The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1910-04-29
THE ORPHEUM
THEATER GONE
Continued from Page onc.)

Cooke, which will cover the roof and
abe balcony loss on that building. Mrs.
Bhisdell'is fully covered with insurance
on furniture in the Majestic Hotel,
which occupies all the upstairs section
of the Sachs block. Her loss by FIRE
will amount to over 5000. Venhuizen,
proprietor of the lodging house, loses
$500, uninsured; Barney Atwood, ice.
cream parlor, $500 loss, no insurance;
Japanese tailor shop, loss 800, with
$500 insurance on all stock. Assistant
Fire Chief Deering estimates the total
loss at $4,000.
Began in Toilet.
The origin of the fire, while not en-
tirely explained. is believed to have
been in the toilet section of the Or
pheum rooming house. The toilet occu-
pies the makai end of the middle sec
ton of the building, in the second
story. There are lavatories ard bath
rooms In some of these rooms, where
tianitor's supplies are kept, there are
n number of mattresses piled one on
top of the other. These are kept in
reserve for rush seasons, when war
ships are in port and bluejackets are
content with mattress laid on the
floor for bed. Some of the frequent
ers at the lodging house have kicked
up roughhouse' as the term goes
thera and yesterday morning was no
exception. Some of tho people passing
in and out of the building were drunk,
and it is believed one of these caused
the fire.
Escape Cut OF.
When the alarm was given in the
house dodgers awoke to find flames
making rapid Roadway. Cries of
"Firel" reused the sound sleepers and
there was /. rush for the main hallway.
This hallway runs the entire length of
the building directly in the middle,
dividing the Waikiki and Eva rooms.
A central step leads down to the
street, just to the makai side of the
arcade entrance to the theater. When
the sleepers awoke their first thought
was of the stairs. Downing what clothes
could be slipped on without difficulty
they rushed for the hallway, only to
find the flames barring their way. The
back wind had forced the flames and
smoke back into the hall so that the
stairway was cut off. Many rushed
through the Eva rooms to the lanai be-
tween the house and the theater and
worked their way over and down the
posts to the ground.
Rescued from Windows.
Some had no chance for escape in
this direction and went to the windows
where they called for help. At least
three persons were rescued from win
dows by the firemen. The distance from
the second story is not much, but sufi-
Gent to kill one who falls. Among
those who called for help and was given
it was Hooper, the colored expert boot
black. He was forced into a window
which opens on the mauka lane. A lad
der from the chemical truck was raised
and he was brought down to safety. He
saved his musical instruments, includ-
| ing a guitar, banjo and mandolin. j.
Rodriques made his escape through q
Fort street window and worked his
way down to the ground by the aid of
| electric wires.
There were about twenty people in
and women-and all had narrow escape
from being caught in the burning build
ing. Few rescued anything of value.
Some claim to have lost considerable
money, one woman claiming her loss
in cash was about 5000, w. McTtae,
who manages the house for Venhuizen.
escaped in his night clothes.
Mile of Hose Used.
| AS soon as the central fire station
machines were at work with No. / en-.
CINE at the corner of Beretania and
Fort streets, and No. in front of the
Popular House on Fort street, the chief
turned in a general alarm. The Makilni
and Palama equipment was placed
around the surrounding streets until
more tim 5000 feet of hose was laid
and thirteen streams of water working
on the blaze. Assistant Chief Deering
who was in command in the absence OF
Chief Thurston in Hilo, placed his hose
in strategic positions, and worked par
ticulally on the Sachs block, using wa
ter literally, so that the blaze there
| was confined to the lanais. The only
thing outside of the fremen Is hare
work. which saved the Sachs block
was the fire wall between it and th'
Orpheum block. However, the wine
carried the flames around the wall unit
they came in contact with the wooder
Iporches. The flames ate into these ant
the heat cracked the window panes
The flames worked into some of tn
rooms and these were deluged wit
water. The greatest damage was t.
the third story rooms on the mauk
side.
Firemen Repulsed.
Hose was taken up the stairway int
the Orpheum rooming house, but tn
fierce back fire and smoke gradual,
drove the fremen down the stairs
Their effort TO go through the arcad
was repused. The flames we're blow
into the theater and in few second
that building WAS roaring mass o
flames.
Prestidge Saved Trousers.
win Prestidge, who is j. G. Cohen ,
theatrical representative during Mr.
Cshon's absence on the Coast, wa
asleep in bis room under the OrpLeun
stage He WIS awakened by shout