Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-11-23
AN HOTEL HORROR
The Baldwin Hotel and Theatre in
San Francisco Burned to
the Ground.
THE LOSS MAY Be $3,O00,000
A Disaster Replete With the Most Dramatic
and Thrilling Episodes Many Lives
Lost, But Number Not Yet
Known,

San Francisco, Nov. 23.-At 1925 this
the Baldwin hotel caught fire
and is entirely destroyed. There were
800 guests and employees in the house
n the fire broke out, and number
perisheG. The fire started in the kitch-,
en-, located in the basement, worked
through flue to the sixth floor, and be-
fore the first alarm was sent in, mad
gained great headway. Thousands of
people were attracted by the succession
of alarms and the glare from the burn
ing building and almost blockaded the
streets.
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
and with narrow and tortuous hall
ways, it is wonder that half the peo
pie in the hotel escaped. They were
slow to awaken and many were stupe-
fled by the smoke when the police, fire
men and hotel employees, hurrying
through the Railways, kicked open the
doors. When they reached the windows
and fire escapes there were no ladders.
Many attempted to jump, but were
warned not to do SO by the crowds The
firemen got up their ladders, rescuing
many. An explosion in the theater
caused that portion of the building to
cave in.
There were many people in the upper
and policemen We're trying to lead to
the windows. The entire top floor was
a blazing mass. Those in the street
could see through the riffs in the smoke
women clinging to the wood work,
which already was beginning to smoul-
der. Streams from 80 engines were
pouring upon the blazing building, but
without apparent effect. Explosion fol-
lowed explosion. Then the roof col
lapsed, taking back into the building a
number who had been clinginS for life
to the attic gables. Three women ap-
peared on the cornice of the fifth floor,
but the fremen could not reach them
with the ladders. Suddenly A. j. White
came out of a window carrying small
rope. With this he lowered the women
into the arms of the firemen watching
at the windows of the next tioor. Then
he started down the rope, hand over
hand. But half way down the rope
parted, and the man who had just
saved three lives was dashed to the
pavement 100 feet below. Lucky
Baldwin had a narrow escape from
perishing with his fire trap. Amid all
the din he slept peacefully until his
room was broken into and he was
dragged from the bed. H. l. Kowalsky,
the we'll known attorney, was also
dragged, unconscious, from his bed.
Building of the hotel began in 1878,
and finished in 1877 the cost, including
the ground and furniture, being $3,OO0,-
O0O The building was of French re-
naissance style with Corinthian col
umns and mansard roof, six stories
high. The hotel occupied the lot at
Gore street, formed by the intersection
of Market and Powell streets. In the
building was the Baldwin theater. The
street floors were occupied by the hotel
offices, bar room and stores. E. j. Bald
win said this morning that he carried
| $1O0, 900 insurance, but ne could not re-
| har In 40 r,ipc AT OLE a
m. the Market street site seemed to be
crumbling. The Baldwin theater was
completely demolished, and the entire
effects of the Secret Service Compa.
ny We're destroyed.
| At noon the Baldwin hotel was still
burning, but the fire was under control
The number of lives lost is not ye
known. Only two are definitely known
A. j. White and Louis Meyer, cigal
dealer, of Skagway Meyer, a guest
dropped dead from heart disease caus
ed by the excitement. The hotel is to
tai loss E. j. Baldwin is Frustrated
and says he may not be able to esti
mate his loss for several days. H. W
Lake, manager of the hotel, barrel,
managed to get out with his wife an
child. He says there were 302 guests.
Carroll d. Calvin, mining engineer, o
Boise, Ida., who occupied rooms on tn
fifth floor, was sleeping soundly and to
tally unaware of the calamity going o
around when awakened by the watch
man. When he opened the door, flame
famed by the draught from man
doors confronted him, but fortunatel
the flames crept upwards, and bendin
low, he made rush for the elevator
which he reached almost simultaneous
ly with a lady carrying an infant Tn
elevator was just descending whe
Calvin called on the elevator boy
stop. The young man took his chance
and opened the door. Calvin assiste
the lady and child into the cage, the
managed to squeeze himself into TT
already over-crowded car, and dow
the heavily laden cage shot to the fir
floor without stopping. 1t was the la
trip. The fortunate passengers locke
up to see the flames surging around Il
upper part of the shaft,
Grand Thanksgiving Dinner.
Go to the Bon Ton, where they W
4 treat you nice and give you a genni
| 1tpnop