The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-04-19

of Wing Wo Tai, and was thence
communicated to the large three
story brick building of Wing Wo
Chan. With the burning of the
Bethel Church and the Wing Wo Tai
and Wing Wo Chan buildings, the
crisis of the confagration was reach
ed. 1t was an hour OF terrible sus-
pense. Merchant and Fort streets
were in imminent danger. Thirty
minutes would decide whether only
the Chinese quarters or the whole
city OF Honolulu would next morn
ing be weird wilderness of charred
and smoking ruins.
The phcnomenally perfect calm
which had prevailed all the evening
now changed to barely perceptible
southwest breeze, turning the flames
and flying fragments in the direction
| of the quarters already hopelessly on
fire. Several outrageous giants, in
the rear of the Bethel Church lot, in
terposed their widespreading arms,
between the flames and the two-story
fabric behind the Post Office on one
side of Bethel street, and the Sailors
Home on the other. Connecting
sheds were speedily torn down by the
British tars with axes and hawser,
aided by body of the household
troops, fremen and others. The
Wing Wo Chan building, stocked
with ships cargo of goods, burned
internally like the crater OF vol
cano, while explosions from burning
kerosene sounded like discharges
from battery of artillery. Happily
for the city, the conflagration did not
get across Bethel street or into the
Sailors Home building, and the crisis
had passed in safety so far as Fort,
Merchant and Queen streets were
concerned.
A hard fought battle was main
tanned for three long hours, up to y
o'clock, in the vicinity of the Foun-
dry. Only the outbuildings OF this
establishment were destroyed. En-
gine No. had secured II position ON
the dock near the limekiln, making
sure of an inexhaustible supply of
water, having the Pacific Ocean to
draw from.
All this while, the flames were
sweeping along King street, on both
sides, towards the bridgne. At III ~
precisely, the wall of the last build
ing, on the seaward side, next the
bridge, fell in; the second last house
directly across the street being then
well ignited. These two houses
strange to stay, were saved; and this
morning stand, in grim isolation, on
the corner of some sixty acres OF a
black waste of smoking debris.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
AS the fire advanced along the
| streets, it was preceded and Otter
overlook an indescribable scene
Through the throng of spectators
the occupants of threatened tene
t ments and shops broke their way
; carrying their movable effects t.
, places of safety. Many had wheel
{ barrows and hand carts; more i'm
= provised hand barrows out of doors
{ blinds, reversed tables, and the like
!. bulky articles were carried or dragged
e according to their weight; dray
e were hurrying after loads or movin!
e away heavily laden; from window
+ and verandahs household goods wer
Il thrown into the streets, often strik
Z ing with the sound of crashing glas
e or other fragile material. Above al
!, the roar of the flames and an almos
!, constant fusillade of exploding kerC
e sene, ammunition and fireworks, c
If one or all of which nearly every sho
G seemed to carry large stock.
If Down on the Waikaha}ulu stream
IS from Smiths bridge, an indescribabl
d scene was presented while the flame
!, were still on the conquering mare
n toward Beretania street and tn
q water. The left bank was swarmin
e with natives and Chinese, in tn
h midst of piles of household effect
x Men, women and children wei
d wading and swimming back an
'e forth across the stream, propellin
t. every imaginable sort of float, pile
Is with goods or returning after di
Of charging freight on the opposit
lie flats. There were boats, canoes, r.
r. versed tables, RATS made of pieces
ID furniture, and trunks, all employe
lie in the work of salvage. In one ca'
,e native lad was seen swimmin
le over, propelling what looked like
ne kneading trough, with lively lit
of dog for passenger. Furniture ar
m utensils were hurled from the top
of the bank to those engaged in ii
n, ferriage service below, leaving IL
be latter to take all the care of N
e. being struck with the flying chattel
H. On the large marsh opposite we
heaps of effects in numberless ARA
III surrounded by groups, of every az
IA and sex, in picturesque variety
,n costumes. The whole formed scel
m peculiarly inviting to an artist, b
iiss the pencil was never welded tn
nd could adequately transfer it
he canvas.
~ The sandbar and flats at the hel
T., of the harbor, toward the Oahu ia
- presented an equally striking pictu
,of when the approaching flames dro
os out the inhabitants of that dense
ic populated region-so recently dc
cribed to show nm its llnsanita