The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-27
HAWAII NEWS
Burning of the Serrao
Premises.
Dr. Wood Criticised Meeting of Hio
eachers--Condensed News /
Of the Island.

| When DR.. Wood ordered the Serrao
store burned he did so upon the
strength of cursory glance at a micro
scopical slide made from some of the
matter taken from a decomposed gland
from the body of Mrs. Serrao; a bacte-
biological examination had not been
made by DR.. Hoffman,. The tests usu-
| ally applied We're not made for the
reason that there was not time between
the receipt of DR.. Moore's letter in Ho-
nolulu and the departure of DR.. Wood
and party for Hilo. But the distin-
| guished head of the Honolulu firing
brigade said burn" within a few min
utes after arrival in Hilo, and burn it
was.
| Sheriff Andrews arranged with Fire
Chief Vannatta to have the fire start
ed ar a. m. Friday, owing to the pre-
vaiiing winds at that hour being usu-
ally from the land, but Providence was
opposed to the scheme, for when that
hour arrived a gale was blowing from
all points of the compass. Chief Van
malta had the engine tried with a view
to using it later in the day, but plug
blew out after few turns of the
wheel and it required several hours
labor to fit a new one.
The wind between O'Clock and noon
was favorable, but the engine was not
so the work of destruction had to be
delayed. After noon the owners of
property adjoining the Serrao store be-
gan making preparations for saving
their buildings in the event of the
wind changing. A fence was built in
| front of the Spreckels block and De-
mosthenes Lycurgus had number of
bags tackled on the side of his building
next to where the fire was to take
place. Then the engine was tried again
and once more the plug was blown into
| the sea.
Sheriff Andrews decided to have the
Serrao building pulled over on TO the
beach if possible, so that the danger
| to other buildings would be lessened,
but this was not practicable, owing to
the fact that a portion of it rested on
stone wall. He then decided to have
| it pulled down when the fire had burn
ed sufficiently to permit it. A chain
was fastened to the underpinning and
a block and tackle attached. The prison
gang brought stacks of dried cane tops
and by the direction of the sheriff
these were placed under the building
| and in storeroom. A portion of the
| iron roof was taken off and holes cut
! in the floor and the side of the build
| ing in order to make draft. When
| this work was completed kerosene was
| literally sprinkled over the floor and
stock of goods, a stack OF fifty-seven
| bags of coffee standing in one corner
| of the room being we'll saturated with
it. At o'clock the torch was applied
directly under the building and the
| fire rapidly worked it's way upward,
and in few minutes burst through the
roof. In ten minutes it had reached
the oil boxes piled near the window on
the Waianuenue street side and the
spectators on the postofice yeranda
moved away expecting an explosion,
but none took place.
Chief Vannatta had one set of men
posted on Front street using water
from the hydrants and throwing It ON
sJe front of the Lycurgus building. On
lie beach side the men handled anoth
IT pipe, the water being pumped from
| the sea, and between these there YVES
not a moment when the surrounding
| buildings were in danger. The fire
worked from the V'1ianuenue street
corner, but progress @as retarded by
|
tition between the ~aain store and an
adjoining room. When the fire la
reached the floor at one end of tn.
building an effort was made to ppll
away the underpinning, but it could
not be done, and prisoner was sent
under the building with an axe and
told to cut away. But the fire was too
hot for him and after several ineffect-
ual blows he retired and Sheriff An
dTews undertook the task and did it
effectually. Then a long pull and
strong pull let the building settle on
the beach. In an hour from the time
the torch was applied the place was
reduced to a smouldering heap and not
q micrObe was visible. No rats were
seen during the fire, and it is supposed
they made their way out through the
sewer. The safe generally used by
Mr.. Serrao was removed from the
building before the fire, but an old one
lies in the ruins. It is said the safe
removed will be kept in quarantine for
the usual period.
1t was decided to destroy the dwell
ling occupied by the Serraos on Satur-
day and arrangements were made to
move the family to Cocoanut Island
that morning. An estimate was made
of the building and contents, and at
4 p. m, after preparations had been
made, the torch was applied and in
thirty-five minutes the place was a
mass of ashes. Nothing was allowed
to be removed by Mr.. Serrao, not even
the portrait of his wife, and a $500
piano went up in smoke. The firemen
had less difficulty at this fire, owing to
the fact that there was no building
close to the one burned.
Meeting of Hilo Teachers Union.
Rain, illness and plague rumors were
joint elements of disturbance in the
plans of the program committee, yet q
goOdly assemblage Of teachers and an
interesting session were the rewards OF
their labors. Miss Vests class in sing
ing was the first number. These pupils
have but recently been trained in two
part singing by the tonic sol IA method
and did credit TO a faithful, painstaking
teacher. The same class next reduced
pile of sand to a sembIance of the ISL
and of Maui answering numerous ques-