The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-11-24
BALDWIN HOTEL BURNED
SsnFrsnclscss FsnOus HestcIfy Destroyed.
The Less Is Enormous.
Two ana n Half yfiiIiop Dollars VIII
Only Cover Actual BuiIdins Loss.
Two 1hcntcrs Also Gutted.

San Francisco, CAL. November %. ---'rh
Baldwin hotel. for almost thirty yenrs on
OF the principal landmarks or san Fran
cisco, Is no more. A fire. which broke ou
in the east Sri1 Of the building shortly be
fore 8 o'clock this morning, supposedly II
the property room OF the Baldwin thclter
totally destroyed the immense structure. en-,
failing d loss OF nearly S2,50oD0D besdeS
destroying properly that no amount o
money or science can replace. The loss o
life so far as reported has been mracti-
lousy tight, but two deaths having occurred
as far as known. The list OF dead and
injured and missing SO Ear rs known is as
follows:
Dead-Captain J. l.. White. San Fran
cisco. capitalist; Lewis Meyers, Skaguay
Alaska, merchant.
Injured-F. p Noon, st. Louis. both
ankles broken; George Huber. san Fran
cisco cut about head and body; Miss Brld-
get Mitchell. San Francisco, badly bruised
Fire Marshal Towe, San Francisco, cut
about head
Missing-,,. NJ, Loighead, San Francisco
purser steamer City OF sydney; f. Wealth
erbee and wife, Havrehill, Mass, Tate
Pricer, St. Louis; +. Il. Amarews, clsh-
lel caie; Fred Webster two chamber MAIDS,
John Garter, lace track judge; 1,lomss
burhey ana wife, assessor, Sacramento.
Inc losses are very Iar icachiug. almost
every prancn OF commercial trlda~peiiig III
reciiy affected. The ground moor OF the
hotei was divided into nuamber OF large
s.oIss ana Few OF che occupants saved auv-
thing worth mentioning. thA majority r.
loinng total loss. Two OK the mast
nahas0ine cafes in the city were Eutted and
their stocks destroyed
rae sa4d"ln tneater. the fashionable
antuserAs ~ place ui THIS CITY was fntal,y
u.s'ioyea' with the rest of the building aud
ine Secret Service company. headed nv
NHilA'u hillette, i0w playing an engage
5nsnt al The theatsl, lost all its paral3nern,.
ia ana aeeoltreiItents. Many of the mem
Ders Of the company lost most OF their be-
lodgings aud trunks containing tho official
papers of the company we've destr,,yoI
me flames were Gonaned 10 the BALDWIN
sO'urture but much adjoining prnp,rly
Was seriously damaged by water ana s,n0k,
me columbia theater Dnildine an Powell
street suHened conss1tr ably, aud the base
ihent OF tho Columbia theater anotuer
fashionable Playhouse. was Ewttel and
inuca valuable thtatrical auna.utus de-
siroyed' The Gsy Coney Island company
VIII lose considerable and Dr. Free man.
manager OF the company, who was \ guest
valuable papers aud $500 in cash.
lheFc were upwards OF 800 giicsls In The
hotet wien fha fra was disco, prcd and
me secures whlch followed begear descrip-
lion. l'ce bell boys and otaer hotel eni-
rloyes worked MOLLY In accusing cpi,p
guests. 1t is believed They sa. a many
lives BY tsair persistent ami heroic work
farce OF messenger boys employed in
an au-niGht' adjoining tho hotel, did en-
oeiient work in connection with the warn
sus gu guests and several brave rescues ars
creditod to tito boys. In conjunction with
the employees OF tie hotel the police aud
hremen, they went through the building
awakening guests au,b seiding them TO
dress and Rendering either assistance The
eMpioyes OF DE hotel are highly pra Sod
oy tine guests and the fremen and The no.
nee are spoken Of in UNNECESSARILY com
Elementary terms.
Pef m heNr after the first elarm was
sounded. liz policemen were on the scene
OF the contlngratlon Many Of the guests
OF One Eotel are Eastern turfnen many OF
M'-om lost all th4r effects. The hosiery
was , fayorite stepping place for sporting
people, the location being an admirable
one and convenient to all sporting resorts
and places of amusement.
What he loss of life viii be can not be
stated NJ bhls writing, but SO far only two
a,aa's have been reported, Captain !. L.
Nhlte, VINO occupied II room on THIS fourth
floor. was killei while try ng TO escape by
mems III rope, which dangled from The
hfia floor almost to the street below The
rope had previously d,ne good service. be-
Ing the means by which five persons e--
cap'd from THE burning building. The
story OF rhs rope IS thrilling one. Fer
nN9n'y years Kate Richardson has been an
empipye Of the hotel, occupying a room on
the fifth floor. Five years ago Miss Rich
andson, as precautionary measure for
just SUCH an emergency procured q lengthy
nope, long enpnGh To reads from her room,
10 the street, When the alarm was given
MISS Richardson, with t'ie assistance OF
Sussle johnson, a companion, secured the
rope to a piece of heavy furniture and
threw the free end out OF the window.
Tine two girls were about to make the
tescemt TO the pavement when three lady
gtasts rushed into the room and begged 10
be saved The two brave gils gave pre-
cedenoe 10 tho guests and then Miss John
son teak her position on the rope and
went down hand over band. Miss Richard
son was the last TO leave. ami she had
gone down but one story when Captain
Wnte, VINO occupied room on OAat floor
sailed 10 her appealingly begging her not
10 jump. Miss Richardson stopped and
begged tho captain to take her place but
ne refused to do 80, and only after dint
OF mudS Persuasion could he induce Miss
Kichardson to save herself promising 10
reached the ground In safety and Captain
White had launched himself In the mir
When suddenly the rope broke and he fell
20 uhe ground below, a distance OF nearly
lVo feet. The rope. weakened by the in
tense strain to whidh 1t had been subjected |
and chefed by the contact with the window |
Sins. ds had become Intensely hot. could |
NOT stanT aiNe strain of Captain Whites |
WEIGHT, and broke.
:. TINS other known death was that OF Louis |
meyers. o merchant of Skaguay. Alaska, |
who WIS in this city on business connected |
widh his Alaska store Mr. Movers. Who Is J