Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1898-11-23
HOTEL BURNED.
Terrible Loss Of Life in the
Great COnflasTatiOn.
Hotel a Complete Loss Of Over Three
Million Dollars.
Exciting Scenes At the Big Fire IN the
City Of San Francisco.
HEROIC WORK OF THE F1RIMEu.

San Francisco. Nov 23.-At 3:25 this
morning the Baldwin hotel caught fft,
aud Was entirely destroyed. There were
sOO guests and empl0yes In the hotel
when the tire broke out, and a number
perished. The iife Is said to have started
In the kitchen, located in tie basement,
which worked through dle to the sixth
hlOr, and before the lifst alarm was sent
In II had gained great headway.
Thousands Of people were attracted by
the succession OF alarms and glare from
the burning building, aud almost block
HdCd the streets.
For years the Baldwin has been regard
cd by the fire department as the most
dangerous tire trap In San Francisco.
Butt OF wood, six stories high, with mar.
row and tOrtuUus Railways, lt Is n wonder
half OF the people IN the hotel escaped
They we're slow TO awaken. Many were
eiupsfied by emOks when The police, flrs-
men and hotel employees. hurryiug
through Railways, licked open the doors
When they reached the Windows and fre
escapes here we're no ladders. Many at
tempted 20 jump at were warned not 10
do ~ by the crOwds. lfiremen got up
lacd-Is, rtseuing many.
An explosion Ia the theatre caused
thai portion OF the building TO cave In
There were many people In the upper
halls and corridors the bremen and DO.
leemen trying To lead them 10 the win
COWS. The entire top II or was blazing
mass. Those IN the street. could see
thlOu. b the riffs In the smoke, along the
attic cOfnices. mtn Bnd women clinging
to tbs wood work which already was
beginning 10 rmoulder Streams from
thirty engines were poured In upon the
Liuzihg b.ildiny without apparent ef-
fOf
ExplOsin followed explosion. The
roof COLLAPSED, taxing bach into the
building a humber who had been cling
ing for life to the attic gables. Three
wnmtD appeared on the cOTnica o. the
klfth floor firemen could not reach
them with ladders. Suddenly A. j. White
came out OF n window carrying n small
Trpe. With this he lowered the women
into the arms OF the fremen waiting At
the windows Oh the next door. Then he
started down the rope hand over hand.
Half way down the rope parted, aud the
man who had just saved three lives was
dashed to the pavement u hundred feet
below.
Lucky" Baldwin had narrow escape
from peIishing with his fire. trap. Amid
all the din he slept peacefully until the
room was broken into and he was
dragged from bed.
H. l. Kowalsky, n well known attorney,
was also dragged unconscious from bed.
The building OF the hotel began In
1873 and was Finished In 1877, the cost,
including ground and furniture, being
t3,O00W0 The building was French re
naissanee style with CoTinthian columns
and Mansard roof, ak stories high, with
principal dome 1862 feet high The
hotel o copied "A lot Ht the gore formed
by the intersection Of MAJ ket and Powell
streets. In the building was the Bald
win tn a or. The street Il lOrs were Occu
pied by the hotel offices, bar room aud
stO es
E. j. Baldwin stated this morning that
he carried sl00O00 insurance, but could
not remember in what cOmpanits AZ
9:l0 m. the VI ,Tket street side seemed
TO be crumbling.
The Baldwin thpater was completely
demolished The entire eff cs Of the
Secret Service" company were destroyed
At noon ths Baldwin hot'l is still
burning, hut the fire IL under control.
The number Of lives Lost IL not yet
known. Only two are de6sitely known,
A. j white and LO Ia Meyer, cigar deal
from hea disease. caused by excitement.
The hotel ia a total loss, 4. j. Baldwin
II nrOatrated.
Baldwin SAYS he will not be able 10
estimate the loss for several days. II. ".
Lake, manager OF the hotel, barely man
Bged 10 get Ou with his wife and child.
He save thIe were 302 guests.
CPirOl ID. Gavin, mining engineer
Of else, Idaho. who occupied rooms on
ne ffin floor, was sleeping sOundly,
totally unaware Of the calamity going on
around him, when awakened by the
wtchman When he opened his door the
flame famed by Il draught from many
open doors, confronted him. hat fOrtun
ately the flames CrPpt upwards and bend
ing low he made rush for the elevator,
which he reached almost simultaneously
with lady bearing an infant. The ele
yatoT WAS just descending when Calvin
called the elevator hoy TO stop. The
young man took chance and opened the
door Calvin assisted the lady and child
into the cage and then managed "a
squRRsa himself into the already over
crowded ear. Down the heavily laden
cage shot TO the first floor without stop