This picture of the fire which destroyed The Arizona Daily Star building yesterday morning is another example of the splendid cooperation given by other newspapers when an emergency arose. This picture was taken for the Arizona Republic in Phoenix and rushed to that city. It was made into an engraving, matted and the mat rushed back to the Star on time to be used in this edition. The American Airways, which brought the mat to Tucson, was another link in the chain of cooperation.
The Star gave readers the lowdown on the remodeled plant, once destroyed by fire and now a more modern workplace.
From the Arizona Daily Star, Thursday, February 22, 1934:
STAR GREETS CITY IN NEW HOME
RAZED BY FIRE, PLANT IS MADE OVER FOR PAPER
All Departments Now Housed in Remodeled Quarters, Added Room Provided for Growing Needs of Business; Change Completed Rapidly
MANY EQUIPMENT IMPROVEMENTS ARE MADE
Composing Room Modernized, Now Capable of Caring for Greatly Increased Load; Many additions Made to Improve Type Dress of Daily
On the morning of December 18 fire destroyed the plant of The Arizona Daily Star.
Slightly over one month later The Star was back in its former location, but in a completely remodeled and rebuilt home.
Today, presenting its annual rodeo edition, for the first time since the change, The Star wishes to present to Tucson the staff which furnishes the Old Pueblo with its morning daily and to invite Tucson to visit and inspect its remodeled plant, editorial, advertising and business offices.
Every department finds itself working under improved conditions as the result of changes which have been made in the building following the recent fire.
From the new fire-resistant roof down to the paper storage room in the basement the building has been worked over under the new building code regulations in order to meet the standards of the code. While the work was being done various changes in the arrangement of the rooms were made to give added convenience to the work of the staff.
The business office of the paper, which is the large front room at the street level most often seen by the public, has been completely redecorated and the mezzanine floor, which formerly held the office of the business manager, has been torn out, with consequent improvement in the lighting of the office.
The old dark back stairs which formerly extended to the top of the building have been eliminated and now lead only to a small storeroom for circulation department supplies.
The front stairs, leading to the editorial rooms and the shop, have been redesigned and rebuilt to give easier access to these departments. A storeroom to the east of the old business office has been worked over and now houses the advertising department, which was formerly located on the second floor of the building.
Remodeling of this room has given improved ceiling for the paper storage room. Although remodeling of the pressroom, next to it and under the business office, has not been completed, changes of partitions and walls have been ordered by the building inspector and these changes are expected to be made in a short time.
The basement rooms are now protected by fire doors to prevent the creation of a draft such as made the last fire so disastrous. The elevator shaft which carried the flames to the second floor has been reconstructed and a new elevator installed.
On the second floor, the composing room has been completely rebuilt and the machinery has been rearranged so that the thousands of dollars’ worth of new equipment which was made necessary after the fire can be used to the best advantage.
The stereotype room has been protected by a new fire wall.
In the editorial department, advantage has been taken of the moving of the advertising department to provide additional space. The society department has been moved, as has the office of the editor and publisher. In addition, a large reception room with space for the Happy Days library has been provided.
In the old editorial room, which has been redecorated, the desks have been moved back into the space formerly occupied by the society department and editor’s office and a space at the other end of the room has been provided for an enlarged library for filing of cuts and files of the paper.
