The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-01-29
AALA'S CONGREGATION
WHOLE DISTRICT SWEPT BH
FIRE.
Blaze Started Late Saturday-Was an
Accident-Dilliculty in Saving Adjoin-
ing Property


The entire Aala district from the
Board of Health's warehouses on River
park to Aala lane near the Palama
grocery, was wiped out by an accident
al fire early Saturday evening. That
part between Aala road and Aala lane
had already been condemned and va
Gated, but a great deal of clean proper
ty on the town side of Aala road was
destroyed.
During the blaze the Oahu railway
depot, the planning mill on the prison
road. lumber yard and several business
houses were imminently threatened. 1t
was only by the combined and constant
effort of the fire department that the
lumber yard was saved 1t was twice
on fire. The railway people moved
down their fire apparatus and aided
greatly in saving their depot and yard
property. On the town side the two
new warehouses of the Board of Health
were saved though. one was burned
brown on the side In the larger ware
house is stored $150000 worth of Orien
tai merchandise that has already been
fumigated.
The fire started in a small house at
the mauka corner of the new Chinese
theater almost at the middle of the
Aala block 1t was not observed until
flames burst out of the roof in a great
sheet From the rapidity of it's pro
gress those who first saw the fire feel
certain that there was kerosene oil in
the building.
In a very few minutes almost before
the alarm was turned in, the Chinese
theater was in flames and doomed.
Fire had also spread down to the cross
lane opposite the new Chinese theater,
enveloping all of the small houses there
The wind also swept it at terrific
rate toward King street
The chemical engine from the central
station was the first to reach the scene.
Then came Number g Number 4, from
the Plains, and China No. arrived
shortly after and all went to work the
three main engines in front on King
street and the chemical in rear near
the old Chinese theater.
Before the engines could get to work
q lot of oil in the new Chinese theater
exploded almost blowing the roof off
the building and sending a stream of
fire skyward. Flying sparks and shin
giles set fire to the buildings on the
Waikiki side of Aala road, which was
innocent property. This block, or col
lection of houses, was filled with peo-
pie. Hundreds of Chimes who had got
ten out of Chinatown in one way and
another had settled there and many
natives We're living in the rear houses.
A big crowd of citizens, standing
about, rushed in to save life and prop
erty. The people and their personal
effects were hustled upon the newly
made land near the river above King
street Many were provided with
other quarters during last night, though
a number of Cinnamon, having erected
sun-shades of old boards and piled their
belongings beneath, spent yesterday
and last night there.
The houses burned on the front were
occupied by a butcher and merchants
in various lines. Fruits, vegetables and
fowls were among the important sup
plies sold. In fact the place was the
new Chinatown and was the market
place of large part of Palama's popu-
lation.
Four of the poles of the Mutual Tele-
phone Company We're burned and had
to be renewed yesterday. Wires were
also injured and hung in tangled mass
in the streets.
What caused the fire?-is the ques-
ton of the hour. Circumstances point
strongly to incendiarism, though no
thing is known and probably never will
be.
w. Fl. Crawford, inspector of the
burned district, says: II had Just COM
pleted my rounds and reached home
near by when the fire whistle sounded.
In my rounds I saw nothing suspicious
and no suspicious strangers in the
block. The place may have been fired
hut I can hardly think So"
T. Kat Poo, the Nuuanu street mer-
chant, who lives a few doors above
and was one of the first to see the
blaze, feels sure that the block was
fired. He thinks native or a white
man did it. ut is almost impossible
to think" said Mr.. Kat Poo, that any
of the Cinnamon fred the property for
they have something at stake in the
matter on the side of no fire at all. 1t
had been reported among the Chinese
here that the Board of Health would
not burn the property at all if the
plague disappeared shortly, and I am
sure no Chinaman wanted to see it
burn"