The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-27
RAz|NG Of THE
HOTEL RUINS
AGAIN DELAYED
Baldwin Wanted Fur
niture Removed.
WRECKlNG RESUMED TO-DAY
BIG CROWDS WATCH WORKMEN
IN PERILOUS PLACES.
Traffic on Market Street Repeatedly
Interrupted-Police Had a Hard
Job Keeping the Crowd
Out of Danger.
WRECKING RESUMED TO-DAY
BIG CROWDS WATCH WORKMEN
IN PERILoUS PLACES.

An unusually large Saturday afternoon
crowd thronged Market street yesterday,
and gave the police a deal Of trouble in
the neighborhood of the Baldwin Hotel
ruins.
A large force of officers was on duty keep
ing people outside the danger line around
the tottering walls. In hundreds of cases
warnings were UNDECIDED, and the officers
were compelled to lay hands on men and
women alike to get them on to the farther
sidewalk and keep them moving. Crowds
of idlers stood all day in front of the
Emporium. gazing at the wrecked hotel
and keeping close watch on every move
ment in and about the buildings. The
center of interest was in front of the
theater, where Mays -wrecking gang was
attempting to finish the, demolition so
nearly completed by fire.
Only a small portion of the dangerous
walls was pulled down. During the fore
noon the wreckers worked hard on the
Market street side, but they did not ac-
complish much, owing to the inadequacy
of their machinery. The heavy cable
which was attached to the iron girders
broke repeatedly when the windlass was
turned and the strain became great.
Early in the morning George Renworth
and William Mays, the intrepid climbers,
went up the insecure fire escape, over the
loosened cornice and attached the cable
to the unsupported chimney, which sways
back and forth with every breeze. Mer-
chants, clerks and laborers on their way
to work stopped to gaze at the, two men
at their perilous vocation, and when a
brick or piece of charred timber came
crashing to the ground the spectators ex-
pected to see the two men toppled over
into the debris five stories beneath. The
workmen paid no attention to these things
or to the crowd below. Familiarity with
danger had deadened whatever fear they
may have had and they proceeded with
their work with the utmost unconcern.
When the line was made fast to the
chimney Renworth and Mays descended
and half a dozen men began winding at
the crab" turn or two and the
slack was all taken up. Then the specta-
tors became intensely interested. All
traffic was stopped on Market street. and
the police forced the curious crowd be-
yond the danger line. The men at the
capstan were soon pushing the long han
die bar with all their might, the ropes
frightened and the chimney began to bend
inward. ANOTHER turn and the pile OF
brick and iron seemed about to topple !
over, when the cable snapped with a loud |
crack. The crab jumped from its moor |
ings and the men were thrown on their
faces. The chimney swung back to its
original position and for moment looked |
as though it would fall outward. Several
subsequent attempts to demolish the
chimney were made, but the cable would
not stand the strain, so operations were
transferred to another section Of the wall |
The climbers again assembled to the
top, this to a more dangerous posi-
ton than the first. and tied the cable to
the iron girder on the fifth floor. This time
the efforts Of the wreckers were success
full, and after a hard pull an immense
section of the overhanging debris tum-
bled within the walls with a rumble and
a roar which could be heard blocks away.
A cloud of dust enShrouded the ruins for
a few moments and prevented further
operations until 1t had settled.
The end Of the cable was again car
Lucky Baldwin ordered the wreckers
to cease work until considerable furni-
ture of little value had been removed
from the rooms which were only partially
burned. The remainder of the day was
consumed In lowering sofas, tables,
pianos, Wardrobes, etc, to the ground.
walls will be resumed.
No search for bodies of victims of the
ire trap can be made for several days, as
the wreckers will not have the dangerous
wall down before Tuesday or Wednesday.
When the searchers for the dead do begin
the bodies for another week, as the walls
are to be entirely RACED, which will inter-
fere with digging in the ruins.
Madison & Burke have asked for bids
for wrecking what remains of the hotel.
but they have nothing to say about the
probable erection Of new hotel. It is
order to protect its large mortgages on
Baldwin's property. advance him the nee
essary funds to rebuild. Another rumor
is that several wealthy men and a corr
poration or two are very anxious to buy
the property and have opened negotiations
with Baldwin.
Apprehension regarding the number of
dead who lie buried in the blackened mass
of debris increases from hour to hour.
Persistent rumors that several we'll
known people are missing and that their
families believe they persisted in the
flames continue to circulate. Attempts
to verify these reports are being made,
but the interested relatives swear that
the absent members of the family are out
of town, adding, that, no information re.
dtr,rr flnfr n lNnrt 30 IN oily
There is now no doubt that the last body
taken from the debris is that of Tate
Pryor. A telegram from Mrs. Pryor, Civ
ing detailed description of her husband 8
teeth, which corresponds with the teeth
in the remains at the Morgue, establishes
q complete identification