The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-04-29

ing coat. Everything in his room
was burned. lie found good watch
in the ruins. almost intact, hut filed
with water.
Hottest Performance Given.
"It was the hottest performance ever
given in the orphenm" was Prcstidge's
remark yesterday while he fshed in
,he ruins for whole shirt
al have cablcd TO Joe Cohen saying
the Orphcum was total loss. and later
cabled him to cable instructions in
regard to insurance.
Gables for operahouse.
w. ID. Adams. lessee Of the opera.
house. received cablegram during the
day from Mr.. Cohen asking for lease
on the operahouse for three months
from July 10. Mr.. Cohen is booking 4
company in San Francisco to appear in
Honolulu, and with the Orpheum gone,
must present the company elsewhere.
Fireman Is Hurt.
While the fire fighting was at its
height Joe Mendoza, an engineman, re.
moved his helmet and as he did so sew.
eral bricks fell from the walls and one
struck him on the head. He was badly
stunned and was unconscious for about
n quarter of an hour, when he recover
ed and Immediately returned to his
duties.
There were several narrow escapes
from falling walls and timbers. Yester.
day Acting Chief Deering had firemen
working on the rooming house pulling
down walls and timbers and removing
all dangerous portions, so that there is
no danger now to pedestrians from un-
stable walls.
Moving Picture Machine.
The fire started to invade some Japa.
nese tenement houses on the mauka
side and line of hose was taken
through the rooms and played on the
theater from that side. Tn the extreme
mauka end of the theater the moving
picture machine is located. It is en-
closed in corrugated-iron cage and
iron is built out like wings along the
framework of the building wall This
proved an effectual bar to the progress
of the flames and the tenements were
saved. The machine, however, is al
most ruined from fire and water.
The home of Silva, the undertaken,
which stood few feet from the Eva
side of the Orpheum, caught fire on one
corner but the chemical engine saved
the house. 1t is rather remarkable that
this building was not only saved from
destruction but that it was only scorch-
ed little. :,
The heat was so intense that the
paint on the Chinese church on Fort
street was blstered so that it peeled
off and hung in heavy festoons.
Lost Her Slippers.
One Of the duo of singers and dancers
who appeared at the Orpheum and are
now at the Bonine, came to the ruins
and sought Prestidge. "Where Is my slip
pers,' she asked with a roguish smile,
for Prestidge was wearing black shirt
and overalls, the only wardrobe he now
possesses. 81 tried to save them, )" re-
piled Prestidge unblushing "but they
were so small couldn't find 'em."
The dancer had rehearsed on the stage
the day before and on leaving asked if
she could leave the slippers there over
night. "Sure; nobody'll steal 'am,"
was Prestidge's assuring reply. Nobody
stole them, but they're gone, anyhow.
Owners of Buildings.
The Sachs block is owned by the G.
NJ. Cooke Company, Ltd, and will face
loss Of about $500. The Orpheum
property was once owned by Honolulu
parties, but was mortgaged to San Fran
cisco parties and finally taken over by
| the Germana Bank. The ement
houses mauka, which were slightly dam.
aged, are owned by Governor Cleghorn,
| who will have a small amount of loss
to face, covered by insurance. The Or
| pheum was built about ten years ago,
| and has been the scene of much enter
tainment. Manager Cohen has booked
most of The attractions that have APP
peared there. There have been some
well-known companies on its stage. The
| last company was the Jack Golden
musical comedy company, which played
a successful season.
Convention Hall Pau.
The Orpheum has been a favorite
place for political parties during the
election seasons, and all parties have
held conventions there. Manager Cohen
has stuck to the 0Tpheum through thick
and thin, has jeopaIdized Il lot of good
money in theatrical ventures, and caters
to all crowds at popular prices. Since
his departure for the Coast to book
more attractions, the vaudeville artists
have been transferred to the Bonnie,
where VIII Prestidge holds forth as
manager, and he hopes Orpheum patrons
will patroDize the box Office over which
he is now presiding in overalls.
/ Venhuizen's Theory.
X. Venhuizen, who conducts the
rooming house upstairs in the Orpheum
block, stated last evening that his in.
vestigation of the origin of the fire
led him to believe it came from short
circuit in the electric wiring and that
the flames came down from the ceiling
section into the makai end of the sec
ond story and then swept up the hall
way.
He stated that he was on board a
dredger at Pearl Harbor on duty at
the hour the fire broke out, and he saw
flames. He says that he saw fire for IA
} long time before the fire whistles
souuded The whistles ara eaaiIv hea Ri