The Hawaiian gazette., 1883-07-04
A Big Rlazn.

One of the city police officers while patrolling
his beat on King street, on tina early morning (2S5
o'clock ofthe 18th ut had his attention attracted
by light in the hay, grain feed and grocery store
Of c. F. Wolfe, No. King street. Investigating,
be found that IRE was in progress in the interior
and he summoned to his aid two other native po-
lice officers The three burst the door in and then
went with buckets to the different water taps in
the vicinity and to the hydrant in the yard of Ma
ior Gulick, endeavoring to obtain sufficient
quantity Of water to quench the flames, which at
this time might easily have been done. Their
search was in vain no water being obtaInable and
Captain Mehrtens and Mr.. II. Mcintyre arriving
an alarm was rung in from Engine No. Us and also
from the Police Station. In the mean time the
FIRE had assumed larger proportions, and those
present being pOwerless to stop its progress, on
account of the lack of water, the whole interior OF
the store abiaze, and long lurid lines of flame
darted outward and toward the paint shop OF
Mr.. Z. G. Rowe, situated on the Eva side OF the
burning building and the brisk breeze blowing
frow the northward famed the flames into great
sheets, that soon attacked the residence of Major
Gulick, situated the Waikiki side, and the car
penter shop of Mr.. L. Way located in the rear. A
number OF residents who had been awakened by
the alarm and were first on the ground effected an
entrance into the paint shop of Mr.. Rowe and sue
ceeded in passing out and saving some 500 worth
of his stock. Entrance was forced into the resi-
dence of Major Gulick, both the Major and his
wife being ut their country residences at hallhI,
and by hard labor and some considerable risk the
party succeeded III saving 4 considerable portion
of wearing apparel, furniture, and piano. The
fire however, was making such rapid progress both
in front and rear that but little opportunity was
given TO save the more bulky articles. Within ten
minutes from first catching fire. the dwelling house,
paint shop aud carpenter shop were all ablaze,
the fiTemen. who responded promptly to the alarm,
standing helpless by their empty hose lines and
a. sn -. NNaa
rear of the carpenter shop consisting of light wood
en- native dwellings, commenced to catch ire and
the utmost CONSERVATION spread amongst jewellers
on Merchant street, between Fort and Alakea, who
for the most part began to move their household
goods to more safe locations. wooden dwelling
occupied by Capt. Lorenzo MRrchant, now caught
fire, also one directly in the rear of Major Gu
ticks residence and large two story wooden bull
ding situated next TO Levers a Cookies lumber
yard, was discovered TO have also caught FIRE,
in different places the roof Still no supply of
water, and the prospects seemed to point TO the
total destruction Of the lumber yard mentioned,
and great fears were entertained of most disas-
trous conhagration. Engineer Mott dispatched
some men with buckets of water to the roof of the
two story building mentioned, Who succeeded IN
putting out the flames that were there apparent,
and also placed men on lumber piles in Messrs.
Levers d Cookies yard, iii charge of Capt. Penhal-
low of the Hope, and commanding full sweep of
the seemingly doomed house. Engineer Wilson
had placed one hand engine and one steam engine
III proper positions, and from one OF these, No. 4.
was obtained the first water thrown on the fire, at
BIS twenty minutes after the arrival of the engine.
From the other engines no water could be obtain
ed on account Of the lack of supply, and things
looked dubious. At 3.25 a shout from the hOsemen
of China No. attracted attention TO them, and 1t
was seen that they were throwing strong heavy
stream Of water on the remains of the dwelling of
Capt Marchant and were doing good work. The
stream was momentarily directed by the Chief to
the large woo.ien building spoken of which
soon thoroughly drenched. The buildings which
had caught fire Wolfe's, Ways, Rowe's, Gulick's
and a dwelling owned by native named kanuha,
were at this time shapelcss mass of burning lum-
Der and the breeze having died out the fire
quickly under control and soon extinguished, the
smoking ruins being left to tell to early risers the
tale of a fire which had been vanquished more by
the aid of Providence, IL the wind lulling, than
by the appliances usually at command Of man.
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