The herald., 1898-11-24
Caused a Loss Of Life Almost
Miracu1ously Small
FATALITIES ARE RESTRICTED TO TWO
Eight Persons Are Missing Whose Bodies May Be Found
in the Ruins-The Financial Loss Is Heavy
and the Insurance Is Small
Associated Press Special Wire

| Associated PreSS SpeCldl wire
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 23.--The Bald
win hotel, for almost thirty 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, supposedly in the
property room OF the Baldwin theater, to-
tally destroyed the immense structure, en-
failing financial loss of nearly million
and half dollars, besides destroying prop
erty that no amount of money or science
can replace.
The loss of life SO far as reported has
been miraculously light, but two deaths
having occurred so far as known.
The following is a corrected list of the
dead, injured and missing. Several of those
first reported as missing have been found,
while others not before named are not yet
accounted for:
Capt. j. L. White, San Francisco, capi-
talist.
Lewis Myers, Skaguay, Alaska, merchant.
INJURED
F. p Noon, st. Louis, left ankle sprained,
hands and neck bruised.
George Huber, San Francisco, cut about
body.
Miss Bridget Mitchell, San Francisco,
badly bruised.
Fire Marshal Towne, San Francisco, cut
about head.
George Carroll, cut and burned about
hands and arms.
MISSING
j. NJ. Leighthead, San Francisco, purser
of the steamer City of Sydney.
L. r. Andrews, cashier of the cafe.
Fred Webster.
John Carter, racetrack judge.
Joe SummerGeld, bookmaker Chicago.
- Siler, advertising agent st. Louis
, Westliche Post.
Mrs. Andrews and two children.
FINANCIAL LOSSES
The principal losses are very far reach
ing, almost every branch of commercial trad
ing being directly affected. The ground
} floor of the hotel was divided into mum
Der of large stores, and few of their occu.
pants saved anything worth mentioning, the
majority reporting total losses. Two of the
handsomest cafes in the city were Quilted
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 Serv
ce' company, headed by William Gillette
now playing an engagement at the theater
lost all his paraphernalia and accoutre
mcnts. Many of the members of the com
pany lost most of their belongings and
trunks, containing the official papers of the
, company, were destroyed.
OTHER BUILDINGS INJURED
The flames were confined to the Baldwin
structure, but much adjoining property wa!
seriously damaged by water and smoke. The
Columbia building, on Powell street on the
, west side of the Baldwin, suffered consider
, ably, and the basement OF the Columbia
, theater, another fashionable playhouse, wa.
gutted, and much valuable theatrical appa
ratus destroyed. The Gay Coney Island
company will lose considerable, and DIR
Freeman, manager of the company, who was
guest at the Baldwin, lost trunk contain
, ing valuable papers and $3500 in cash.
GUESTS PANIC-STRICKEN
There were upwards of three hundred
guests in the hotel when the fire was discov
cred, and the scenes which followed beggal
description. The watchmen, bell boys anc
other hotel employees worked nobly il
/, arousing sleeping residents. 1t is believed
that every person in the building was ap
prised of the danger within ten minutes
after the fire broke out, but rumors are rif,
I. that many of those in the east wing, where
the flames were discovered, were cut of
from escape and lost. How true these rl
mors are cannot be definitely told for sew
eral days yet, as many parts of the building
have collapsed, burying any who may hav,
been left in the building under the debris.
PRAISE FOR EMPLOYEES
A force of messenger boys employed in al
all-night office adjoining the hotel did excel
lent work in connection with the. warning o
guests, and several brave rescues are credited
to the boys of the messenger service. Ir
conjunction with the employees of the hotel
: the police and firemen, they went through
! the building, awakening guests and aidin.
, them to dress, and rendering other assist
, ance The employees of the hotel are highl,
, praised by the guests, and the fremen ant
police are spoken of in unmeasured terms o
compliment. Half an hour after the frs
, alarm was sounded ll2 policemen were OF
the scene of the confagration.
Many of the guests of the hotel are eastern
turf men, many of whom lost all their er
fects. This hostelry was favorite stop
ping place for sporting people, the loca
ton being an admirable one, convenient t.
all sporting resorts and places of amusement
DEATH OF CAPTAIN WHITE
What the loss of life will be cannot b,
stated at this writing but so far only two
deaths have been reported. - Captain White
who occupied room on the fourth floor
was killed while trying to escape by means
of a rope which dangled from the fifth
floor almost to the street below.
} The rope had previously done good ser
vice, being the means by which five person.
escaped the burning building. The story of
the rope is a thrilling one. For eight years
Kate Richardson has been an employe Of the