Monumento a los héroes de El Polvorín (obelisk)
The Monumento a los héroes de El Polvorín (Monument to the "El Polvorín" fire heroes) is a monument at Plaza Las Delicias in Ponce, Puerto Rico, dedicated to the seven fire fighters and one civilian that subdued the flames of the "El Polvorin" fire on the night of 25 January 1899.
.jpg.webp) Image of the monument | |
| Coordinates | 18° 0' 40.6794" N, 66° 36' 49.464" W (N 18.01130, W 66.61374). |
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| Location | Plaza Degetau at Plaza Las Delicias, Ponce, Puerto Rico |
| Type | Obelisk |
| Material | Granite and Marble |
| Height | approx 20 feet |
| Beginning date | ca. 1947 |
| Completion date | 1948 |
| Opening date | 25 January 1948 |
| Dedicated to | The "El Polvorin" fire heroes |
Location
The monument is located in a shady area on the eastern half of Plaza Degetau, the southern plaza at Plaza Las Delicias in Ponce, Puerto Rico, and it honors the following seven firemen and one civilian:[1]
- Rafael Rivera Esbri (civilian)
- Pedro Sabater (2nd Corporal)
- Rafael del Valle (1st Corporal)
- Cayetano Casals (2nd Corporal)
- Pedro Ruiz (1st Sargent)
- Juan Romero (1st Corporal)
- Gregorio Rivera (Gastador)
- Tomas Rivera (2nd Corporal)
Background
On 25 January 1899, a large fire (later dubbed "El Polvorin") threatened the lives of the residents of the city of Ponce and, given Ponce's de facto role as Puerto Rico's banking and agricultural capital, it threaten the economy of Puerto Rico as a whole. The fire started at the horse barn of the recently deployed U.S. Army artillery encampment one block from the center of town, on Calle Salud between Calle Cristina and Calle Comercio, and quickly spread towards the army's artillery munitions storage area. By the time the army commander realized there was a fire near the munitions compound, he judged it too risky for his men to try to put it out and ordered all personnel to move away from the area to let the fire extinguish itself, even if it meant explosions at the munitions depot. The commander also instructed the local firemen (then numbering about 40) not to enter the area or attempt to extinguish the fire. However, seven of the firemen and one civilian, disobeyed the orders of the commander and decide to fight the fire. They were able to appease the fire before it could get to the gunpowder reserves, without any loss of life or additional loss of property. Due to their efforts, disaster upon the then mostly wooden homes and businesses in town was averted. For their success, the group was honored many times both in Ponce and the rest of Puerto Rico. The obelisk was built to honor their memory.[2]
The structure
The obelisk was built in 1948.[3] It replaced the original obelisk built shortly after the 25 January 1899 fire, but which was destroyed by the 1918 San Fermín earthquake.[4] The obelisk was erected by a city board consisting of Jaime L. Drew, Antonio Arias, and Antonio Mirabal.[4] This monument is different from the obelisk/tomb built in 1911, and dedicated to the same men, and which stands at the Cementerio Civil de Ponce (Ponce Civil Cemetery).[5][6]
The four-sided obelisk has four plaques, one on each side.
The plaque facing East reads:
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The North-facing plaque lists the honored men, saying:
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The Western-facing plaque says:
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The plaque facing South reads:
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Notes
- The civilian Rafael Rivera Esbrí later became a mayor of Ponce.
- The "Roosevelt School", mentioned on the Western facing plaque, refers to the Ponce High School.
References
- Emilio J. Pasarell. Esculcando el Siglo XIX en Puerto Rico. Barcelona, Spain: M. Pareja Press. 1967. page 86.
- Conmemoran 120 años del fuego del Polvorín en Ponce. elvocero.com 26 January 2919. El Vocero. San Juan, Puerto Rico. Accessed 25 February 2019.
- Camina por Ponce: "Ponce es nuestro; Ponce es del que nos visita". Archived 2012-07-03 at the Wayback Machine Municipality of Ponce. Retrieved 25 April 2013.
- Pariser, Harry S. (2002). Explore Puerto Rico (5th ed.). Harry S. Pariser. ISBN 9781893643529.
- Millán, Reinaldo (25 January 2012). "Hacen justicia con héroes del Polvorín". La Perla del Sur (in Spanish) (Year 30, Issue 1469). Ponce, Puerto Rico. p. 22.
- Hillinger, Charles (22 April 1990). "Heroism of Firefighters Still Ignites Civic Pride". Los Angeles Times.
Further reading
- Fay Fowlie de Flores. Ponce, Perla del Sur: Una Bibliográfica Anotada. Second Edition. 1997. Ponce, Puerto Rico: Universidad de Puerto Rico en Ponce. p. 259. Item 1299. LCCN 92-75480
- P. A. Reyes Vargas. "El Parque de Artillería de Ponce." El Imparcial. San Juan, Puerto Rico. 11 de septiembre de 1954. pp. S-8 to S-9.