The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1898-12-06
Fire Destroys Notable San Fran.
cisco nelel.
INEAvfR IS OoMt ALSO
Several Livss Lost structure Was
aFire Trsp-"lvoky" Baldwin
AZ Hard.


The BsId~in hotel Il ruin. The most
tremendous CONFEDERATION that has ever
happened in san Francisco hurst forth
In the Baldwin hotel shortly after 3
o'clock this morning From the very
interior OF the building a shaft Of fire
assembled with tremendous volume. and
the sky burst forth into thousands of
falling sparks.
Terrified inmates Of the hotel rushed
from the building and crash after
crash was heard as explosives In the
theater told the progress Of the fire and
the imminent danger OF those who were
within the structure. The flames roar
ed and twisted and mounted scores Of
feet above the building, and long be-
fore the firemen were at the scene the
building was hopelessly lost
The tremendous fire, having its orig
in in the theatsr, attacked what is
known as the Baldwin annex, and then
spread with inconceivable rapidly to-
ward the Ellis street side OF the Bald
win hotel. In a very few minutes the
firemen we're at the scene, and on Ellis
street they saw the figure of woman
outlined against the sky and the seeth-
ing mass OF crimson flames as she
sought, almost hundred feet above
the ground, to escape with her life.
The ladders OF the firemen were
placed with inconceivable rapidity
against the side OF the building. The
shadowy figures OF men mounted the
ladders. The woman, who was stand
ing on the very verge of the tremen-
dous fiery furnace. was grasped In
somebody's arms, while thousand
voices gave vent TO tremendous cheer
as one life was saved from the build
ing.
While this incident attracted the at
tention OF thousands on Ellis street
glass was crashing. walls were falling,
floors we're tumbling and the boom OF
each resounding crash told OF the
crumbling OF the great structure on
Eddy and Market streets. Men and
women were rushing from the build
ing with what clothes they could gath
er amid the hasty warnings Of APP
preaching death, and the waters Of the
engines were plying Intellectually upon
the terrible furnaces that ate the heart
out Of the building.
At fifteen minutes to o'clock part
Of the two upper stories OF the Baldwin
hotel crashed outward and tremen-
dous sheet OF fame descended to the
street.
The police had warned the thousands
that had gathered around the building
to retire to Powell street, and no one
was injured in the crash. Flames burst
forth from Powell and Ellis street, and
at each moment it seemed as If the
great cupola would crumble.
The scene as the side wall on the
Powell street side of the building
crashed TO the ground was magnificent
A myriad OF stars spangled into the air
and 1t seemed as II the very heavens
were falling in sparks. From adjoin-
ing buildings stream after stream was
poured upon the burning building, but
each Jet OF water seemed to add fury to
the flames, and great masses of black
smoke arose to serve only as back
ground for new jets of living fire that
twisted and turned and licked the su.
perstructure until 1t crumbled and
spread in glittering masses OF fame on
the streets.
There has never been in San Fran
cisco a confagration OF such dramatic
interest where the lives OF SO many
men and women were involved and
where so many escaped unscathed from
a furnace that surged upward until the
very sky itself seemed in flames.
SAN FRANCISCO, November "a
The number OF lives lost in the Bald
win hotel fire will not be definitely
known until the debris has been clear
ca away. oO thc ucdth iiss eoh'oihs
only two names, but at least six people
who were known to have been ASLEEP
when the fire broke out are missing
Anxious friends and relatives hav'
searched increasingly since yesterda!
morning, but no traces OF the missini
ones have been found. 1t seems almos
certain that they persisted. Every ef
fort within human power was made t.
awaken all the 600 people who slep
over the awful crematory, and ever,
one hoped no further fatalities woult
be reported.
Estimates place the aggregate los!
by the fire at 100000 TO $4,000, 900
with light insurance.
Il. J. Baldwin Is the heaviest loser
and the severity OF the blow may b,
greater than he can bear. It Is believ
ed that his old-time friends. men whom
he assisted in the trying days of tn.