The Grenada sentinel., 1898-11-26

| Ono Of the Victims A. j. white, Had jos
suoossdsd In Saving the Lives Of Thre
Womsn-"Lucky"f :" fsaldw wins Luck Didn'
Desert Bim-He Escaped safRocation b,
. Close Margin.
San Francisco, Nov. 23.-At 1928 a
m., the Baldwin hotel caught fire, ant
it has been entirely destroyed. There
were 500 people, guests and employees
in the hotel when the fire broke out
and number of these people arr
thought to have lost their lives. A. j
White is one of the victims, but before
he gave up his life the gallant fellow
saved the lives of three women.
Firo 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 fue to the
sixth floor, and before the first alarm
was sent it had gained great head
way. The first alarm was followed by
others in rapid succession, until five
calls had been sent in, summoning
every piece of apparatus at the COM
mand of the department. ~ Y
Witnessed BY Thousands Of People.
Thousands of people were attracted
Ey the succession of alarms, and the
glare from the burning building. and
before the police stretched ropes, al
most blockaded Market, Eddy, Powell
and Ellis streets.
Regarded ~ Fire Trap.
For years the Baldwin has been re-
garded by the fire department as the
most dangerous fire trap in San Fran
cisco. Built of wood. six stories high,
with narrow and tortuous Railways,
il is a wonder that half of the people
in the hotel escaped. They were slow
to awaken. Many were dazed and
by smoke when the police,
the firenen and hotel employees, hur-
lying through the Railways, kicked
open doors and notified the people of
their great danger.
There Wore No l.sddsrs.
When they managed to reach the
windows and fire escapes. there were
n" ladders. Many attempted to jump
srom the windows to the street. but
we're warned not to do so by the
crowds below. Then the firemen got
mp their ladders and commenced TAX
ing the people to the ground, rescring
many in this manner. In the interior
~ the hotel an explosion in the the
'tel caused that portion of the build
ing to cave in. This explosion also
the electric lights
throughout the building.
Efforts os Police and Flrem.n.
There were many people in the up
'el halls and corridors at that time,
md firemen and policemen were try
ng to lead them to the Market and
'owell street windows. The entire
op floor was a blazing mass. Those
n the street below could see through
he riffs in the smoke along the attic
forms of men and women
and clinging to the wood
york, which was already beginning to
Streams from Thirty EneIns.
Streams from 30 engines were being
oured upon the blazing building
rom every point of vantage, but with
ut any apparent effect. Explosion
ollowed explosion. The roof of the
uilding collapsed, taking with II
ack into the building a number cf
hose who had been clinging for life
, the attic gables.
Dramatic Death Of = Hero,
Three women appeared on the cor
Ice Of the fifth floor on the Market
rect side of the hotel. The firemep
ould not reach them with ladders
nd they stood helpless, screaming
nth terror. Suddenly A. j. White
ame out of a window carrying al
nall rope. With this he lowered the
omen into the arms Of the firemen
no were waiting at the windows of
'e next floor. Then he started down
'e rope hand over hand. Half way
own the rope parted and the man
no had just saved three lives was
'shed to the pavement 100 feet be-
W.
lucky" Bsldwin's Luck Didn't Desert
e "& HiW. G7's N H.
"Lucky" Baldwin had narrow es-
pc from perishing with his fire
ap. Amid all the din he slept peace
lily until his room was broken into
ID he was dragged from his bed.
Fl. !. Kowalsky, a we'll known at
rney. was also dragged uncon-
ious from his bed. He will recover.
A Thrilling Incident. ~
One Of the most thrilling incidents
the fire was the rescue of A. H..
'ristie by Fireman Keough. For
" minutes Christie ran to and fro
the cornice Of the fifth floor, seek.
in vain for some way to escape the
pidly-approaching flames. Fireman
ough, after many efforts, managed
reach Christie and bring him down 9|
safety. %A&N y 7F&E& n
Knows and Dreaded Tor Years.
The Baldwin hotel has been known
d dreaded for years by firemen and
'urance people as the worst kind Of
IRE trap. 1t has been stated often I
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