The Hawaiian gazette., 1900-01-16

8rd i0 iron UlfdHN thuitgrH rHrrfu.
aIly prevented either n1maa uf HHirf
rrtciiur ihc Nuiil.nE
shortly af.nr O'Clock yriafily
wufuirf tha nro rrrInes aud bose
. wlg1r. 1HtHlffI urUu fhr scene. chief
I Hunt rn're present ~ suprrIniend
|thrif location and tho laying of the
those. ono engine was stationed 90 the
corner uf Hrrct8nIn and Nuuinu. one
RIO Berr'lnln ma NIuuakca third AZ
The chemical engine house on pauahl
street. and the fourth ni Chaplain lane
and Nuuanu street Seven lines Of
hose were stretched around and
Through the alloyways Of the block.
Despite the high wind which seeming
'v blew from all directions. the Fire
Department would not consent To de-
lay the firing Of the block. and at $3.50
Chief Hunt was ready To- commence
tho work.
In view Of the fact that there was
not sufficient space within the center
OF the block from which the firemen
could work. II was decided to burn out
space enough for this purpose. a
building directly In rear of Ahi's
rambling shaCks was selected and the
torch was applied. Several streams of
water were directed upOn the adioin-
ing buildings. effectually holding the
fire within the prescribed limits. With
i'm less than an hour the building was
burnt TO the ground and the ruins
soaked with water This area gave the
firemen a needed space for working
and their attention was then directed
to the corner buildings on Pauahi and
Smith streets.
Cans of kerosene oil had been liber-
ally thrown into the buildings, and
when the fire crept inside, the entire
group was enveloped in flames within
five minutes. The heavy wind from
Nuuanu valley carried the flames far
out into the street, and burning en-
bers were carried for considerable dis
tance into the surrounding blocks; but
fires in the outside sections We're pre-
vented by the anxious residents, who
watched every flying ember. A good
sized blaze was thus started in the roof
of the Smith street school, on the Eva
side of Smith street, but was promptly
quenched by the alert fremen.
The Board had desired to save. if
possible, the large and comparatively
new japanese hotel just mauka of the
pauahi street corner. The fierce wind,
however forced the flames into the
building from side and rear, and the
best efforts of the firemen were I'M
able to save the structure, which fell
in with a crash.
From this point right through the
| block to Beretania street the flames
ate their way greedily. the tiremen
keeping them confined, however, COM
pletely to the Eva half of the block,
When in full swing the fire had the
appearance of a roaring furnace. The
heat was terrific and the houses on the
opposite sides of the streets had to be
drenched continually.
Good Work of Firemen.
The flremen met with the toughest
Iportion of their days work as the fire
rounded the corner of Pauahi from
Nuuanu street. The flames. famed by
n strong northeast wind and practical.
~ unchecked. attacked the rear OF
about a dozen of the Pauahi street
structures at once and in very short
time the entire buildings were Il mass
of flames.
For over an hour the buildings on
The mauka and makai side of Pauahi
| street had been subjected to thor
ough drenching from two streams of
water. but so great was the fury of the
fire that the water was Immediately
converted into clouds of steam and the
flames leaped three parts of the way
! across the street.
1t was at this time that the caliber
! of the firemen was shown. They fought
! to preserve the miserable shacks on
| the mallai side till their hands and
faces were blistered with the intense
heat. and they themselves were almost
entirely hidden in clouds of steam and
smoke. They stood in the center of
the road from which steam arose to
the hight of their knees and directed
the water upon the buildings. Time
after time the mallai side structures
We're ienitcd by burning embers. but
as often were the flames extinguished.
| Five or six men were in attendance
at each line of hose, and as often Us
one was compelled through sheer pain
to let 20 of the nozzle and battle his
blistered hands and face another took
hi nj