The herald., 1894-04-15
SANTA CRUZ pORNED DOWN.
--+----
The Whole Business Portion Is
Sweep Away.
Neither Water Nor Appliances to
Quench the Flames.
with No Outsne Help and Strong
wind TO Fan tho EIazs the
Town Falls Victim to
the Fire Fiend.
By the Associated Press.

OEuA Hbnb0 buhb tlo nIb 10 hb1oaNVoAF ~
yond control. The water supply has
given out and the frsmen and citizens
are powerless to stop the progress OF the
flames The Western Union telegraph
office has bsen abandoned; also the tele'
phone Office.
Santa Cruz is a pretty little city OF
about 10, 600 inhabitants. and is q popular
summer resort. II is 100 miles from San
Francisco, down the coast, nand had
many fine and substantial business
blocks. 1t is reported that the stand
pipe at the water works bursted today
and the only water obtainable is carried
in barrels from the ocean.
SANTA CRUz, April 14-12 80 q. ma
special to the Examiner says the IRE
started in the f. A. Him building on
Cooper street. The wind was blowing
strongly and quickly famed the fire. to
adjoining buildings. The hames ct
tackled In turn the Leonard, two.story
brick, the Pilot hose house. the Lodge
saloon, Wessidortf & Statfier's two.story
furniture store, and the Hotaling,
three-story brick building. All build
ines in the rear. on Front street. were
then rapidly consumed and the fire
leaned across the street to the Garibaldi
hotel and the China houses adjoining.
The flames spread to the court house
cupola and soon the entire structure WAS
enveloped by the fiery element. The
Odd Fellows' hall, three-story brick,
coon succumbed.
Tremendous efforts were made to save
two-story block on the west side OF the
street. in the hope Of staying the prog
ress of the hames, but it ate its way
through all opposing structures. The
water had been shut off at O'Clock to
repair the mains, and there was abso-
lutely no sufficient means to fight the
fire. The flames rushed along Front
street, consuming the old rookeries and
threatening the Werner block. the Simp-
son two.story brick and the Pease, an
other twn-story building. Thousands OF
people rushed helplessly through the
streets unable to render assistance. 9th
ers entered burning buildings and did
all in their power to save all movables.
The fire ia yet burning.
12:45 a.m.-The fire commenced about
10 O'Clock near the courthouse, and is
burning in a circle. 1t has swept over
half mile of the territory in the heart
OF the business portion, and many OF
the finest buildings in the city have been
destroyed.
The fire department has just succeed
ed in obtaining water, but they can
make no headway against the flames
with the limited apparatus at their COM
paan 'asKSu ID send engines, DuT they
have not yet arrived. The people of
the town are almost panic stricken, and
it is impossible to estimate the loss.
1880 a.m.--The fire is burning ss
fercely as ever. So far about 40 build
ings have been destroyed and still the
work of destruction progresses. The
fire department. can do nothing but
watch the conhagrstion. Special trains
with fire engines on board have left San
Jose and Watsonville, and until they ar
rive nothing can be done to stop the
flames, The fire started at about 10 80
o'clock at the corner of Cooper and Front
streets, and burned down to Pacific
buildings were all licked up
in few minutes and the FIRE reached
the Leonard block, large brick struc-
ture. That went too, and then the
Hotsling block. the finest building in
the city. The city bank was also burned
out. The courthouse, Odd Fellows'
hall, postoffice, Western Union tele.
graph Office and all of Chinatown Buf-
fered the same fate. The fire is approach
ing Wells-Fargo's building. and that will
probably go. The courthouse was worth
$4,000, the Leonard block $4,000, and
the Hotaling block $4,000. The losses
are probably $500 900 already.
2:30 q. m.-The fire RACES az fercely
as ever. and it now seems probable that
it will spread to the west side of Pacific
avenue and thus sweep away the re-
naming business portion OF the town.
Tremendous efforts are now being
made to confine the fire to the east side
of the street, but there are no sufficient
appliances and the task seems almost
hopeless. The flames are now spread
ing north with great rspidity. No help
has arrived from outside points, but
help is momensarily expected from San
Jose and Watsonville. One fortunate
circumstance just now appears to be
that the wind is dying down, though the
lack of wind has by no means been
instrumental so far in staying the ad-
vance OF the flames. So far no fatali-.
ties have been reported, though,
of course, some may have oc-
Cured. The list of important build
inga SO far destroyed is as follows:
County court house, Rice buildings
(three, wooden) Silver building (wood)
The Leonard (brick) Engine and Hose
company building, Weissdorff & Stafiisr
furniture store, Hotaling (brick) Simp-
Bon building, Pease building, Boss sta
bles, GaribaIdi house, all Chinatown.
The fire is now next to the building in
which the Sunset telephone Office 10
located. The manager, Harvey Mead,
has removed all Office apparatus and
furniture except the switch board, and
is still at his post furnishing news OF the
progress of the conhsgration.
3a. m.-The fire is still burning, as
nothing can be done to stay its progress,
the outside help not having arrived yet.
The loss is estimrted ct anywhere from
$500. 900 to $l,000,000. Nothing can be
done but TO let the fire burnitseli out.
3:06 a. m.-.Water has appeared in the
empty mains, but as the city is almost
totally without fire appliances and
mas no department, it is of no
avail. The hope OF subduing the
aames rests upon the arrival OF
Engines from San Jose and Watsonvills,
which are due and momentarily ex.
pected. The citizens are making her
culeRn efforts to prevent the spread
Dt the flames across Pacific avenue,
30 feet wide, and go far have
been successful, but unless help arrives
L Is not belieued they can much longer
make an effective fight. The conhagra-
ion is now confined to the brick
Tease building, which has for the
present acted as a barrier to the
Ire. Aa a00n aa ito ua1lu fall