Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1885-05-09
Disastrous pire and Loss Of Life.

Disastrous gire and Loss Of Lbe.
Another Of those destructive fires, which /
have so recently occurred in this city, broke |
out on Sunday at 2:5s \. NJ, destroying large |
amount of property and iniieting loss Of life.
When first discovered the flames were seen
issuing from the southwest end Of Mr.. Henry |
F. Bertelmann's carpenter shop, No. Ia7 Fort
street, formerly the Enterprise Planning Mill |
The alarm was first given by a native police
man, stationed at the corner Of King and
Bethel streets, and quickly repeated from the
police station. 1t was fully five minutes,
thereafter, before the bell.tower gave the alarm.
The fire department was speedily on the
ground and did heroic work. Too much
praise cannot be awarded for the untiring
energy and skillfuness with which they bat.
tied with the flames and confined the fire
within a comparatively limited space. Engine
No. was the first to throw water. A high
wind from the northwest carried the sparks
and cinders rapidly over the houses to con.
siderable distance from the scene of the fire,
necessitating many Of the neghboring residents
to deluge their roofs with water TO prevent
ignition.
The destruction caused by the fire is as fol-
lows
The residence of Mr.. John S. Shane, bar.
keeper Of Commercial Club rooms, No.
ia9 Fort street, recently occupied by
| DR.. !. Brodie, was badly destroyed, and
only portion Of the furniture on the first
floor, was saved. MIR. Shane also los, SI6o
in coin, beside nearly all the clothing Of him.
self and family; no insurance. Mr.. Frank J.
Higgins. proprietor Honolulu Carriage Re
lost $40 in coin and jewery and all Of his
clo,hing not insured. The premises was
owned by Mrs. Charles G.. Hansmann.
Mr. Henry F. Bcrtemann's carpenter shop,
No. I27 Fort Street, was totally destroyed
with all the material therein. Insured for
5000. Premises owned by Mrs. Murhead.
Mr.. Robert Donnolly-proprietor Of The
confectionery, soda water, etc.
establishment, and Rose Cottage Lodging
House, No. 1873 and Izs Fort Street, had his
entire property destroyed, barely escaping with
his family, as the flames so rapidly swept over
the cottage in which they were living. Mr..
Donnoly estimates his loss as over SC, 900.
Insured for ST., 500 in South British and
National Fire and Marine Insurance Com
panes of New Zealand, and S., 400 in The
Hartford Fire Insurance Company of Hartford,
Connecticut, c. o. Berger, agent. Mr..
Donnolly also lost 500 in notes and coin. The
premises was owned by Judge II. A. Wide
mann, excepting some of the rooms back o
Rose Cottage and the soda works, which wer,
built by Mr.. Donnolly at his own expense.
Mr.. James Dodd-proprie'or of tn,
Pantheon Stabes-almost miraculously, agar
, escaped total destruction. The entire side o
his building adjoining Mr.. Donnoy's premise
was burned out, with some IS or 20 stalls ii
the rear of Mr.. Donnolys store. Dodd'
had the side and front badly damaged by tn
fire.
:, As soon the fire was discovered NJ
Dodd's men cut the haters to the horses ant
turned them lose on the streets. All but tw
. have since been recovered. The carriages
: harness, ETC., were rapidly removed from tn
stables, and scattered in all directions, so tina
Mr.. Dodd cannot yet correctly estimate hi
y loss, but is fully insured.
There were also several cottages in Fowler
: Yard, adjoining the rear Of the burnt premises
" which were partially destroyed by the flames
> and some of the furniture was destroyed, bu
the loss was comparatively trihing.
During the progress of the fire the flame
swept across For. street, and badly burned tn
front and roof Of the Honolulu Carrag
> Repository, blis,ering the paint on some Of Il,
carriages, and destroying most Of the paintin
- materials on the second floor. Mr.. Higgir
= cannot yet correctly estimate his loss, but
insured for S., 200, in insurance companies (,
whom c. o. Berger is agent.
The fronts Of the shop of Mr.. ]. ID. Lam
- proprietor of the marble works, and the paiI
shop adjoining, were also blistered and pant
- ally destroyed by the flames, but no serio,
~ loss entailed.
The most calamitous event of the fire, hoy
3 ever, was the horrible death of Edward Ge
y, stall, one Of the apprentices from the U. S.
Hartford, whose body was found, after Il
- fire, badly burned, lying in the ruins Of Ro
Cottage, where he had roomed with two mes
- mates, on the night Of the FIRE. Space W
u not now a6mit Of detailed report of Il
~ manner Of his death but we give a brief Oh
line of the evidence taken at the Coroners
Nv quest, held by Deputy Marshall David Dayto
So acting as Coroner, with Mr.. Frank Godir
~ as clerk, who has courteously furnished
y, :, with his testimony. The following gentlem
~ acted as Jurors, Messrs. Frank Higgins, FL
,o' Wundenburg, NJ. Grossman, ]. II. Bruins, ]
-" II. Zerba and Henry Davis.
are Robert Donnolly testified that, ",hree m
er. of-wars men came to his cottage on the MIG
&C of the fire at 1890 o'clock, seeking room
n. He placed two Of the men in one room in
a, main building. and the sailor that was burns
in a room off the veranda, on the makai 81
or Of the same house They shortly went {
of saying they were going to the theatre and
os turned perfectly sober. Mr.. Donnolly III
os retired, and was awakened by these two II
M crying out, "hre;" understood the men to
nd they had awakened their companion, and 81
,lv posed that he, also, had escaped, as there v
N. plenty Of time for him 10 have done So"
md Edward Butcr--one Of the two sail
i,h who escaped-tes,itied that, she and
messmates roomed at Rose Cottage-.wo
them roomed together and he was the first
+ awake and give the alarm Of fire /; told
,ol shipmate to go to the room OF Edw,
no Gertal and awaken him ii; his mate
~. turned and said he had awoke Ger
oo, who replied, all right. The corner Of
room they had occupied was on lire and tn
was n dense smoke so left in n hurry :