The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-12-31
7
BIG FIRE
IN PALAMA
Four Chinese Stores
In Ashes.
WAS OPIUM THE CAUSE?
Some Fear That Lives May Have
Been Lost in the
Flames.


alarm Of fire about 2 o'clock this morn
ing and the city was startled by the
rush Of excited crowds Through the
streets going in the direction of Pa
lama
The sky Was made brilliant in that d.
rection by leaping flames and vast vol
tunes of smoke lowered over them like
a cloud 1t was reported that the carr
stables of the Tramways Company were
blazing
| 1t took the department only few mo-
ments to respond to the alarm and IN
less time than it takes to tell it the en-
gsnes were on the way to the scene Of
the conflagration.
-Four large stores on King street, op-
posite the new pumping station, were
on fire and rapidly being destroyed by
the devouring flames.
! The fire had only about twenty min
utes' start before it was discovered in
the second of the four stores. nearest
the Waikiki end.
When the engines arrived upon the
scene these four stores were wrapped
in scorching flame. 1t was with great
difficulty that the intrepid firemen
could get near enough to bring their
hose into play.
/ Soon several powerful streams were
at work. however, though they were of
~, FIR
were concerned. Rather did the fire
men turn their attention to seeing that
hone of the surrounding houses took
fire.
The four stores were full of people
when the fire was discovered. There
was a pane when the alarm of fire was
given. and men, women and children
came tumbling out of the fraiI wood
en structures with thoughts for 20 one
half clad while some of them had hardly
any clothes on at all.
A few made hasty attempts at saw
ing some of their property. and the
usual scenes, half sad, half ludicrous.
were Witnessed, of people saving the
most worthless articles
People in the surrounding houses a.ise-
hurried out of doors, moving with them
everything. so afraid were they that
the flames would reach their homes.
And good cause had they for fear, for
the fire was hot one and quick one
and IL took not more than thirty min
utes after the engines had arrived for
the four two-story buildings to be
nothing but heap OF ashes.
An Advertiser reporter arrived upon
the scene with the engines and inter
viewed some of the Chinese who had
been burned out of house and home.
There were some thirty or forty of
those who had lived in the destroyed
structures. They were anxiously LOOK
ing around for one or two OF their num-
Der. They did not know but what they
had persisted i'm the flames, and indeed
1t was impossible to ascertain last night
whether any lives had been lost or not
so sudden was the fire, so fierce was it
while il lasted. and so soon was it all
over.
IT was said that the fire was started
By the overturning of a small lamp used
by an opium fiend, and it was thought
by some that, inasmuch as the fire was
not discovered until it had gotten good
Roadway. 1t was very probable that the
smoker Of the supplying drug had been
roasted alive in the flames.
The work OF the firemen was Well done
! and they did noble work in saving sur
rounding property from destruction
buildings across the road was blistered
and in many places burned off. The
greatest danger was to the car stables
right next to the burning stores. The,
) were badly scorched and two or three
times fire started among hay and feet
stored there, but it was extinguisheo
before any great damage was done.
5 An electric wire fell to the ground il
+. front of the blazing edifice and som,
brilliant fireworks We're seen in addition
10 the great blaze of the fire itself.
$ None dared venture near the liv
wire on the ground for fear of death
When the wire fell however, the hos
had to be gotten quickly out of the wa,
/. or IL would nave been ruined.
The sight in the immediate vicinity o
the IRE reminded one of the great hr
, IN Chinatown, TO- all around whole fam
les in all condii ions of undress and ex
slt-ment were ctgmped upon their house
y .c.l goods, while men rushed hithe
t.sie. thither throwing buckets of waite
* 1p5l the sides and roofs Of their dwell
ings.
Two trancars were sent, from wher
they had been standing at the entranc
20 the car stables. hurrying down til
- Sne cut of the way of the fire. The
l>-ta1i to pass through the flames an
~ NzFs. badly scorched
eNosxt outstanding the hour there wa
greaNcrowd to witness the confla gre
Three tthe stores burned had bee
ria coupled phfow Chong, Low Kai an
t shong WuWong; the other had bee
tccupiea foN8apanese. 1t was in Il
Mes a.. OK IN saving Gong that Il
= IS said tctote started.
n -A%eH -
" Lunss dhA spreG
T. .veral Portgese }lunas at Kaan
GH -. xyout on kC,rfcfrnae orrA :.