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Post by sloanrodgers on Jun 8, 2008 13:15:42 GMT -5
While we Texans slept, our beloved 1854 governor's mansion burned down last night. This is a historical and architectural disaster for Austin and the state. I was utterly stunned upon hearing the news this morning. Farewell grand old house.  |
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Post by TRK on Jun 8, 2008 13:17:57 GMT -5
Aww ... what can I say.
Gotta go out for the rest of the day; I'll read the sad news in detail tomorrow.
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Post by tmdreb on Jun 8, 2008 18:01:15 GMT -5
The latest news is that the fire was intentionally set, and that it may not be a total loss.
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Post by sloanrodgers on Jun 9, 2008 21:35:50 GMT -5
The latest news is that the fire was intentionally set, and that it may not be a total loss. Well, after reading the newspaper today and examining the many tragic photos, it appears the mansion isn't totally lost. The damage is extensive, but the 2nd floor is the worst. As implied, this is apparently the evil work of an arsonist or possibly a terrorist. I can't understand how this happened to this particular house. I used to work across the street from the mansion and know it was once well protected by DPS troppers, Texas Rangers and numerous cameras. Where were the defenders of this historic place? How did the perpetrator(s) of this terrible crime against Texas get passed a 10 foot spiked-iron fence, cameras, motion detectors, alarmed points of entry and God knows what else? It's simply amazing and truly disgusting that an arsonist could enter the fence and mansion undetected, start a fire without activating the smoke detectors, then get away scott-free. I really hope they catch whoever committed this horrible crime , but also think heads should roll for this total security melt-down. The executive manor of a state should always be better protected than a private residence. I always keep good batteries in my smoke detector and know that even if a robber got through the bars on my home, Lucky, The Devil Dog would at least get a dna sample.  |
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Post by tmdreb on Jun 9, 2008 22:10:47 GMT -5
One of the apparent ironies is that part of the renovation the mansion was undergoing was the installation of a sprinkler system. I also find it odd that this fire was reported by citizens calling 911, and not by on-site security.
The last time I was near this building was just after the governor at the time was elected President of the United States, and thus was surrounded by the media, DPS and the Secret Service. I agree that it is embarrassing that some peckerwood was able to perpetrate this crime. I have no clue why someone would want to do this. I don't always agree with the current governor, but if I were really that mad at him, I wouldn't take it out on Texas.
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Post by sloanrodgers on Jun 10, 2008 22:52:19 GMT -5
I may have jumped the gun a little in dregrading the mansion's interior security. The witness that
first reported the fire, told a video reporter that the fire started on the front porch.
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