The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1889-06-08
THE SEATTLE FIRE,
A Terribly Destroying Disaster.
The Business Portion Of The City Swept
Away.
Many Lives Lost-LOss Ten Millions.

J Ah'eS AOst-bOSS len hilllOns.
SEATTLE, June THE pale half
moon looks down tonight upon a
scene which to the suffering inhabi-
tants OF Seattle appeals only to the
idea, but battles any attempt at des-
cr1ptlon. The tension to which the
nerves of every one was strung I'D
during the fearful southwark course
OF the fire is now being followed by
the slckening sensation of irretriey-
BILE loss and the awful suspense of
many who have not seen or heard of
their friends and dear ones since the
noon hour. Solid and substantial as
the property of the queenIcity, proudly
sitting In majesty over Elliott bay,
was supposed to be, the entire water
front was built mostly of wood upon
piles which had been driven into the
mud flats. 1t had been predicted by
insurance men time and time again
that the city would Is ONE time be swept
by fire, and only the fortune, if it may
be called fortune, of a wind from the
northwest, which kept up a steady
blowing and drove the flames event
ually into the bay. saved that part of
the city north of Union street. This
leaves good wharf room outside the
burning district, and it is believed
saves one electric light plant, as well
as sparing the homes of large num-
Der OF poor people, who had jumped
the disputed Denny property called
"Shantytown," and who had all their
earthly possessions within the wooden
walls of their humble huts.
The only hotels of any worthy rep
utation left standing are the Bellevue,
of Belltown, so-called, and the Rus
sell house. So far the gas works
have been spared and q death deal
ing explosion avoided, happily for the
thousands of men, women and child
ern who had fed there for refuge in
close vicinity.
The dense cloud of smoke loses
nothing of volume long after mid
night. The patrol kept up by hun
dreds of special policemen and the
militia recalls wildly the scenes of a
bombarded city which has been re-
duced to ashes. There have been no
loud outcries, but every one who
could has rushed frantically out of
danger with whatever could be Sc
cured, and now tonight they sit and
look from the highlands down upon
the smoking ruins, charred timbers
and red ashes with the realization of a
bereavement and calamity that is the
nearest earthly approach to to hades.
They discuss matters with but a be-
numbed sensation, and one can hear
them tell of two inhuman looters,
who, being caught in the act of steal
ing, were promptly lynched, dragged
behind wagons with ropes around
their necks-grim justice in the face of
common peril and doom.
What has been the record of justice
of this kind to-day is hard to say. One
man attempted to steal some gold
watches; shot was fred at him, but
it missed him and found an innocent
victim. The names of these actors in
this terrible drama of combustion and
tragedy have not yet been made pub
lie.
What the loss to shipping has been
it is impossible to give, but it is gen
orally thought that every craft that
was not pulled out long distance
from the shore, has been either burned
or ruined 1t is estimated that the
fire covers over sixty-four acres of the
business portion of the city. This
does not include the wharves.
The whole city is simply paralyZed,
and at every corner stand groups of
sleepless merchants gazing at the
ruins.
All the daily newspapers were total
ly burned out. The Post HntelIigen-
Ger is now getting out morning edi-
ton in private residence.
June IL 80 A. Mp to this hour
no further casualties are reported. No
one was killed by the falling walls of
the Occidental. No details can be
ascertained of the loss of life report
ed, but it is thought to be overesti-
mated.
The large transfer warehouse has
not yet burned, but it has caught sew
eral times. 1t will probably be saved
unlesss the wind blows towards it.
At l o'clock the fires in the northern
portion of the city are almost entirely
burnt out, but in the southern portion
the lumber piles are blazing brightly
and the piling and wharves are being
slowly consumed.
All the city south of James street
was built on either made ground or on
piles, and was mostly frame structures.
When the fire reached it the flames
ran along under the buildings, and it
was soon ablaze in q half dozen
places at oncce. In less than half an
hour the whole section was in flames.
The place where the fire started was
also built upon piles, as were the two
blocks adjoinining both north and
south. From this reason, probably,
the fire got such headway. After the
fire got start the department was
powerless to stop it. The water sup
ply was insufficient and weak at times.
The blowing up of buildings did not
seem to check the flames in the least.
At $50 o'clock the fire was working
both north and south. No attempt to
check it at the north was made. and