The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-12-02
A BIG BLAZE IN FRISCO.
The Famous Baldwin Hotel and
Theater in San Francisco a
Mass of Ruins.
TWO LIVES KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN LOST

One OF the Victims. \. ,. white. Had just
Succeeded In saving the Lives Of Three
Women "I.ucky" wins Luck Didn't
Desert him lie Escaped suffocatton bs
Close Margin.
San Francisco. NOV. 24.At b: IS H.
M. the baldwin hotel caught fire. and
il has been entirely destroyed. There
were 500 people, observation-disclosures
in the hotel when the fire broke out,
and a number of these people are
thought TO have lost their lives. y. j.
White is one OF the victims. but before
he gave up his life the gallant fellow
saved the lives of three women.
fire started in the Kitchen.
The fire is said to have started in the
kitchen. located in the basement. on
the Ellis street side. The fire worked
its way up through the tiue to the
sixth floor and before the first alarm
was sent ii had gained great head
way. The first alarm was followed by
others in rapid succession, until five
calls had been sent in, summonlng
every piece of apparatus at the com
mand of the department.
Witnessed by Thousands OF People.
Thousands of people were attracted
~ the succession OF alarms. and the
glare from the burning building. and
be fore the police stretched ropes. al
most blockaded Market. Eddy, Powell
and Ellis streets.
Regarded ss Fire Trap
For wears the Baldwin has been re-
garGed by the fire department as ths
most dangerous fire trap in San Fran
cisco. Built OF wood. six stories high.
with narrow and tortuous Railways.
il IL a wonder that half Of the people
i'm the hotel escaped. They were slow
to awaken. Many were dazed and
stupefed by smoke when the police,
the tiremen and hotel employees. hur-
rying through the Railways. kicked
open doors and notified the people OF
theii great danger.
There We're No Ladders.
Wien they managed 10 reach the
windows and fire escapes, there were
no ladders. Many attempted TO jump
from the windows TO the street. but
we're warned not TO do SO by the
crowds below. Then the firemen got
up their ladders and commenced TAX
inu the people TO the ground. rescuing
many in this manner. In the interior
% the hotel an explosion in the the
atei caused that portion Of the build
ing to cave in. This explosion also
extinguishcd the electric lights
throughout the building.
Efforts OF Police and Firemen.
There were many people in the up
PEI halls and corridors at that time,
and firemen and policemen were try
ing 10 lead them 10 the Market and
Powell street windows. The entire
top floor was q blazing mass. Those
ia the street below could see through
the riffs in the smoke along the attic
corniccs forms Of men and women
crcuching and clinging to the wood
work. which was already beginning 10
shoulder.
streams from Thirty Engines
Streams from 80 engines were being
poured upon the blazing building
from every point of vantage. but with.
out any apparent effect. Explosion
followed explosion. The roof of the
building collapsed taking with il
back into the building a number 81
those who had been clinging for lif,
TO the attic gables.
Dramatic Death Of Hero.
Three women appeared on the cor
nice of the fifth floor on the Marke
street side at the hotel. The firemei
could not reach them with ladder
and they stood helpless, screaming
with terror. Suddenly A. J. Whit
came out Of window carrying
small rope. With this he lowered tn
women into the arms of the firemel
who were waiting at the windows o
the next floor. Then he started dow
the rope hand over hand. Half wa.
down the rope parted and the ma
who had Just saved three lives wa
dashed TO the pavement 100 feet be
low.
"Lucky" Baidwin'- Luck Didn't Deser
Him.
Lucky Baldwin had a narrow es
I cape from perishing with his fir
] trap. Amid all the din he slept peace
fully until his room was broken int
4 and he was dragged from his bed.
III. /. Ko'valsky, well known al
torney. was also dragged uncon
scious from his bed. He will recover.
a Thrilling Incident.
One of the most thrilling incident
Of the fire was the rescue of a. II
Christie by Fireman keough. For
lew minutes Christie ran 10 and fr
on the cornice of the fifth floor, seek
ing in vain for some way to escape tn
rapidly-approaching flames. Fireman
k,ough. after many efforts. manage
To reach Christie and bring him dow
ia safety.
known and Dreaded for Years.
The Baldwin hotel has been know
and dreaded for years by firemen an