Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-02-03

Especial SIar-RUlIetin .'nrresDondencel
4 HlLO. Hawaii, Jan. 31.-The Paaoa
lumber mill, with practically all the
lumber on hand, with the exception
Of such ties as had been cut for i'm
mediate shipment, was destroyed by
fire on Tuesday night. Through the
strenuous work OF Col. Sam Johnson,
the manager Of the, concern, the Of
flee, store and Pahoa depot. were
saved as we'll as the managers house.
The entire town OF Pahoa had a very
narrow escaDe from the flames as
the result Of shifting wind which
threatened to sweep the flames to-
wards the main street.
The total loss from the fire will
be very heavy, reaching close to half
a million dollars and there was no
insurance whatever. The loss comes
at a peculiarly unfortunate time, ow-
ing to the fact that the lumber COM
pany, through its contracts for ohia
| flooring, was just being placed upon i
sound financial footing and was, for
the, first time in its history, paying
good returns over expenses. TIER
4 were q large number OF contracts on
hand, the material for some Of which
was. ready for shipment: fl
Much Lumber Lost
The main item Of loss consist Of
two mills, one hundred thousand feet
of koa, about 100000 feet OF finished
ohia flooring for Los Angeles con-
tracts and for the Punahou College il
II Honolulu, as we'll as about four mil
Il lion feet of lumber, which was stack
4 ed at various points in the lumber
i yard. The company is protected in
its contracts by the usual clause re
leasing the company from obligation
in case of fires, but the money loss in
the material which was burned will
| be very heavy. The mill company
] rolling stock, consisting of three loco
. motives and number of flatcars was
4 saved. -..
il The, fire was discovered shortly
after midnight and when the alarm
i was given was blazing fiercely. Col
Johnson had been working over cor
respondence till about 1890, then
had gone to bis house Tor about an
i hour and returned to the office,
passing within few feet Of the spot
where the flames first appeared, at
about 11:39. His chauffeur also went
past the spot but neither of them
noticed anything wrong. A little
after midnight the alarm was given
tby a. Waterman and then it appeared
that the flames had q good start. but
still might be controlled.
johnson In Charge
Col johnson took charge In person,
the pumps which had been installed
i for fire protection we're started and
4 the fight against the flames COM
3menced The attempt was made to
keep the blaze in the larger mill
where il had originated, but the
Flames reached the pumps in about
1 Half an hour and then the only
source Of supply was from the water
i tanks which gave but small pres
sure. '.. r."
| The lumber which was piled around
j the MN commenced to catch and then
| came the fight to prevent a spread of
i the flames. The piles were divided
4 by wide alleyways, over which bridges
had been built connecting one pile to
i the othef. To destroy these was part
of the work and both Col. Johnson
and his men ran great risks as they
Il broke down the supports to prevent
Il the flames from being given this easy
manner of access to the further lumber
j stacks.
Moment Of Danger.
4 One of the moments of greatest dan
i ger came when the big cast iron
smokestack of the mill fell. With little
4 or no warning it dropped with a crash
upon bridge which was occupied by
Col, Johnson and four Japanese. In
/ the crash that followed, the bridge, al
/ five men fell. Luckily no one was ser
i iously hurt though one Japanese be.
came so panic stricken that he started
/ to run directly for the flames when
Col Johnson saw what he was doing
and seized him.
Attempts were made to pull down
/ the tail piles of lumber that they might
not offer SO inviting display for the
/ advancing fire and in this work a
/ number of the men were slightly hurt,
i none of them being wounded in any
/ serious manner. The work was well
j under way and it was just when a good
i chance of safety for the planning mil!
appeared. that the wind changed and
the labor already done was practically
thrown away. A second start was
/ made and more lumber plies were torn
down and an attack made from another
| quarter as it was impossible to &C.
complish any work save on the side
from which the wind came. This work
/ too was given for almost nothing as
another change of wind came, driving
1 the firefighters from their positions
and forcing them to adopt still new
methods of attack.
Finally with tho flamoa HAVING al.