The record-union., 1898-11-24

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. %. - The
Baldwin Hotel, for almost thirty years
one Of the principal landmarks of San
Francisco, is no more. The fire which
broke out in the east end of the build
ing shortly after o'clock this morn
ing. supposedly in the property-room
of the Baldwin Theater, totally de-
stroyed the immense structure, entail
ing a financial loss of nearly a million
and half of dollars. besides destroy
ing property that no amount of money
or science can replace.
The loss of life so far as reported
has been miraculously light, but two
deaths having occurred as far as
known The list of dead, injured and
missing, so far as known, is as fol-
lows:
Dead: Captain J. L. White. San
Francisco, capitalist: Lewis Myers,
Skaguay, Alaska, merchant.
Injured: f. P Noon, St. Louis, Mo-,
both ankles broken; George Huber, San
Francisco, cut about body; Miss
Bridget Mitchell San Francisco, badly
bruised; Fire Marshal Towe, San
Francisco, cut about head: George
Carroll, cut and burned about hands
and arms.
Missing: J. M. Lighthead San Fran
cisco, purser steamer City of Sydney;
F. r. Andrews. cashier of cafe; Fred
Webster, John Carter race track
judge; Joe Summerfield. bookmaker,
Chicago: - Siler, advertising agent
ST. Louis "Wesliche POST; Mrs. An
drews and two children.
The financial losses are very far
reaching, almost every branch of COM
mercial trade being directly affected.
The ground floor of the hotel was di-
vided into a number of large stores,
and few of their occupants saved any
thing worth mentioning, the majority
reporting total losses. Two of the
most handsome cafes in the city were
gutted and their stocks destroyed.
The Baldwin Theater. the fashion
able amusement place of this city. was
totally destroyed, with the rest of the
building, and the Secret Service
Company, headed by William Gillette.
which was playing an engagement at
the theater lost all its paraphernalia
and accoutrements. Many of the
members of the company lost Of their
belongings. and trunks containing the
official papers of the company were
destroyed.
The flames were confined to the
Baldwin structure. but much adjoin-
ing property was seriously damaged
by water and smoke. The Columbia
building on Powell street. on the west
side of the Baldwin. suffered consid-
erably. and the basement of the Col
umbia Theater, another fashionable
playhouse, was gutted and much val
liable theatrical apparatus destroyed
The Gay Coney Island Company
will lose considerable, and DR.. Free
man, manager of the company, who
was a guest at the Baldwin, lost q
trunk containing valuable papers ano
So. 800 in cash.
There We're upward of 800 guests In
the hotel when the fire was discovered
and the scenes which followed begga1
description The watchmen, bell
boys and other hotel employees worked
nobly in arousing sleeping residents
1t is believed that every person in the
building was apprised Of the danger
within ten minutes after the fire broke
out. but rumors are rife that many OF
those in the east wing, where the
flames We're discovered. were cut OH
from escape and lost How true these
rumors are cannot be definitely tolo
for several days yet, as many parts
of the building have collapsed, bury
ing any who may have been left III
the building under the debris.
force of messenger boys employed
in an all-night office adjoining the no.
ta1 did excellent work in connection
with the warning of guests. and sew
eral brave rescues are credited to the
hovs of the messenger service. In con
iunction with the employees of the ho'
fel the police and firemen. they went
tbro,,eh the building awakening guest:
and aiding them to dress, and render
Inc other assistance. The employees O.
+he hotel are highly praised by th'
Guests and the firemen and police arr
enalron af in UNNECESSARILY compll
,nan+arv terms. Half an hour after TN
erst alarm was sounded IL pollcemel
xvere on the scene of the conhagratlon
Manv of the guests of the hotel ar
Eastern turf men, many of wnom los
all their effects. This hosiery was
favorite stopping place for sportins
peon1e the location being an admirapi
one convenient to all sporting resort
and places of amusement
What the loss of life will be canno
be stated at this writing, but SO Id.
only two deaths have been reporoeu
Captain White, who occupied d room
on the fourth floor was killed wnlf
trying to escape by means OF a rop'
which dangled from the fifth moor al
most to the street below. The rop
had previously done good service, Deins
the means by which five persons es
capped from the burning building
The story of the rope is thrllilns
one. For eight years Kate Richardson
has been an employe of the hotel. oc
cupying room on the fifth floor. F1v'
years ago Miss Richardson, as pre-
cautionary measure in just such al
emergency, procured a lengthy rope
long enough to reach from her room
to the street. When the alarm wa
given Miss Richardson, with the assist
ance of Gussie Johnson, her ehum. Sc
cured the rope to piece of heavy fur
niture and threw the free end out o
the window.
The two girls were about to make tn
descent, when three lady guests rush
ed into the room and begged to b