The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-05-04

CANNON FIRE ON
STONE MANSIONS
At o'clock Mayor Scnmitz and
Chief Oman saw that the only hope
of saving the Western Addition, with
its forest Of frame dwellings,. and the
Richmond district, with it's thousands
of homes, was TO check the cruel
march of the wall of fire at Van Ness
avenue, which crosses the city from
north to south, where the retail store
and fine apartment house district
ends. and where the residence section
begins. This avenue is $50 feet wide
and the possibilities of checking the
march of the flames here Looked hope
full to those who We're looking for ways
and means in the hour of need.
orders We're given to concentrate
every fire engine in the, city at this
avenue. to marshal troops of soldiers
there, the police and all the army of
workers and make one last determined
stand to save the remainder of the
city.
The cooperation of the artillery was
secured, and huge cannon were drawn
to the avenue by the madly- ASKING
horses to aid the dynamiters in blow
aires on the west side of Van Ness ave-
nue. in order to prevent the flames from
leaping across the highway and start
ing on their unrestrained sweep across
the Western Addition. Every available
pound of dynamite was hauled to the
spot, and the sight was one of stupen-
dous and appalling havoc as the can
non were trained on the palaces and
fIas shot
pied the buildings in crashing ruin. At
other points the dynamite was used
and house after house = dwellings,
by the power of the believing, blast
ara dropped to the earth, a mass of
dust and debris.
MEN SHOT WHILE
HUNTING FOR FOOD.
The work was necessarily dangerous
and many of the exhausted workmen
kept going and working through a
stl etch of As hours without sleep and
scarcely any food through force of in
stinctive heroism. Many have been
killed while making this last desperate
stand. Many of the workers in plac
ing the blasts took chances that spell
ed injury Or death
The fire line at O'Clock extends 9
mile along the east side of Van Ness
avenue from Pacific street to Ellis. !
All behind this. excepting the Russian
Hill region and small district along
the north beach, has been swept clean
by the flames and great steel hulks
Of buildings and pipes and shafts and |
spires have been dropped into the |
molten mass of debris like So much |
melted wax.
Sufferers are invading what few |
buildings remain in the hope of find |
ng something to eat. They only, de- |
sist when warned or shot by soldiers. |
At the ferry building a crowd OF 100o |
people was gathered begging for food |
md transportation across the bay.
Hundreds had not even the 10 cents
are to Oakland. Most of the refugees
1t this point were Cinnamon and Ital-
ans who fled from their burned tene
1ents with little or no perso1 al prop
,rty.
Tonight the suffering to many from
3ungcr is extreme. On the waterfront
what bread is to be had is being sold
or 81 loaf, and in some instances
It much higher price.
The steady booming of the artillery
IND the roar of the dynamite above
he how and cracking of the flames
with monotonous and daz-
ng regularity. Such noises have been
the ears of the panic
tricken populace since the earthquake
# 4S hours ago. They have ceased
o heed the sound, and rush pell-melf.
rowning their senses in q bedlam of
heir own creation. There seemed to
e an irresistible power behind the
ames that even the desperately he
oi.: measures being taken at Van Ness
Venue could not stay.
HE SUVA STORY
WORD FOR WORD.
While the heroic fire-fighters were
laking their last stand at the fire line
n Van Ness avenue, panic refgneu !
mo1g the survivors in other parts OF )
he city. The intense heat and the
bsence of water have been So ter :
he that scores have become frantic
I'd others have dropped from exhaus
Oh in the streets. The streets are ,
ill choked with refugees hurrying +
ither and thither, scrambling wildly :
II an avenue of escape :
Since early morning, when the great :
1sh of flames doomed the hotel ana !
oartment-house districts along Ellis. ?
Farrell and Sutter streets, men,
omen and children have been rush
g or staggering under heavy load: {
luggage, some to the ferries at the :
aterfront. in the hope of getting to
akIand and the east side of the bay: I
hers to the hills, Golden Gate Park,
lie ocean beach, the Preside and San
ateo way. The trip to the hills ana
the waterfront was one of terrible .
,rdship. furnishing women and chit :
'en and exhausted men were kept =
alkng several miles around the =
nth sholt- in order to avoid the =
ames and reach the ferries. Many :.
'opped to the street under the weight :,
theiI loads, and willing fathers and ;,
their strength almost gone,
love to pick them UP and urge them :
ward again. 9
In the panic many mad things are
ing done. Even the soldiers, in |
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