The morning call., 1894-04-15
A FIERCE FIRE.
Santa Cruz All in
Ashes.
EVERYTHING Is GONE.
1t Started Late in the
Evening
AND BURNED IN A CIRCLE.
Big Business Blocks All Swept
Away.
The COURT HOUSE ALSO GONE.
All Sorts of Structures Crumble, and
Chinatown Has Been Com
pleteIy Destroyed.
1E COURT HOUSE ALSO GONE.

SANTA CRUZ, April 15-12:45 A. NJ
TBy telephone - a fire broke out near
the Coult house shortly before mid
night and has been burning in circle.
II has swept over half a mile OF
territory, and many of the finest buildings
in the city have been destroyed. The Fire
Department has just succeeded in obtain
ing water. but they can make no headway
against the flames with the limited appa-
ratus at their command. San Jose has
been asked to send engines, but they have
not yet arrived. The people of the town
are almost panic stricken.
SANTA CRUZ. April 15-1: 80 A. M.-The
fire is burning as fercely as ever. So far
about forty buildings have been destroyed
and still the work of destruction pro-
crosses.
The Fire Department can do nothing
but watch the confiagtation. Special
trains, with fire engines Oh board, have
left San Jose and Watsonville, and until
they arrive nothing can be done to stop
the flames.
The fire started at about 10:S0 o'clock at
the corner of Cooper and Front streets,
and burned down TO Pacific avenue. First
a row of frame buildings were licked
up in few minutes, and the fire reached
the Leonard block. large brick structure.
That went too. and then the Hotaling
block, the finest building in the city.
The City Bank was a go burned out. The
Courthouse, Old Fellows Hall. postoffice.
Western Union telegraph Office and all of
Chinatown suffered the same fate.
The fire is approaching Wells Fargo's
building aud that will probably go.
The Courthouse was worth $50, 600. the
Leonard block $4,000 and the Hotaling
block $4,000. The losses are probably
$4,000.
SANTA CRUZ. April 15.-At 2:20 A. NJ
be fire is raging as fercely as ever, and 1t
now seems probable that 1t will spread TO
the west side of Pacific avenue and thus
sweep away the remaining business p0r-
tion of the town.
Tremendous efforts are now being made
to confne the fire to the east side of the
street, but there are not sufficient appli-
ances and the task seems hopeless.
The flames are now preading north with
great fapidity. No help has arrived from
ou side points. but help is momentarily
expected from San Jose and Watsonviie.
One fortunate circumstance just now
appears 10 be- that the wind is dying
down, though the lack of wind has by DO
means, so far. been instrumental in stay
ing The advance of the flames.
So Tar no fatalities have been reported.
though OF course some may have occurred.
The list Of important buildings so far de-
stroyed is as follows:
County Courthouse, rice buildings (three
wooden). Silver building wood Leonard
building (brck). engine and hose C .mpany
building, Weissendorff 81 Staffier's furni-
ture-store, Hotaling building (hrickJ. SimD-
son building. Pease building. Russ stables,
Garibaldi House, all Chinatown.
The fire is now next to the building sin
which the Sunset Telephone Office is lc-
Gated. The manager, Harvey Mead,
has removed all the Office appliances
and furniture except the switchboard and
is still at his post
SANTA CRUZ. April 15-3:05 A NJ
Water has appeared in the empty mains.
but, as the city is almost totally without
fire appliances and has no department, it
is Of no avail.
The hope of subduing the flames rests
upon the arrival of engines from San Jose
and WatsOnville, which are due and are
momentarily expected.
Citizens are making herculean efforts to
prevent the spread of the flames across
Pacific avenue, 80 feet wide, and so far
have bean successful, but unless help ar
riVes it is not believed they can much
longer make an effective fight
The conf1agration is now confined to the
brick Pease building. which has for the
present acted as Barrier to the fire, but
as soon as its walls fall, which must be
soon, it will spread further to Wells,
Fargo & Co.'s and other buildings.
If the fire can be confined to the east
side of Pacific avenue there is hope that
the confagration will burn itself out in
couple of hours.
The resid ence portion of the town has
not been touched.
The ruins now cover about four acres,
and the loss may be roughly estimated at
from $500, 900 to S1.00U,00O
The telephone Office Is in imminent dan
ger and will doubtless go soon.