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Bubonic Plague Fire Destroyed Honolulu's Chinatown
January 1900
Bubonic plague reached Hawaii in December of 1899 and one of the measures
taken by local officials was to burn down the buildings in Honolulu's
Chinatown that were exposed to the disease. The Honolulu Fire Department
lost control of the fire on January 20, 1900 and most of the buildings
in Chinatown were burned to the ground.
Buy the Book "Plague and Fire" at Amazon.com
December 1899: Arrival of Bubonic Plague in Hawaii
Hawaii's first cases of bubonic plague were diagnosed
in Honolulu's Chinatown in December of 1899. Local health
officials were very concerned because
new diseases introduced on isolated islands can be devestating to
local populations. Hawaii had experienced that devestation several
times before, for example when measles, venereal diseases, and
cholera arrived in the islands.
Health Officials Immediately Went Into Action
When it was confirmed that bubonic plague had arrived in Hawaii
the local health department immediately established a quarantine
in the Chinatown area. In addition to the quarantine,
schools were closed, passengers from newly arrived ships were
isolated, and the bodies of those who died of bubonic plague
were burned at an isolated location on Sand Island.
Fire Was Intentionally Set to Destroy Infected Buildings
Local officials then decided to take more drastic measures.
They began burning down the Chinatown buildings they thought had been
exposed to the bubonic plague. The first building was burned down
on December 31, 1899, and several more buildings were burned in the
first weeks of January 1900. On January 20, 1900, while the
wooden buildings between Smith Street and Nuuanu Avenue
on Beretania Street were being burned, the fire got out of control and
several unintended buildings caught on fire. Flames spread from the
steeple of Kaumakapili Church to the surrounding buildings, and in the
end, most of the buildings in Honolulu's Chinatown were destroyed.
An Earlier Fire Also Destroyed Most of Chinatown
This was not the first fire to destroy Honolulu's Chinatown.
Thirteen years earlier, in 1886, another uncontrolled fire burned
down most of the buildings in Chinatown. The fire lasted three
days and it destroyed more then eight blocks.
Book About the Chinatown Bubonic Plague Fire
Photos of the Chinatown Honolulu Bubonic Plague Fire
These pictures of the Honolulu Bubonic plague epidemic and
the fire that was intentionally set to destroy it were published
by the State of Hawaii Historic Preservation division as part of
their special feature entitled "100 Years Ago in Hawaii".
Part 1: Hawaii Responds to the Plague
Part 2: Flames Run Riot
Part 3: The Passing of Chinatown
Star Bulletin Article: "Plague on Our Shores"
In January and February of 2000 the Honolulu Star Bulletin Newspaper
published this five part article about the arrival of bubonic plague in
Hawaii and the subsequent burning and complete destruction of Honolulu's
Chinatown.
Part 1: Dark Days
Part 2: False Hope
Part 3: City at War
Part 4: The Great Chinatown Fire
Part 5: Plague Claimed More Lives Then Fire
Books About Other Interesting Incidents in Hawaii's History
The Colony: The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai
Two Books About the 1941 Niihau Incident
Honor Killing: The Infamous Massie Affair
Little Known Tales in Hawaii History
Index to All Books About Hawaii
See also:
Natural Disasters in Hawaii
More About Honolulu's Chinatown
Downtown Honolulu Historic Tour
Waikiki Historic Trail
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Related Links
Oahu Island - Main Menu
Islands of Hawaii
Hawaii for Visitors
Elsewhere on the Web
Chinatown Fire Article by Michael Tsai
Wikipedia on the Bubonic Plague
The History of Honolulu's Chinatown
Gregory Yee Mark Chinatown History Article (PDF)
World Tourist Chinatown Honolulu Profile
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