The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1883-06-28
THE FIRE FIEND'S
FELL DEEDS.

S.Os>A
morning air and startled the deni-
zens of the lower part Of the city.
The fire was seen issuing from the
rear of Wolfe's grocery and feed
store on King street The flames
soon got in their work on that
and quickly spreading with the aid
of moderate trade breeze, seized
on Rowe's paint shop, spread thence
to the residence of c. Il. Gulick,
ESQ. ON the other side of Wolfe's.
Before this number of people
had gathered round and soon the
engines arrived, but owing to the
water being shut off at night were
useless until it was turned on. En-
gineer Wilson placed No. 4 engine
at the cistern, corner of Merchant
and Alakca SITS, supplied from the
Government House artesian well,
and water was soon forced through
the pipes and directed OH the burn
ing buildings. BY about $500 the
water arrived, the delay being caus-
ed by the lower reservoir being en-
tirely empty, and having to be filled
No. 5 was the first to get a stream
on from this supply.
In the meantime those OH hand ex-
crted themselves to save what they
could from the burning buildings,
and Capt. Mehrtens, Messrs. Frank
Godfrey, Meyerdick, F. Wunden-
berg and others broke into Mr.. Gu
lick's and saved quite considerable
amount of valuable property from
the drawers, &c. But the fire spread
so rapidly that they were forced out
by the fierce heat. At this time the
wind freshened and fears were enter
tained for the safety of Levers &
Cookies lumber yard and the build
ings in the rear on Merchant street,
the lack Of water rendering the fire
men almost powerless. By 1925
water was in sufficient force to give
pretty powerful streams, and the
wind having gone down little, our
brave fire-laddies got the fire under
control, saving building next the
lumber yard, which twice caught
fire. The rapidity of the fire may
be judged when we say that by $3.50
Wolfe's Store, Rowe's shop, Ways
carpenter shop and G. L. Gulick's
residence and number of out build
ings in the rear were burnt to the
ground, mass of smouldering ruins.
Engineer Wilson, after attending
to the placing of the engines him
self, rode at breakneck speed to the
water works to see that his orders
had been carried out, and found the
delay caused as already stated. The
fire might have been put easily un-
der control near the start had there
been sufficient force of water, and
this would have been the case if the
pump had been at work at Makiki,
which has been so long delayed by
the dilatory action of the Minister
of the Interior. Honolulu No. l
We're all ready but the lack Of water
prevented them having first stream.
In fact all of the Fire Department
worked CALAMITY under their fore
men and the Board of Engineers. A
detachment of marines and sailors
from the Essex and 22 soldiers under
Major Kinimaka did good service.
Minister Kapena was present and
heard the curses ON the Government
about the water supply. The cause
of the fire and the amount Of loss
are unknown yet. Major and Mrs
Gulick were at Kalihi at the time and
knew nothing of it. People on
Merchant street moved out and the
street was lined with goods Fire
caught Oh the rear of j. l. Dow
sctt's and the BULLETIN Office, but
,rnc ,,non,nfl. nut OUT Indar fha Ill