The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1900-01-23

nav.
h80h ana TANNED ftt famn 10 saei
M Ntirnl thhi H0 fnuri uun'd ht mad
io aefcHt thaf pfoffrss
N0uaireH from amunE the flt'fenl
Ncrr ritfu ataa and determined pnurt.
erte mode iu remove several tni'dinr'
a'unr fho rauda Hfeam Several va
uailan rpuhres which wrfe rlHhi ia
tba track 0i thr nfr aud which W0eIn
carry iha nft in.0 fhe next block. worl
speedily demolished aud pulled nWat
by ropes Horny Waierhousr seemed
the controlling spirit among Tho riN.
gems and encouraged the men IN Their
endoayors % prevent tho Gre from got.
ting beyond control ~ kukW street and
passing into The Nuuunu valley blocks
| Every house in block ii below Achl
lane was entered by the citizens and
guards. speeding belatod Japanese out
/ Of the fast burning section, but no per-
sons were found ln any OF the build
! ings.
The fleeing people had no opportunity
20 save their effects. being forced 20
hurry away by the great danger Of
being hemmed In by fire. The flames
spread rapidly over that portion near
| Kukui and River streets. and. as a
last resort, an endeavor was made TO
cut away the bridge over the Pauoa
stream; but before this could be ac-
compllshed the structure was burning
at both ends and the workers were
compelled TO quit their dangerous posts.
The buildings, most of them new and
filled with inlammable material, were
fine food for the fire, and, as no water
was available, everything was swept
| before it. Even the bucket brigades
were compelled 10 desist for a time.
Brave Fight of Firsmen.
So swiftly did the destroying element
| work its way toward the corner that
none of the buildings could be removed
in the more thickly settled quarter.
| When the fire broke out on the cor
ner there was no hose, and the build
fings on the mauka side of the street
were soon smoking from the heat.
many times catching fire, only to be
quenched by the vigilant citizens. FL
nally a line of hose was brought into
the street through a lane and then came
a long wait for the water. The hose
crew stood directly in the middle of the
street directing the stream first upon
the burning structures on one size and
then upon the apparently doomed
buildings on the other.
| Finally the heat became so great the
men were forced to beat retreat to
| I.I.. 4
their efforts upon the seething, roar
ing mass upon the corner, which rapid
| ly spread up the street. Here the heat
| became so intense and blistering that
| the skin almost peeled off their hands
and faces and their clothing began to
smoke Buckets of water were brought
and the men We're wet from head to
foot repeatedly by the volunteers.
Not once did the men of this crew
vince or attempt to leave the post to
which they had been assigned. They
We're gritty men; and their heroic work
to save the rest of the town was loudly
applauded by the citizens watching the
fight for supremacy.
To these men is due the saving of
the residence portion of the city i'm
| llltuldltly dDoNt Sli'''' ny
worked heroically and uncomplaining-
ly in the fierce heat which drove the
citizens far out of its blistering range.
This crew was composed of Albert
Smith. Aiiola, S. Stanford, A. =. Nc
Donald and Tom McGiffen. When at
last a wall fell in, shout of relief
went up from the big crowd congre-
gated to watch the unequal battle, for
with its fall all chance of the liames
leaping across the street was over.
Farther along toward Nuuanu street
land between Kukui street and the
burnt church stood large warehouse
filled with kerosene oil, fireworks and
Iall kinds of inhammable material.
This building was given a wide berth
by everybody, and the groups of
mournful residents who were waiting
along the road fCr whatever disposi-
ton the Board Intended to make of
them. were moved farther along to-
ward Nuuanu to Il place of safety.
No sooner had the flames reached the
inside of the building. than terrific
explosion lifted a portion of the roof
high into the air and a roaring mass
of flames shot skyward. The kerosene
| llLu Dttl ltuNIl'h. iNNplpoloh 'lNSi
plosion occurred, scattering the build
ings in sections, and distributing the
fire to other quarters. Explosions
We're heard from this building for
space of half an hour, until the build
| ing had completely collapsed. The
neighboring native cottages were fired
in this scattered fire, but before reach
ing KulSui street, its progress was eff
| fectually stopped.
| 1t was a Godsend to the balance of
the city up Nuuanu street that the up
per portion of Block 10 was so little
built up along the corner of Nuuanu
and Kukui. Had 1t been otherwise, the
fire would undoubtedly have escaped
the control of the fire-workers and
sped on its way to the heart of the res
idence district of Nuuanu. AS 1t was,
there We're but few native houses de-
stroyed along Kukui street, and these
having been pulled down by the hard
working citizens, the danger was great
| ly lessened.
Among Frenzied People.