The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-12-20
CHILDREN PLAY
WITH MATCHES

Two fires of consequence and some
smaller ones broke out in Palama yes
terday morning and the fire depart
ment had a strenuous time in prevent
| ing the spread of the flames through
that populous section of the city. The
alarm was first sent in for a blaze
which was started by children playing
with matches in the residence OF
Doonie Hartman, on Sharatt lane, fly
ing embers from which started the
blaze which destroyed the roof of the
See Yup Society hall on King street.
The Hartman house was Quilted and
the children were only saved from be-
ing burned to death by their prompt
rescue on the part of Mrs. Charles
Broad. For a time, until after the fire
had about burned itself out, it was
not known definitely whether the chill
dren had been rescued or not and the
flames were so fierce that any hope of
rescue after the firemen arrived was
idle.
Both the parents of the two children,
who are both under seven years old,
We're absent, Hartman being on Kauai
and Mrs. Hartman among those at the
Oceanic wharf to bid goodbye to the
Spalding baseball players. The chill
dren were playing with matches, light
ing paper and watching it burn. The
curtains of one of the beds caught the
flames and within a few minutes the
whole interior of the house was blaz-
ing Mrs. Broad heard the screaming
Of the frightened children and brought
them out, while another neighbor turn
ed in an alarm.
The department turned out in good
time but there was no chance of saw
ing the house, all the attention being
paid TO preventing the flames from
spreading. The adjoining residence Of
Mrs. Dutra was on fire at one time,
but was saved by the chemical engine.
It was when the Hartman fire was
at its height that another alarm was
turned in, flying ember having been
blown through the lattice work of the
gable Of the Chinese society house on
King street. the blaze being noticed by
a son of Hack Inspector Webb, who,
turned in the alarm. The department
lot no time in appearing at this new
center of danger and succeeded in put
ting out the blaze before the flames
had worked their way into the build
ing itself, the damage being confined
to the roof and attic.
There was a wild scurry among the
Chinese when their hall was threat
ened Hasty but reverent hands
dragged the great joss from his perch
under the big gilded awning and rush
ed him to place of safety. The sacred
emblems were taken from the building
and the whole, ceremonial spears, gild-
ed banners and silken, priestly robes,
piled up in the yard. These were plac-
ed under the charge of a police officer
after a well-known white man had
been caught climbing the back fence
with an armful of loot, including a
fierce looking battleaxe.
There is no insurance on the Hart
man furniture nor the house, which is
the property of w. F. Sharratt. The
Chinese hall is insured for $500 with
the Waterhouse Trust Company and
for $500 with Bishop & Co.
The series of fires demonstrated the
necessity of keeping the fire depart
ment up to the standard it has reach
ed. With a less capable department
yesterdays blaze might easily have
spread throughout Chinatown, the
neighborhood visited by the fire fiend
being thickly built up with fimsy
wooden buildings among which fire
would make rapid Roadway once 1t
got beyond control.