Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-12-07
Destructive Fire at Seattle.

A fire broke out in the rear of the
Fraeunthal and Post buildings, on the
night of the 29th ult., which destroyed
several buildings.
The dispatches state that the fire
was discovered by some persons who
were passing, and saw smoke issuing
from the rear. They Immediately
gave the alarm and the occupants Of
the building were aroused and notified
to save themselves and what property
they could. The scene that ensued
when the roomers in the lodging house
above were notified of their danger
battles description. A perfect bevy OF
frightened women, hurrying men car
rying furniture and any valuables they
could lay hands ON to places of safety,
ensued, while the dense volumes of
smoke and the roaring flames below
poured up, and in almost less time
than it takes to tell it completely en-
veloped the structure in their fierce
embrace.
The fire bells had meantime rang
out their alarm, and the engines were
on their way to the scene of the con-
flagration with a celerity that was un-
usual, considering the time Of night.
Considerable difficulty was exper-
fenced in securing water from the
hydrants, and the several lines of hose
that were laid and directed at the
flames were without the quenching
element for y number of minutes.
Finally the water came, and was
thrown on the fire.
Twenty minutes after the first alarm,
the structure IN which the fire origina-
ted was seething mass of flames, and
ten minutes or less later, the frame
work came down with a mighty crash,
carrying part of the sidewalk with it.
In the rear of the burning building
were number of other structures that
were in imminent danger OF destruc-
ton. One of the streams from the
hydrants was taken down the steps OF
the sidewalk to the lower ground, and
the water was poured upon the smoke
ing building. Shortly after the en-
gines, which had been taken down be-
hind the condagration and stationed
upon the wharves we're working, and
streams from them were effective in
confining the flames to their original
location.
Following are the losses and occu-
pants of the buildings consumed:
J.J. Post, four-story building, 49,
600; insured.
Frauenthal Bros, four-story build
ing, 81 1000; insured.
Swyney & Maitland, steam gas fix
lures, 81, 900.
Bretas Cox, cigar mandatory, $2,-
600.
H. Dubbs & Sons, drugs probably
1000.
Jewelry store, 500.
/. K. L. Novelty store, s., 900; no in,
surance.
Cascade laundry, $500.
Silver Moon restaurant, $500.
Furniture and mattress factory,
$3.50.
Rainier lodging house, 81, 500.
Soap factory, $500.
Foundry, 500.
Plant of the defunct Morning Enter
prise, "a 500; probably insured.
Thomas F. Bradley, foreman Post
1ntelligencer press rooms, $500; no in
surance.
J. P. Lucas, $500.
J.P. Fithian, $500.
The losses of the dodgers in the up
per story can only be roughly guessed
at 81 500.
Some of the dodgers escaped with
only their night clothes. One woman
had only a piano cover for clothing.
NJ. ]. Goodkind of the Sunday Stand
ard, who happened to be sleeping in
the office, was awakened just in time
to save himself. He reports loss of
$lOS which was in trunk, and all his
personal effects.
The fire is supposed to have origina-
ted in the drying room of the Cascade
laundry in the lower story. Whether
or not il was the act of an incendiary
cannot yet be conjectured.