Virtual Reward-Parque de Bombas de Ponce
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The Parque de Bombas is a historic firehouse building in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It is one of Puerto Rico's most notable buildings, with some considering it "by far the most easily recognized landmark in the Island." It is located at the Plaza Las Delicias town square, directly behind the Ponce Cathedral. The building housed the city's main fire station for many years, and it is now a museum that you can visit free of charge from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, 7 days a week. Its name comes from the mobile hand-pumped fire fighting units the building once housed. It was Puerto Rico's first ever fire station and it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on 12 July 1984.
Some History:
In 1882, held in Ponce, was a Great Exhibition Fair, a memorable event where art and industry of Puerto Rico were represented. The fair was sponsored only by the Southern City’s Municipal Corporation.
In 1883 another fair was held entitled: Tobacco Agricultural and Industrial Exhibition and Don Máximo Meana y Guridi designed the pavilion for this great Exhibition Fair. It’s in this year that the City Council understands the importance of the Fire Department, who since 1846 had protected Ponce from fires and disasters and proceeds to reorganize that body. Under the zeal of Don Máximo Meana y Guridi, then mayor and coronel, the Firehouse moved to this building, the pavilion where most of the exhibits of the Fair of Ponce took place.
The building continued to serve the city of Ponce until 1990, lasting a total of 108 years as a fire station. On that year, the station's fire-fighting duties were fully transferred to another nearby station, and the building was officially converted into a fire-fighting museum, the architect in charge of its restoration was Pablo Ojeda O'Neill. Nowadays, a photo of the 1883 firefighters hangs on the walls of the Parque de Bombas building and various artifacts used by the 1882 fire brigade are on display at the current museum.
The fire of January 25, 1899:
On January 25, 1899, soon after the end of the Spanish-American War, American troops still occupied most parts of the island including Ponce. There, at Comerío st., was their artillery headquarters called among the locals as “El Polvorín” were they stored their arms and munitions. Inside there was a section used as stable were they had the horses and mules used to move the cannons and other pieces of artillery. On the night of January 25, a fire started at the stables and there was a great risk that it could move to the area were the munitions were stored, creating an explosion that could blow to pieces much of the city.
Despite the risk that this represented, military authorities ordered the fire department to not engage in the firefight. But 7 active firefighters, under the initiative of a citizen who was with them, decided to disobey the orders and entered the stables. They then identified the fire, controlled it and moved the ammunition boxes away of it.
Rafael Rivera Esbri was the citizen who convene the firefighters and ask them to follow him, he later became mayor of Ponce from 1915 to 1917. He was also actor Benicio del Toro’s great grandfather.
After the heroic act, military authorities accused them of insubordination, but a citizen commission intervened and instead declared Juan Romero, Rafael Del Valle, Cayetano Casals, Pedro Sabater, Gregorio Rivera, Pablo Ruiz, Tomás Rivera and Rivera Esbri as heroes.
To properly claim this virtual cache you must send the answers to the following questions via Messages on the phone app or the “Message the owner” button on the web page:
1) One of the heroes of the January 25, 1899 fire was the great grandfather of which famous Puerto Rican actor?
2) On the second level of the museum to the left are some frames on the wall showing the chronology of the Ponce fire department. Who was the department chief in 1903?
3) What’s the number of the Engine Co. in the truck at the entrance?
4) Where can I find the display of the bells, axes and hats?
If you log the find before submitting your answers, you'll have a week to submit them or YOUR LOG WILL BE DELETED, NO EXCEPTIONS.
Virtual Reward - 2017/2018
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between August 24, 2017 and August 24, 2018. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards on the Geocaching Blog.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Lbh zhfg ragre gur zhfrhz gb nafjre fbzr bs gur dhrfgvbaf, bcra rirelqnl sebz 9:00 nz gb 5:00 cz.