The Hawaiian gazette., 1903-01-06
FIRE DESTROYS
|. B. KERR'S STORE

/ The two stories of height of the rear
building are taken up by only one open
| space inside from floor TO ceiling, "A gall
lery being the second story. Huge vol
| umes OF smoke poured through the
skylight openings. Chillingworth and
others assisted the firemen to drag a
second line of hose around to the rear,
where effective play was had on the
| dressmaking department, and also into
the main store. BY the time the Sec
ond hose was In position, the entire
store was a mass OF flames. With
axes and crowbars the police broke
down a barrier of iron bars, giving the
hosemen fine opportunity to work on
the flames from the roof, effectually
| checking its progress towards the lum-
Der piles. Foreman Deering. of Hose
| Company No. 2, had charge of the OPP
erations In the rear, and kept his men
| working in closer toward the seat of
the fire, Chief Thurston directing all
the operations
The flames finally broke through the
frail wooden partition between Kerr's
and Morgan's stores, and the rear iron
doors of the latter were thrown open
for line of hose to be taken through
the PARTITION into Kerr's. Kerr occu-
pied the floor space over Morgan's. and
1t was not long before this also was in
fiames. owing to the iron window
shutters being closed all around, the
firemen were unable to reach the fire
l'directly, until Chillingworth and Re-
near had battered away the cement
fastenings on two window shutters,
which We're torn off, giving free play
for the hosemen. A double ceiling over
Morgan's store prevented the heavy
cases of goods with which 1t was filled
from falling through, but stream of
water came down and ruined all expos
ed articles. Two streams were kept on
the upper floor from the rear, two into
into Kerr's main establishment from
the rear, and two through the front
entrance.
The front part of Kerrs was used for
the display and sale of dry goods
This opened directly into the office,
millinery and dressmaking sections,
the gallery being used for the storage
of millinery and dressmaking materi-
ais. The front upper story Of Kerr's
was used as a general storage and
packing department At an early stage
of the fire, it seemed that the floor
stantly on the watch to give the alarm
in case this took place, as the firemen,
working in smoke, would have been
penned in.
The Inter-Island Company, next
door to Kerr's, was not injured, the
thick brick wall proving a fire. proof
barrier.
The firm of l.. b. Kerr e. Company,
Ltd, was organized some four years
ago with a capital of 100000 subscribed
principally by Mr. Kerr, a few others
having small holdings, for the purpose
of taking over the business of l.. b.
Kerr, and since that time it has branch
ed out considerably. Recently the firms
statement showed that in the main store
and branches there were stocks of $780,
900. 1t is estimated that the firm had
total stock of something like $150,0OO
in the two buildings, one-third perhaps
being in the wareroom.
1t is estimated that the insurance on
the stock will reach $4,000. This is
placed in local agencies. j. NJ. Dow
sett's companies handle $40 900 of the
amount, and 1t is understood that the
companies represented by w. G. Irwin
& Co. have the same amount. Castle
& Cookies companies have about $10,0
or insurance and Bishop IL Co. represent
similar losers. Small amounts are car
ried in other agencies.
James F. Morgan has insurance of
81 900 on the floating stock which comes
to his warerooms, and he estimated last
night that he would lose that much
more.
The building is one of the Oldest coral
structures in the city 1t Is the prop
erty of the estate of James Robinson
and its value is estimated at some &c.,
900. there being some insurance on 1t,
the amount not being ascertained.
sIc.looosoSS:ycsO
e general prosperity and comfort
The method and enforcement
the lawmakers of the nation, but
of all labor unions is
age of an arbitration law. The