Iron County register., 1898-12-01
4 BIG BLAZE IN FRISCO.
1he Famous Baldwin Hotel and
Theater in San Francisco a
Mass of Ruins.
Two LIVES KNOWN TO HAVE BEEN LOST.
One of the Victims, A. j. white, Had just
Succeeded I'm Saving the Lives of Three
Bald wins Luck Didn't
Desert Him-He Escaped Suffocetion by
q Close Margin.

1n-, the Baldwin hotel caught fire, and
it has been entirely destroyed. There
were 500 people, guests and employees,
1n 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 before
ne 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
ats way up through the flue 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
-Tnand of the department.
Witnessed by Thousands OF People.
Thousands of people were attracted
-l:y the succession of alarms, and the
glare from the burning building, and
before the police stretched ropes, al
-411OSI OIOChdOCo O"SA
and Ellis streets.
Regarded a 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,
nc is a wonder that half of the people
in the hotel escaped. They were slow
to awaken. Many were dazed and
stupefied by smoke when the police,
the firemen and hotel employees, hur-
Iying through the Railways, kicked
open doors and notified the people of
their great danger.
There Were No Ladders.
Wien they managed to reach the
windows and fire escapes, there were
No ladders. Many attempted to jump
from the windows to the street, but
were warned not to do so by the
crowds below. Then the firemen got
up their ladders and commenced TAX
ing the people to the ground, rescuing
many in this manner. In the interior
o. the hotel an explosion in the the
ater caused that portion of the build
ing TO cave in. This explosion also
eXtinguished the electric lights
throughout the building.
Efforts of Police and -Firemen.
There were many people in the up
per halls and corridors at that time,
and firemen and policemen were try
ing to lead them to the Market and
Powell street windows. The entire
top floor was a blazing mass. Those
in the street below could see through
the riffs in the smoke along the attic
cornices forms of men and women
crcuching and clinging to the wood
work, which was already beginning to
smoulder.
Streams from Thirty Engines.
Streams from 80 engines were being
poured upon the blazing building
out any apparent effect. Explosion
followed explosion. 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.
Dramatic Death of n Hero.
Three women appeared on the cor
nice 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 A. j. White
came out of a window carrying
small rope. With this he lowered the
women into the arms of the firemen
who were waiting 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 be-
low.
LUCKY" Baldwin's Luck Didn't Desert
Him.
Lucky" Baldwin had a narrow es-
cape from perishing with his fire
trap. Amid all the din he slept peace
fully until his room was broken into
and he was dragged from his bed.
I'll. 1. Kowalsky, a well known at
torney, was also dragged uncon-
iscious from his bed. He will recover.
A Thrilling Incident.
One of the most thrilling incidents
of the fire was the rescue of A. Fl.
Christie by Fireman Keough. For
Jew minutes Christie ran to and fro
on the cornice of the fifth floor, seek
ing in vain for some way to escape the
rapidly-approaching flames. Fireman
Keough, after many efforts, managed
20 reach Christie and bring him down
ia safety.
Known and Dreaded for Years.
The Baldwin hotel has been known
and dreaded for years by firemen and
insurance people as the worst kind of
q fire trap. 1t has been stated often
4hat there were no fire walls in it ex-
<eept those inclosing the theater, and
that no insurance company would
write a risk on the building except
sfor a small amount and a heavy pre-
.znium-
The Hotel was Finished In 1877.
The building of the hotel began il
-ss73. and was finished in 1877, its total
cost. including ground and furniture.
ltcing SS,Oo0,ooo.
SearchInE the RuIns-The Hotel Safe Lo-
Gated.
San Francisco, Nov. 25.-The dead
body of j. NJ. Lighthead was removed
from the ruins of the Balwin hotel
yesterday. The body was discovered
i'm the bath room adjoining his apart
sznznt, sitting in a chair almost as
natural rs life. 1t was partially
sburned and blackened by smoke, but
was easily recognized.