The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-01-20

buildings to be burned, and to burn
against the wind. The breaking up of
the steady northeast trade wind into
a gusty and variable one upset these
calculations. At 10 o'clock the steeple
of Kaumakapili church caught on fire,
and quickly carried the flame over the
church to the Chinese joss house on the |
Eva side of the church. There were
then two problems before the depart
ment. One was how to save the |
church, and the other was how to save |
the buildings between the joss house |
and the river. For a time it looked like |
both problems would be solved. But |
with the loss of Engine No. ], it became |
evident that nothing could save the |
church. Then effort was directed to
stopping the progress of the fire toward !
the river and the sea. With the pro-
gress of the fire and the increase of
the heat the strength of the wind SEEM |
ed augmented, carrying the flames ever
farther in the wrong direction. The air
all over Chinatown was soon filled with
burning shingles and sparks and even
large masses of burning material. Roofs
were catching fire as far makai as
there were any roofs to catch fire. The
people of the quarantined district who
had begun the morning with an enjoy
ment of the fire as a spectacle, soon
began to fear for their own homes and
their own household belongings and
even for their lives.
FLAMES BEYOND CONTROL.
The flames spread over toward River
street. Presently they jumped across
Beretania street into Block 1, bounded
by Beretania, Maunakea, Pauahi and
River. They seemed to break out right
in the very center of this block. 1t
was now recognized that the fire was
beyond the control of the crippled de-
partment by the use of fire engines and
water. There was only one way to stop
the course of the confagration, and
that was by blowing up buildings in its
course. Before this point was reached,
another emergency arose. The people
of the burning district, frenzied by the
fact that their homes were burning and
that they were hemmed in the district
by a Gordon of military, became panic
stricken. Mobs charged the guards
along River street in an effort to get
out of danger. This brought out the
reserves of the police and the National
Guard and large force of volunteer
inspectors from the Citizens Commit
tee armed for the most part with axe
/ and pick handles hastily taken from
4 hardware stores on the way. The on
: ward rush of the flames, together with
the explosions of dynamite and giant
powder used in the effort to blow up
; buildings, together with the noise of ex-
: ploding bombs in the Chinese stores and
kerosene cans in household apartments
/ added to the sources of panic. Though
the crowd was soon under control by
: the police and military it was but a
? short time before it was evident the
people must be removed from the dis
? trict to some place of safety. Organi-
zation for this purpose was quick and
Z, effective. A Gordon was formed along
both sides of King street from the
l quarantined district to Kawaiahac
I church and between these two lines the
I refugees were marched. Such of the
t household goods and articles of imme-
, diate personal necessity as it was pos
sible were put on express wagons and
a started for the place of refuge. Some
Y of the women and children as far as Il
e possible were provided with conveyance
$ by the same means. 1t was a pathetic
r sight, to see these people driven by the
t flames and the exigencies of the plague
= on this march. Many of them unable
v to understand it broke down in frenzied
? tears and sobbing. Some were anger
= ed by the excitement and suddenness
E of it all.
STRANGE FRENZY.
q Strangely enough, while most of the
= people were in a panic to escape from
3 threatened death by burning, others
were crazed in another way and could
scarcely be driven by force from the
n where their cherished household goods
r were. The danger to their lives SEEM
L I'd as nothing to the danger 10 their
s household goods. The volunteer inspec-
: tors did most valuable and efficient
y work in going through these houses as
e the flames advanced to make sure that
q no one, sick or enfeebled, or uncon-
J. scious from infancy or fright of their
;. danger were left behind.
q Efforts to stay the progress of the
: flames by blowing up buildings proved
e Intellectual. They swept across Pauahi
= street and then almost against the WIND
n as far as Smith street Waikiki way
n Hopes were entertained that it might be
: prevented from crossing Hotel street
e toward the sea. But these were soon
g given up and King street it was hoped
would be the barrier. That the fire die
a not cross Smith street toward Fort was
:, due largely to the fact that there was
e a building with iron walls and iroI
e roof on the Eva side of Smith street
d between Hotel and King which acted as
8, a barrier, and turned the flames toward
e the river. And yet strangely enough
e iE the eXcitment of the time a number
= of citizens tried to tear this down ana
It We're only prevented by the arrival oi
" Col. j. H. Fisher, who seeing it's strate
gic value, by sheer force of VehemencC
le and moral insistence prevented.
9 FIRE DEFLECTBD.
i. Though King street did not prove tn,
"a barrier expected, the efforts at thii
" point were successful to the extent o
:. preventing its spread across King stree
~ Waikiki of Maunakea, and this un
is dOubtedly saved the Honolulu IroI
"a Works The direct advance of thu
"a flames on this property was stayed anC
N the principal danger to it was tina
l. burning fire traEds might be carried in
= to the works themselves, or that tn
= fire might cross Maunakea street as 1
~ burned toward the water front. TIL
IN whole force of the works was out, re
inforced by many volunteers on tn
10 roofs of the buildings and inside tn
10 buildings and grounds, ready to pu
~ out instantly any burning brand tha
j. found its way there, and with bucket
+ keeping the roofs and walls wet. Thi
was the supremely critical juncture o
the day. If the Iron Works got afire
n no one could say that the flames woul
r. not extend Waikiki way almost an,