The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-06-09
A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION
BY an Eyewitness of the Seattle Fire

robert King, an employe on the
steamer Otympidn, a passen,er ON
the steamer T.. J. Potter, viyes to
the Tacoma Ledger the following ds.
cription OF the progress of the de.
Vourlng flames:
at first no one paid much atten.
.lon 70 the fire. One man, coming
rom tie direction Of the fire, told me
" "Id not amount to much and would
De easily extinguished. Later on
residents in the vicinity of the burn
ing building began to get excited. and
about forty minutes after the first
alarm people were running wildly
about in all directions"
Ten minutes later the widest con-
fusion prevailed. Men and women
ran about the streets, without know
ing what to do or where to go. Fin.
ally as the fire swept up Front street
from Marion street toward Mill street
men with inch hose appeared on
housetops and attempted to. put out
small fires that were breaking out in
the neighborhood of the fire. BY
this time the heat was so great that
the water from the hose failed to
dampen the scorching boards.
Finally, after it was found that the
property could not be saved, the re-
moval of goods was began. The con-
tents OF houses and stores were car
ried into the middle Of the streets,
but there it could not be protected
and again caught fire and burned
briskly."
"The heat was intense. You conld
not get within half block OF the
burning buildings. The water turned
on by the fire companies could not be
made to reach the flames at all. 1t
was absorbed by the heat"
II saw several parties stealing small
goods. l also saw several policemen
leading away thieves. Each police
man had two thieves in charge. By
this time, which was about two hours
after the first alarm was given, the
flames swept down towards the wharf
north of Mill street. At the same
time another fork of the flames crept
around Front street to Mill street
and was working down toward the
wharf on the Mill street side"
"These two branches of the flames
were circling q portion of the bust
ness houses on Mill street, two blocks
back from the wharf, and goods were
being removed to the docks. As the
Potter pulled out, it appeared from
her deck as If the wharyes with the
goods piled upon them would be
burned. There seemed to be no
escape from the flames. Those who
had been CALAMITY fighting the fire
were becoming discouraged. They
were fighting against great odds"
"All the goods ofvalue on the o. r.
& N. Co.'s wharf were placed aboard
the Potter. the boat having been de.
tanned for that purpose"
Just as the Potter pulled away
from the dock, several explosions oc-
Cured in the warehouses adjoining
the wharf. 1t was a grand sight to
witness the flames as they went leap
ing over the roofs"
Fire extinguishers of every kind
were used, but to no avail. Even the
most powerful chemical compounds
in the way Of fire extlnguishers, failed
to abate the flames one whit. In
fact, after the explosion Of the chem
ical fire extiDguishing compounds the
flames appeared to leap higher and
higher, as If in gleetul mockery Of
the attempts to stamp it out"
'1n some instances the owners OF
property gave up all hope of saving
anything, and turned to drown their
SORROWS in drink. The saloons we're
kept open until the last moment. AMI
over heated and perspiring men drank
whisky like so much water"