The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-06-03
OIL WENT UP.
A BIG BLAZE ALL DAY
TUESDAY.
The Government Kerosene Ware
house in Ruins.
About Thirty-five Thousand Cases of
Oil Destroy ed Kerosene Ad-
yanced to Ten Dollars
Per Case.
OIL WENT Up.

/ OF James Mott, Jr were at work solder
| ing leaking kerosene tins at the Govern
| ment Kerosene Warehouse back of ka
| waiahao church on South street. Shortly
before y O'Clock a workman took hold
| OF the soldering furnace to move it else
where, the furnace being not the EN-
pIoyee grasped it with hand full Of
waste SO as not TO burn his hand. By
this precaution to save his hand, the
| city saw as big fire as ever before wit
SO much kerosene that none can be had
for love and precious little for money.
The soldering was being done in a
wooden shed few teet from the main
building, on the makai-W Waikiki side.
The floor or ground was saturated with
oil that had leaked from the damaged
tins. No sooner had the bunch of waste
caught fire than the lad dropped it, and
as some said, ran out. The oil soon
ignited, enveloping the she'd in flames
that soon spread TO the warehouse,
which was fired as If it were covered
with layer OF powder. 1t was quickly
done.
The alarm was turned in at once for
the fire boys who, as usually the case
with them, promptly responded. The
disgust of the fremen was strongly ex-
pressed when the plugs were ioosened
and there was no water; the engines
pulled and suorted, but all in vain
there was not 6. large enough stream to
put out a bonfire, hardly enough to
sprinkle the bremen, at their duty, in
order co keep them from roasting. Even
had there been good supply of water,
1t would have been OF no use, as it could
not have played On the fire inside, which
soon ragged so fiercely that Madam Pele
would have looked on with considerable
pleasure.
Besides the kerosene there were sew
ersl hundred drums of gasolene, some
OF which were removed by the workmen
before the fire had reached the part OF
the building In which they were placed.
The crowd that gathered expected every
moment to see terrific explosion. I'm
daunted by this fear many approached
near the burning building, only to beat
retreat, as precipltate as that OF the
Union soldier at the first Battle OF Bull
Run, when the drums began to explode
and shoot through the air, regardless of
where they might strike One OF the
drums struck corner OF Mr.. j. Magoon' s
house, shaking il as if stormed at with
shot and shell. The drums flew in sew
eral directions; one started out to check
the crowd that was gathering on Queen
street This was effectuaIly done. None
approached from that direction till the
shooting was over. While this was GO
ing on, around the corners of buildings,
ETC., could be seen peeping the heads of
MANY OF the less brave Not content
with the firing at Mr.. Magoon's house,
the supporters at one time OF one or the
hoses turned the stream into that gentle
mans ear The ear was OF an ordinary
size, but the stream of water was small,
so he was only sprinkled.
The firemen were powerless to do any
thing for want of water; all that could
be done was to gaze upon the scene. The
scene was both lively and hot; so hot,
that when In full blast the heat twisted
and melted the corrugated iron roof al
most as If it were lead. Occasionally a
part OF the roofing fell in or a new lot of
cases were reached by the flames then
the volumes OF smoke, dense at any
time, would assume such proportions and
fantastic, ever-changIng form as to make
the sight awe-InspirIng as well as beau
tiful. 1t was grand sight, one that gave
the people here an idea OF what an i'm
mense oil conhagration is like in the oil
fields OF the East.
The houses near the burning ware
houses were at times heated to such an
extent that only spark was needed to
set them ablaze. Happily for their
owners, and perhaps for large part OF
the town, there were no sparks flying
and very little wind the wind that was
blowing was IN the direction OF the va
can't lots. Had there been much wood
used in the construction OF the building,
there is hardly a doubt but q great por
ton OF that end OF town would BE- in
ashes now. The building was a stone
and brick one with corrugated iron roof.
It was little over 200 feet long by 50
wide. The kerosene cargOes of the late
vessels in port were stored there To the
number of about 35 coo cases, which at
present prices would have been worth
about 500, 900, or rather would sell for
that.
Inc greater part OF the oil belonged to
the Standard Oil Com pany; Measrs.
Castle & Cooke, Hawaiian agents for this
corporation, controlled IL 900 cases
Messrs. Brewer & Co., also agents for the
same, had 1892 cases. These two
firms import about $1,000 cases each
year, so this loss is nearly hall their
yearly importation. Messrs. II. Hack
field & Co. were losers TO the extent Oh
,2OO and few odd cases, with no iDsur-
ance The only firm insured was the
Pacific Hardware Company, VINO had
81 900 insurance on $50 cases in the
Fireman's Fund Company, Bishop &
Co, agents for the Islands. The Ha-
waiian Hardware CONS any lost 300; t.
H. Davies & Co the same nun Der. Two
or three Chinese firms had stored in the
warehouse from 800 to 600 cases. In all
there was not more than 5000 cases OF
kerosene destroyed. There were 200 ten
gallon drums OF gasoline stored there, a
number OF which were saved.
The books of the warehouse were
saved they were taken from the Office
in the large building No safe could
have lasted intact through such fire.
Mr.. McKeagne, me Keeper Of the ware
hon g was in the office Of Castle &
Cooke, collecting fees at the time Of the
breaking out OF the FIRE.
For some time connection on num-
her Of the telephone wires can bot be
had az the wires are down in front Of the
ruins.
Hardly had the FIRE become known
than many enterprising tfor themselves)
tradeapeople skipped on hunt for kero-
sene, buying up all the oil that could be
had before it was generally known that
there would be aiamine in that article.
Those who sold, tbiDking they were for