The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-24
4 MILLION DOLLAR Loss
Fire Destroys the Baldwin Hotel
In San Francisco.
A SMALL LOSS OF LIFE
The Immense Structure Was Totally
Wiped Out-The Baldwin Theater
Was Also Destroyed-some
Brave Rescues.

hotel. for almost 30 years one of the
principal landmarks OF San Francisco,
is no more. A fire which broke out in
the east end Of the building shortly
after 3 o'clock this morning. supposed
ly I'm the property room of the Baldwin
theater. totally destroyed the immense
structure. entailing a financial loss Of
nearly a million and a half dollars, be-
sides destroying property that no
amount of money or science can re-
place.
The loss of life so far as reported has
been miraculously light. but two deaths
having occurred as far as known. The
list of dead and injured and missing
80 far as known. Is as follows: Dead:
CAPT. A. ]. WHITE. San Francisco.
capitalist.
LEWIS MYERS. skasuay. Alaska.
merchant.
Injured: F.P. Noon. st. Louis. Mo-.
both ankles broken: George Huber. San
Francisco. cut about body; Miss Brid-
get Mitchell. San Francisco. badly
bruised: Fire Marshal Towe, San Fran
cisco, cut about head.
Missing: q. M. Leighthead. San
Francisco. purser steamer City of sgd
ney; F. w. Weatherbee and wife,
writer; F. r. Andrews, cashier, cafe:
Fred Webster; two chambermaids:
John Carter. race track judge; Thomas
Berkey and wife. assessor. Sacramento.
Cal.
The financial losses are very far
reaching, almost every branch of COM
mercial trade being directly affected.
The ground floor of the hotel was d.
vided into a number of large stores,
and few of their occupants saved any,
thing worth mentioning; the majority
total losses. Two of the most hand
some cafes in the city were gutted and
their stocks destroyed. The Baldwin
theater. the fashionable amusement
place of this city, was totally destroyed
with the rest of the building. and the
Secret Service" company. headed by
William Gillett, now playing an en-
gagement at the theater, lost all of it's
| paraphernalia and accoutrements.
Many of the members of the company
| lost most of their belongings and
| trunks containing the official papers of
the company were destroyed.
t. lanes were confined to the Bald
iwn structure. but much adjoining
property was seriously damaged by
water and smoke. The Columbia build
| ing. on Powell street, on the west side
| of the Baldwin, suffered considerably,
and the basement of the Columbia the
ater. another fashionable playhouse.
was gutted and much valuable theat-
rical apparatus DESTROYED. The Gay
Coney Island" company will lose con-
siderable. and DIR. Freeman. manager
| of the company, who was a guest at
| the Baldwin, lost a trunk containing
valuable papers worth $500.
There were upwards of 300 guests in
the hotel when the fire was discovered.
and the scenes which followed beggar
description. The watchmen, bell boys
and other hotel employees worked nobly
in arousing sleeping residents. 1t is
believed that every person In the build
ing was apprised of the danger within
10 minutes after the fire broke out but
the east wing, where the flames We're
discovered, were cut off from escape
and lost. How true these rumors are
cannot be definitely told for several
days yet, as many parts of the build
ing have collapsed. burying any who
have been left in the building under the
debris. A force of messenger boys en-
ployed in the all-night office adjoining
the hotel. did excellent work in con-
nection with the warning of guests and
several brave rescues are credited to
the boys of the messenger srvice.
In conjunction with the employees OF
the hotel the police and firemen went
| through the building and aided the
| guests to dress and rendering other
assistance. The employees of the hotel
| are highly praised by the guests ana
the firemen and police are spoken of
in unmeasureably complimentary
terms. Half an hour after the first
alarm was sounded liz policemen were
on the scene Of the confiagration. Many
of the guests OF the hotel are Eastern
turfmen. many of whom lost all their
| effects. The hostelry was a favorite
stopping place for sporting people, the
location being an admirable one. con-
venient to all sporting resorts and
places of amusement.
What the loss of life will be cannot
be stated at this writing, but only
two deaths have been reported. Cap
tain A. ]. White. who occupied a room
on the fourth floor. was killed while
trying to escape by means of a rope.
which dangled from the fifth floor al
most to the street below. The rope
had previously done good service, being
the means by which FIVE persons escap-
ed from the burning building. The
eight years. Kate Richardson
has been an employe of
the hotel. occupying a room on the NTH
floor. Five years ago. Miss Richard
son. as precautionary measure in
just such an emergency. procured n
length Of rope. long enough to reach
from her room to the street. When the
alarm was given Miss Richardson. with
the assistance OF Gussie johnson, q
companion. secured the rope to a piece
of heavy furniture and threw the free
end out Of the window. The two girls
were about to make the descent when
three lady guests rushed into the room
and begged to be saved. The two brave
girls gave precedence TO the guests and
then Miss johnson took her position on
the rope and went down. hand over
hand. Miss Richardson was the last
to leave and she had gone down but
one story. when Captain White. wno
occupied a room on that floor. called
10 her appealingiy begging her not to
jump. Miss Richardson stopped and
begged the captain to take her place
on the line. He refused to go and only
after dint Of much persuasion could he
induce Miss Richardson to save herself.