The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1894-07-18
PANAMA's GREAT FIRE.
Caused by Woman's Love and
Superstition.

SuIOnlcIe, OTOuRnt tne particulars
Of the big FIRE on June Nth, which
nearly destroyed the town. From
all accounts the reports of the con-
hagration were not exaggerated. On
the contrary, the story of damage
aud desolation was but half told.
The fire, like the great Chicago con-
hagration, was caused in measure
by q woman. Mrs. O'Leary's COW
started the blaze in Chicago, but the
cause, so to speak, 10 the Panama
case was a policeman. An officer in
Panama is looked up to by the ma
tives aud he cuts swell there
among the women in particular.
The COW kicked over a lamp, but
the policeman only kicked over the
traces. He deserted the woman who
lived with him for the charms of
another more fascinating native. The
inhabitants of Panama are a very
superstitious race, believing in
charms and love philters. The
abandoned girl could not get near
enough to her faithless swain to ad-
minister a love potion, SO she pro-
ceeded to charm him back to her.
She consulted a learned doctor
and was told that If she burned
candles and made offerings her re-
creant lover would return. She fol-
lowed the advice, but although she
sacrificed box of candles she
watched and waited in vain. She
left two candles burning June nth.
and went up into the town. The
jet from one OF the candles caught
the bed.clothing and soon the house
was in flames. The alarm was given,
but there were no facilities for put
ting out the fire, and the crowd
which gathered could do nothing
but raise a din and make matters
worse. The house was located down
near the beach, in the quarter of the
poor, where the dwellings are com
posed OF wood aud adobe.
The natives soon found sonnet hing
else to do besides jabberiug about
the misfortunes OF the unforiu innate
and unloved woman. A light breeze
was blowing from the ocean, and the
flames were soon carried on the
wings OF the wind to all portions Of
the beach quarter. The natives be-
came almost frantic. They rushed
into their houses, the women aud
children huddling together, aud
rushed out again without accom-
plishing anything.
Then the men began To see that
the entire quarter was bound to go.
They ordered the women indoors,
aud all hands were soon busted
clearing the dwellings Of their be-
longings. Personal effects, bedding
and other articles Of household fur.
ni,ure were thrown out Of the doors
aud windows and piled up in heaps
Oh the roadside.
The FIRE was discovered at 1 u clock
in ths afternoon, and by : that night
at least $50 homes were in flames or
ia ashes. There seemed To be no
head to the town, and nobody ap-
peared TO know what To do. Finally
dispatch was sent to Colon Ia
Master Mechanic Watt Of the Pa
mama Railroad Company. Ho i'm.
mediately started special train
with good. sized crew across the
isthmus, arriving at Panama about
lO:3o o'clock.
BY that time the poor quarter OF
the town had been completely
Quilted. Two big merchandise stores
and the police station had been
swallowed up by the flames. The
fire was raging iiercely and making
its way toward the more prosperous
part OF the town.
There are said To he nj least 25,.
900 inhabitants in Panama, but OF
this number very few are Europeans
The natives were simply powerless
to help Themselves during the pro,
gress Of the fire. Watt saw IN q
moment what had to be done. The
breeze was still favorable, for il had
not increased in force, and this was
the only thing that saved the town
The crew Of the train had been pro
vided with axes, aud Watt set them
at work cutting down the houses
which stood in the path OF the con,
flagration. The only chance in the
world WAS to let the fire burn itself
out, aud this could only he done by
taking away its fuel. Watt called
on others to assist him in his work
and as soon as leader was found
there was no trouble getting follow
ers. The owners Of the houses
which were demolished by the a,
and pick set up howl, but no at
tention was paid to their objections
and the work OF destruction went Oh
, right aud left until IA big gap wa,
formed between the flames aud the
: town proper.
, The fire did not die out until tn,
| next morning, and then it was founC
! that the loss to property had beer
) very great. Between 200 aud Bon
! homes had been destroyed and tina
number 81 families made desolate.
The authorities, who had beef
powerless To act while the flame
, we're eating into the town, were yer,
lofty in their official zeal after tn,
. danger had passed. An inquiry wa
y made, aud the origin Of the fire wa
located The story Of the sinpl
woman was learned, and she wa
o charged with having caused the fire
Y She was dragged before a magistra
for a preliminary hearing and wa
!, treated very roughly, When tn
ProgresO left Panama the unfortun
ate woman was in prison awaiting
her trial upon what charge she knew
n not,