Evening star., 1898-11-23
HOTEL A FIRE TRAP
Baldwin House at Frisco Goes Up in
Flames.
TWO GUESTS lose THEIR LIVES
About 300 Others Escape Almost
by Miracle.
A TED HOS S T E L r Y

SAN FRANCISCO, Cal. November 23.-
At 3:25 o'clock this morning the Baldwin
Hotel caught fire and 1t has been entirely
destroyed. There were 800 people, guests
and employees. in the hotel when the fire
broke out and a number of these people
are thought to have lost their lives.
A. j. White is one of the victims, but be-
fore he gave up his life the gallant fellow
saved the lives of three women.
The fire is said to have started in the
kitchen, located in the basement of the
Ellis street side. The fire worked its way
up through the fiue to the sixth floor, ana
before the first alarm was sent in the hre
had gained great headway. The first alarm
was followed by others in rapid succession,
until five calls had been sent in, summon
ing every piece Of apparatus at the com
mand OF the department. Thousands OF
people were attracted by the succession OF
alarms. and the glare from the burning
building, and before the police stretched
ropes almost blockaded Market, Eddy.
Powell and Ellis streets.
Regarded rs a Fire Trap.
For years the Baldwin has been regarded
by the fire department as the most danger
Gus fire trap in San Francisco. Built or
wood, six stories high, with narrow anu
tortuous Railways, it is a wonder that half
of the people in the howell this morning es-
capped. They were slow to waken. Many
We're dazed and stupefied by smoke When
the police the firemen and hotel employees,
hurrying through the Railways. Kicked open
doors and notified the people OF their great
danger.
When they managed to reach the windows
and fire escapes there were no ladders.
Many attempted to jump from the windows
to the streets, but were warned not to 90
SO by the crowds below. Then the nremeh
got up their ladders and commenced taking
people to the grou.>d, rescuing many IN TINS
manner.
In the interior of the hotel an explosion
in the theater caused that portion of the
building to cave in. This explosion also ex-
tinguished the electric lights throughout
the building. There were many people in
the upper halls and corridors at that time.
and firemen and policemen were trying to
lead them to the Market and Powell street
windows.
Top of Buildings in Flames.
The entire top of the hotel was blazing
mass. Those in the street below could see
through the riffs in the smoke along the
attic cornices forms of men and women
crouching and clinging to the woodwork.
which was already beginning to shoulder.
Streams from thirty engines were being
poured upon the blazing building from
every point of vantage, but without any
apparent effect. Explosion followed explo-
sicn. The roof of the building collapsed,
taking with it back into the building a
number of those who had been clinging for
life to the attic gables.
The death of White was most dramatic.
Three women appeared on the cornice of
the fifth floor on the Market street side of
the hotel. The firemen could not reach
them with ladders and they stood helpless,
screaming with terror. Suddenly White
came ont of window carrying small
rope. With this he lowered the women in
| to the arms of the firemen who were wait
! ing at the windows of the next floor. Then
| he started down the rope hand over hand.
! Half way down the rope parted and the
| man who had just saved three lives was
| dashed to the pavement, 100 feet below.
Proprietor's Narrow Escape.
Lucky Baldwin had a narrow escape
| from perlshing in his firetrap. Amid all the
din he slept peacefully until his room was
| broken into, and he was dragged from his
| bed.
| H. l. Kowalsky, a well-known attorney,
| was also dragged unconscious from his bed.
| He will recover.
| One of the most thrilling incidents of the
! fire was the rescue of A. II. Christie by
Fireman keough. For few minutes
| Christie ran to and fro on the cornice of
| the fifth floor, seeking in vain for some
way to escape the rapidly approaching
| flames. Fireman Keough, after many
efforts managed to reach Christie and
| BRING him down in safety.
| E. j. Baldwin stated today that he car
| ried $109,000 insurance, but ne could rot
| remember in what company.
| The Baldwin Theater was completely de-
! molished by the falling of the fifth floor.
| The entire effects of the Secret Service
Company, which was filling an engagement
| at that theater, were destroyed.
| Nothing whatever was saved. The seen
| cry and stage settings were very valuable.
| A great deal of jeweiry and money belong
| ing to members of the company were lost
! In addition, the contracts were burned.
| The wall on the south side appears to be
strong, but the west wall which appears &c
! be very weak, leans toward the Interior
| of the ruins.
| The Columbia Theater and places OF
| business opposite the Baldwin We're dam
| aged by water to the extent of $1,000. T.
| j. Baldwin, owner of the hotel. is pros
| trated and unable to tell much about his
| affairs He says he will not be able to es-
| innate his loss for several days. Fl. w
| Lake manager of the hotel, barely man
| aged to get out with his wife and child
! He says there were 302 guests in the build
| ing.
! The number of lives lost is not yet known.
Only two are definitely known, "A. j. White
| and Louis Meyer, cigar dealer of Skag-
| way Meyer dropped dead from heart dis
| ease caused by the excitement. He was a
| guest of the hotel. The hotel Is complete