Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-06-13
A Second Chicago Fire.
The Loss by the Seattle Fire Will
Reach SO, 900,
And the Suffering Among the Poor is
Simply Appalling.

SEATTLE, W. T., June Tt is now esti,
mated that the total loss to the city by
the fire which started yesterday after
noon, in buildings alone, is $10,000,O00,
and that all personal losses will probably
reach 100000. It is thought that
many persons must have persisted in the
flames. Giant powder was used to blow
up buildings III hope of staying the prog
ress of the flames, but to no effect. It is
reported two mon have been lynched for
stealing. The fire is still burning.
The entire business portion of Seattle
is nothing but smoking ruins. The fire
was caused by some turpentine catching
fire in the basement of tWo-story frame
building on the south west corner of Front
and Madison streets. The building was
owned by Mrs. Margaret J. Pontius. The
volunteer fire department was unable to
make any headwsy against the flames.
This building, like most of the others of
its kind in the business center, was not
detached, but was corner one of row
of frame buildings all Joined together
and of various heights. Yaliently did
the fire department fight the fire, but
without avail, for the buildings of
finder were an easy prey to what within
ten minutes from the time it started, de-
veloped into a confagration. From the
initial point the fire spread north and
sonth a distance Of one mile. Every
newspaper, hotel, telegraph Office, rail-
road depot and wharf in the city was
totally destroyed. The entire water front,
including all wharves and docks, coal
bunkers and railway tracks, the Wholesale
quarter and everything south of Union
street and west of Second street and
reaching round to the gas works and
above Fourth street on Jackson, was com
pletely burned. There is great privation
among the poor people, as nearly every
restaurant and grocery in the city was
consumed by the fire.
The burned district covered an area of
thirty-one blocks. The boundary of the
bu1 ned district is as follows: University
front, Spring, Second, James, South,
Forth, Wall and Walter street. This
comprises the business portion of the
city. The residence district escaped.
From official figures furnished by the
local and foreign insurance companies.
the Coast ReYeiw (newspaper) places the
property loss at 100000. This is Gov
cred by total insurance of So 800 900.
OF this amount 81, 9O4, 900 is held by com
panies represented in San Francisco.
The scene now presents the aspect of
huge oven of burning Goals, and
threatens even further destruction. The
fremen, reinforced by Tacoma and Sno-
homich, are on the alert. The streets all
through the night were crowded with
people wandering about penDiless and
homeless. The militia and extra police
are to be seen on every corner, guarding
the property against thieves and vandals.
One hundred arrests have already been
made. All of the daily newspapers will
publish tomorrow.
Words fail to describe the awful pic
ture of fire and desolation. It is like the
Chicago fire, and like Chicago will be
rebuilt. Everybody seems in good spir
it's. 1t is hard to realize the dreadful
fullness of this sudden calamity. When
Toklas d Singerman's building fell about
thirty people were near it and many of
them were crushed. Similar accident Is
befell most of the large buildings.