The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-12-10
FIRE LAST NIGHT.
The Pacific Navigation COmPany's
Sail Loft Partially Burned.

At FIVE minutes past 9 o'clock last
night an alarm Of fire was rung from the
Bell Tower, and the streets were soon
filed with persons who We're seen to be
hurrying in the direction of the harbor.
The fire had been discovered in an in
cipient stage in the sail loft Of the Pa
cifc Navigation Company's premises,
on Queen street. The building is very
substantial one, the walls being Of stone,
the roof corrugated iron, and the doors
and windows securely fastened with fire
proof iron doors. This prevented the
influx OF the outer air to a great extent,
and the progress Of the fire was there
fore not very rapid. But it also pre-
vented the entrance of the tiremen, the
strenuous efforts with the Ratchet and
pick being futile for a considerable time.
The first to arrive upon the scene was
the Pacific Hose Company No. l, and
few seconds sufficed TO attach their hose
TO the hydrant at the foot OF Nuuanu
street This done, the men promptly
assembled the staircase on the exterior
OF the building, and five minutes after
the alarm had been given the hose was
PLAYING on the roof and outer wall Of the
Eva side. The other fire companies
quickly followed. Companies No. l and
No. , obtained their water supply
from the harbor, while No. / con-
nected with the by Irant at the cor
ner OF Merchant and Nuuanu streets.
The precise locality Of the fire could not
at once be determined, but it was APP
parent that it was confined to the attic,
the floor OF which is on u level with the
caves Smoke was bursting out from the
apertures in all directions, and the IN
terror glow could be distinctly dscerned
in places, though the flames were not at
this time breaking through. Within
very few minutes after the discovery had
been made four hoses were playing upon
the building and had produced a visible
effect For time the inner glow
seemed to disappear, but at half-past 9
a small Jet of flame burst through at the
caves, followed shortly afterwards by a
sudden ebullition at the top OF the gable,
as the roof was now beginning to burn
through This gave free access to the
water which was Immediately directed to
those parts, causing the blaze to disap-
pear. In the meantime a knot OF men
were congregated at the iron door at the
top of the staircase already referred to,
and as the key was not obtainable they
went to work vigorously with hatchets
/ and other implements to break in the
door, but it was about three-quarters
OF an hour before an entrance was effected,
this being the only means OF getting into
the attic. Before this was accomplished,
the doors on the ground floor had been
opened and some of the men got
in at a window on the first floor,
having assembled by ladder, but
this was OF no avail as the fire was con-
fined exclusively to the attic. When
the upper door was broken down a hose
which was in readiness was carried in
side by a number Of willing hands, and
the fire was brought under control and
practically extinguished within an hour
OF its discovery.
Chief Engineer Wilson was on the
spot, and under his direction the fire
men carried out their various functions
with intelligence and no lack OF courage,
many of them mounting the burning
roof.
When the fire had been subdued and
opportunity was afforded OF examining
the extent Of the damage, it was found
that more was occasioned by water than
by fire. The attic had been leased to
two sail makers, who had completed one
set Of sails and had partly finished
another set for the schooner Jennie
Walker These and the entire roof were
: charred The water which had been
/ played upon the burning mass had
/ leaked down through the floors below,
/ in which nothing OF any consequence
+ was stored, on TO the ground floor where
( some 400 bags Of grain, a large quantity
/ Of transient freight and about 80 bags Of
sugar were placed. The whole OF This
/ was more or less soaked. The Office on
4 the ground floor was flooded, and two
men were kept busy sweeping 1t out.
! The room on the Nuuanu street corner
of the building was occupied a.
an Office by the "Kuokoa" news
paper proprietary, and also suffered
considerably by the leakage from above.
. The precise extent Of the damage has
, not vet been ascertained, but as far a.
can be- learned It Is estimated at between
$4,000 and 81 900. The building is in
sured for $4,000 and the merchandise
and furniture for $1,000. The grain,
provisions and transient freight are in
sured for s., 800.
The origin Of the fire is entirely I'M
known. The lessees Of the sail loft
where it was raging left the premises
shortly after ) o'clock in the evening,
taking the keys with them.
L il a curious coincidence that the Pa
cific Hose and Engine Company No. ,
had been engaging in fire drill in the
vicinity an hour or two previously and
had been playing water Oh the building
in question for practice. 1t Is almost a
certainty that the fire must have been
zmouldering, unknown to them, at the
time they we're doing this Wher