The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-04-12
FIRE AND FLAMES
How American Troops
Suppressed Incendiaries.
A Brave Night Battle Fully 1000 Buildings
Destroyed Before the Flames
Were Sutduei

1.-THE Oft-repeated threats OF the rebels
to turn Manila and massacre every
European and American within its
walls eliminated in a disa strous con-
fiagration and an Attempted uprising,
which was promptly checked, on TIE
night of Washington's bfrthIay. That
lrreconcerted arrang eneuts had ieen
made to fire the city in half 6. dozen
different places simultaneously there
lcan be no doubt, but fortunately the
plans miscarried, for various reasons,
and the natives themselves. or at least
their sYmpathiZers, lost as much, if
not more, than those upon whom they
sought to wreak their vengeance.
| A quieter day than that Of February
% it would be difficult TO imagine.
All the banks and leading mercantile
houses were closed, and except for the
fact that the saloons were open it
seemed more like Sunday than a holi-
day, the excessive heat and the con-
dition of affairs outside having kept
most people indoors. About shutdown,
however, the town bestirred itself
and the streets were soon filled with
people taking an airing before dinner,
it being the custome here to dine at
IS O'Clock and retire Immediately after
ward. Just as the long strings of car
riages which daily pass and repass
ding for the procession homeward a
dense black column of smoke rolled
up above the intervening roofs, and
almost Immediately afterward an omi-
nous red glare was reflected from the
sky. ,Murmurs of horror were follow
ed by sharp orders to coachmen, and
there was a wild scramble for the city.
Even when this was reached and it
was ascertained that the fire was in
Santa Cruz district, some distance
was not abaIted, for no ore doubted
that incendiaries were at work and
none knew where the next blaze might
be started.
On the streets in the vicinity of the
fire, which was within two blocks of
the Escolta, the widest confusion
reigned for some time, PEG scurry-
ing here, there and everywhere. The
blaze had started in a row of two
story modern buildings with brick
foundations on the Gale Lacoste, in
the center of the Chinese section, and
as several of these had been fired
within a few minutes of each other
it soon assumed alarming proportions.
The local fire brigade turned out with
commenda BILE promptitude, but with
more zeal than discretion proceeded to
pour three tiny streams Of water from
as many lines Of hose upon the red
hot brick walls of the first building
fired, which was already doomed, in
stead of attempting to prevent those
opposite and adjacent from igniting.
The consequence was that by the time
General Hughes and his men arrived
on the scene and commenced to clear
the streets the fire was spreading on
both sides of the Gale Lacoste and a
stiff breeze was tanning it forward.
During the excitement the hose was
cut five times and other impediments
placed in the way of the firemen. Up
on learning of this General Hughes
issued orders to his men to shoot the
first man who interfered with the
checking of the flames or attempted
TO start others Several natives who
picked up burning brands and darted
o;+ hot
oneted by the guards, and then a gen
eral roundup of all the natives on
the streets in the vicinity was ordered.
AS thousands were vacating their
houses and carrying off their effects
and the sidewalks and roadways were
Uttered with furniture for blocks, this
was a work of some difficulty, but by
degrees the soldiers corraled hundreds
of protesting natives and hustled them
into yards and vacant lots, where they
were guarded until the excitement sub
sided.
About 9 o'clock the European vol
unteer fire brigade arrived on the
scene with a modern engine, and after
three hours work the fire was con-
irolled. Meantime the whole of the
block in which the blaze originated,
two-thirds of that on the opposite side
of the street, and a block and a half
west of it had been completely Quilted.
From a spectacular standpoint the
fire was magnificent sight, the
flames leaping into the air, while mill
lions of sparks glistened among the
rolling clouds of smoke and fell in
golden showers upon adjacent roofs.
Scores of fires were started by these
sparks to windward, but as every one
was alive to this danger thew were