Photo: gendisasters.com
Photo: Pueblo City County Library District
The temperature was 22 degrees below zero when the alarm rang in at 1:15 a.m. for Fourth and Main streets.
A party had been held at the opera house the evening before, it was reported.
According to the Pueblo Fire Museum:
"Three alarms were turned in by 1:30, bringing every piece of equipment the fire dept. had and fireman they could find.
"It burned its way to the scenery loft above the stage, and soon the falling and flaming scenery drapes ignited the stage.
"By 1:50, the roof had collapsed."
The museum also said:
"The frigid temperatures froze hoses to the ground, and two firemen ended up with frostbite.
"After the fire was out, they had to pull the frozen hoses behind the trucks back to the fire station to thaw out, before they were able to wash and hang the hose."
"They fought the fire from the Federal Building and Post Office across the alley, pulling hoses up the interior of the building, stationing two in windows and one hose line on the roof."
According to the Pueblo County Historical Society, the opera house opened in October 1890 with a performance of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “Iolanthe.”
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.