in-law. This is a good excuse to lose it."

Guests Slow in Realizing Magnitude of Hotel Blaze

One Awakened Only When Explosion Takes Wall of His Room; Couple Hears Noise and Finds Only Escape Is Down the Fire Department Ladder

Tales of personal experiences in the Congress hotel fire of yesterday ranged the whole gamut of petty annoyances including loss of personal belongings, fright, loss of temper, loss of dignity and unpleasant surprise.

William P. Humason, dining room manager, was one of the first to discover the blaze. He saw smoke as he was preparing to open the dining room, went into the lobby and found that Mrs. Helga Nelson had already called the fire department.

Back in the dining room he discovered tiny tongue of flame licking up behind the baseboard. Thinking someone has thrown a match or cigarette which had started a small fire, he induced some of the firemen to use a small extinguisher. This had little effect and a larger chemical apparatus was brought into play. Finally the water hose was used, but it was discovered that the flames were eating their way rapidly up an old chimney in the corner of the dining room.

Humason helped collect some of the hotel records and spent considerable time aiding the removal of considerable hotel property. After he had done all he could on the first floor, he went up to his room on the third floor secured his violin from a closet in the room and took it down to the first floor. There was some difficulty in awakening the occupants of one room, he declared.

So far as he could discover everyone on the third floor was out of his room when he made his trip to his room. He explained he had time to save none of his property but his violin.

Reports indicated that Claude Straight was wakened only when a minor explosion blew a hole in the wall of his room.

Mr. and Mrs. Harry Smith reported that they were wakened by the fire engines and someone's screaming. They had a room on the third floor near the elevator shaft and were unable to leave by the stairs. They made a journey down a ladder taking most of their belongings with them. Mrs. Smith reported some losses including a diamond pin.

Another version of the fire was given last night by Dr. J. K. Glenn, of Kansas City, who with his wife occupied room 322 on the third floor.

Glenn declared that occupants of rooms along the hall on which he was located were not called and that when he awakened the place was full of smoke and that the only voice he heard was one assuring someone that the "fire was under control."

Glenn added that he had he wife left by a rear stairway, it being impossible to use the elevator when they left their room about 7:40. He said that another man and wife, located near him in the hotel, were taken out via a window and the aerial ladder of the firemen, having not been warned in time to escape through the hallway.

Miss Bernice Rhodes who had a room on the second floor was awake when the fire started and had no trouble in leaving with her baggage.

All indications were that the seriousness of the fire was recognized only gradually. Last night a story of one guest who was told the flames were under control and actually went back to bed in his second floor room was told, but the guest himself could not be located.