The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-06-14
FRIDAY. JUNE ID. 1850.
ACRES OF ASHES.
some Details OF the Great Con.
fiagratiOn at Seattle,
Washington.
Thirty.one Blocks Totally Wiped Out
of Existence-Some Lives Be-
lieved to Have Been Lost.
The Total Property Loss Will Reach
from 81, 900, 900 10 $40, 900, 900 Ac-
cording to Latest Figures.

SEATTLE, w. T., June S.-What was
the business part Of this city is now
nothing but smouldering ruins and de-
bris. Fire broke out in the basement Of
a two-story frame building on the south
west corner of Front and Madison streets
owned by Mrs. Margaret j. Pentes. The
fire originated in some turpentine which
caught fire in some way. The first story,
which was leased by the Seattle Shoe
company, and the upper floor being oo-
cupied for offices, was soon aslace.
Although tic volunteer fire department
responded promptly to the alarm they
could do little or nothing to check the
flames, The building, like most Of the
others of its kind in the business center,
was not detached, but was a corner one
Of row of frame buildings all Joined
together and of various heights. They
were of finder and proved an easy prey
to the flames. Adjoining to the first
building was Dietz & Myers wholesale
liquor store. The barrels of liquor
as soon as the fire reached them, scatter
ing the cinders far and near. In short
time the entire square, composing the
Denny block in which was a confection-
cry store, Gilmore & Co.'S real estate
office and several other establishments,
including a number of professional Of
fees and some lodging apartments, were
soon destroyed. An effort was made to
A..
street to the south, but to no avail. The
flames spread across Marion street to
the Palace and Opera House sa-
looms. In less than half an hour
a. ANOTHER SQUARE WAS LAID IN ASHES.
This took A. s. Smiths grocery, Mer-
chants wholesale confectionery, a fruit
store, j. w. Lang & Company's drug
store, John Spencer's plumbing and
steam fitting establishment, r. j. Ora
hams tailoring establishment, Edgar
Bayan's pawn shop, the Palace restau-
rant, Gering & O'Connell's jewelry store,
Souster's barber shop, Lesly's clothing
store and Dobell & Marions clothing
store. While this square was burning
the Opera House block on the east side
of Front street, between Madison and
Marion, caught fire in the upper stories.
The building, three-story brick struct-
ure, owned by George Frye and valued
at $l20, 900, was sool destroyed. With
it went the Seattle pharmacy, the Golden
Rule bazaar, Harris & Co.'S dry goods
store, Abernethy's shoe store, Grouse &
Co.'S undertaking establishment, La
tours dry goods house, Broadman's paint
and oil establishment. The Kenyon
block, little to the north of where the
fire began, was also reduced to ashes.
In this block was the job printing estab-
lishment of The Evening Times, Vuen &
Vaugh's music store and Harie's
tailor shop. From the opera house
block the fire spread and
QUICKLY SWALLOWED UP THE SQUARE
to the south. This square consisted of
a two-story frame building occupied by
E. c. Lobe's bazaar, the California cloth
ing house, Gordon Bros tailoring estab-
lishment, the Oriental Bazaar and sew
eral other big concerns.
The fire department struggled bravely
to save the most valuable part of Front
street, between Columbia and Yessler
streets, which contained fine row of
briels buildings two and three StorioS
high, and where four banks had their
offices. The Bank of Commerce, Mer-
chants National, First National and
the Washington Guarantee and Loan
association and Savings Bank. The row
consisted of a corner block occupied by
Toklas, Singerman's & Co.'S Wholesale
dry goods store, the Union block, the
Parin building, the San Francisco cloth
ing house, the Star block, the Arcade
building and Yesler block on Centre
square.
In Central square all the telegraph of.
fees were situated. The Safe Deposit
company also had a building in this row.
EXPLOSIONS OF GIANT POWDER WERE
USELESS
to prevent heawful spread of the flames,
and clouds of suffocating smoke.
The fire spread north and south from
where it started, covering a distance of
one mile. The flames totally destroyed
every newspaper, hotel, telegraph office,
railroad depot and wharf, the entire
water front, including all wharves and
docks, coal bunkers and railroad tracks,
the wholesale quarter and everything
south of Union street and west of Sec
ond street, and reaching around to the
gas works above Fourth street on jack
son. Sixty-four acres comprises the
burned district. 1t is not yet known
whether there is much loss of life.
Great privation is felt among the poor
classes, as nearly every restaurant and
grocery in Seattle was consumed by the
fire. The burned district now presents
the aspect of huge oven burning Goals
and threatens even further destruction.
Crowds of people,
PENNILEss AND HOMELESS,
wandered through the town all night.
The militia and the police are guarding
property against thieves and vandals.
Over 100 arrests have already been maze.
The Daily News will publish tomorrow.
About thirty People were near Toklas &
Singerman's building when it fell and
many of them were crushed.
Loss and Insurance.
SAN Francisco, June S.-From the