Hide Article Text (OCR)
SUSPECT AREA Although t is nutknown for sure wHer*» the fire startedin th» Sunday bln/e of the Wdward Hotel,it is suspected that o n igbt have begunin the vicinity of this hallway(Staff Photo;fliree Die In Wilward HotelBlaze, Cause Is Unknown(Continoed from P»## On#)“I thought someone w a saVlishospital today. IAlamogordo firemen s e n t { three units to the blaze at 411 a m and were assisted by one (rom Holloman. There were up to 50 men fighting the fire which was brought under control about 10 a m after an estimated 200.000 gallons of water had been used.knocking at my door” Woodswoke up.” Woodyard said early Sunday morning as he stood shivering in the cold, ‘‘but when I opened the door to the hallway, a big gush of smoke rolled in and I shut the door real fast.”fFFatSix other businesses in the hotel complex were put out ofcommission including the HobNob Cafe, Dewlen Shoe Store, Alamo TV Repair, T-B-L Ad-rs, the Wig Shoppe, and abarber shop Police said apparently there were 12 persons in the hotel I when the blaze started, including Clyde Woodyard. Clarence Doc’ Fitts. Mrs. Ward, Mrs W i I b o r n Leonard Pawlenko,Bill Farmer, Bruce Emery, jTom Schallott. Suzie Gardner, and the three who lost their lives. Several regular guests were reported out ol town at the time of the fire.Two GIs who had been staying at the hotel spent Saturday in Albuquerque and returned to the hotel at 5 p.m. Sunday.Clarnece ‘Doc’ Pitts, 53, who; livril in Room 205, and who said ' he helped Mrs. Ward with cleaning up the rooms, reported that lie had just got in about the time the fire started, viw the smoke and ran to the | Wagon Wheel Cafe where he called the fire department.‘ I rushed back, grabbed my flashlight and crawled down the halls banging on the doors towake people up,” Fitts said. All he saved was the pants, shirt and shoes he had on at the time.Leonard Pawlenko, 21. known as the Mad Russian”, a student at the Alamogordo Branchof NMSl , managed to get out of the fire clad in only his shorts and a pair of pants.“I hope I can find the keys to my car,” Pawlenko mused as lie rested on a lounge in the police station after his escape.I lost mostly my clothes and jWoodyard said he has been staying at the hotel since 1965 and that lie estimated he had lost $1,200 to $2,000 worth of clothing and papers.‘•J had three suit cases, a big wardrobe and boxes full ofvSsaclothing,” he offered, ‘‘besides the papers I lost and can never get back.”“I worked for Pittsburgh Plate Glass 14 years in Texas before retiring and moving to Alamogordo in ’65,” he said,“and you know. I think the reason I woke up at all was the fact that falling debris made so much noise.rt.skCf.iavIafc;According to Mrs. George Robertson. 705 Tenth St., the hotel went under the name ofiItWeigle Hotel when the Robertsons came through Alamogordo m 1918 and stopped at the hotelfor a while.c1I VIMrs Robertson said, “Whenthe Weigles went to Californialater. Robert Dowdle, who owned the Alamento Theatre, took over the hotel and I think Mrs.Ward and Mrs. Wilborn took it over from him.”Mrs. Tom Charles, who said she came here 62 years ago, recalled that the building was there when she came to Alamogordo and said she did not know just how old it was or who built it.!Mose Cauthen, 800 Dewey I^ine, said he came to Alamogordo in 1914 and that the original building in the hotel complex consisted only of the part where Dewlen’s Shoe Store was and back part of the way to the alley.4my school books.”When Lon Cabot, Alamogordo policeman, came out of the building after a preliminary inspection. he reporbd that hehad found one bathroom locked , from the inside but when he got into the room, there was no)one in it.Bruce Emery, 45, 4tho lived, in Room 224. said. •Something caused me to wake up. I couldn’t breathe and when 1Hospital Notestrail to turn on a light, nothing hap|ened I turned to the haildoor and when I opened it, the smoke just roll»d in and 1 , slammed it shut ”Emery said lie broke a win Iwdow of his room and dropped from the second slorv room to!wthe ground He got out with only his clothes. jEmery took 42 shirts from theWfire to the laundry late SundayW ' 'hut lie said tie only got a couple ol them that he can wear — “the rest just went all topieces ”\s the smoke and steam rosehigh above the hotel buildingjii't after daybreak Sunday morning, a lone duck was at traded to the scene but it veer. «il off as it flew within a fewfeet of the fire Clvde Woodvard, 81, wlio liv-ed on the ground floor of thehotel, lost everything but the“hat I grabbed off the bedstead m shirt, pants and the shots that were right where 1 took them off Saturday night.Admit*!*mJosephine Garcia Mary Helen SfarzRose Mary Gallegosliuey ValleyEdgar DanielsClyde Miller Sandra Hill Carrie Tydlaska Patricia Young Glenda Thompson Basil Holcomb Lessie Joyner Crucita Madrid Maurice Smith Shirley LaneDismittalsGrace I^aneDavid OverstreetMary BacaJoe Sida Roy Blades;Jolene FergusonGeraldine DeljongJohn Miller Berkley Whitworth Linda Thompson Sandra HillBirthsMr and Mrs. Louis Straz, agirlMr and Mrs Frank Gallegos, a boy• 4
Newspaper Details
Alamogordo Daily News
Alamogordo, New Mexico, US
Mon, Feb 03, 1969
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 20 Mar 2021
Other Publications Near Alamogordo, New Mexico
Alamogordo Sunburst
Alamogordo Weekly News
Alamogordo News Advertiser
Alamogordo News
Alamogordo Daily News
