Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1889-06-14
GREAT FIRE AT SEATTLE.

THRTX ONE BLOCKS OF BUSINESS
HOUSES GO UP IN SMOKE-THE
RESIDENCE DISTRICT ESCAPES.
LOSS s., 1000, 900.
PORTLAND, OREGON, June T.
The entire business portion OF
Seattle, Washington Territory, is
nothing but smoking ruins. About
3 p. 81. yesterday afternoon some
turpentine caught fire in the base
ment of a twO-stOry frame building
at Front and Madison streets. The
Volunteer Fire Department 70.
sponded promptly, but 1t was i'm
possible to make any headway
against the flames. The whole
square Of frame buildings was soon
on fire. The flames leaped across
Marion street to the Palace saloon
and Opera House saloon, aud In
less than thirty minutes another
square was burned to ashes, taking
| in Addison S. Smiths grocery,
Merchants Wholesale confectionery
and a fruit store, J. w. Lang u
Cos drug store, John Spencers
plumbing and fitting es.
adjustment, Il. j. Graham's tailor
shop, Edgar Bryan's pawnshOp,
Palace restaurant, SimisOn Bros.
shoe store, Gering Il OCOnnelPs
iewelry store, and other stores.
While this square was burning,
the Opera House block, on the east
side of Front street, caught fire in
the upper stories. This building,
a fve.story brick structure, valued
at $4,000, soon yielded to the
flames. With it went the Golden
Rule Bazaar, Harris & Co.'s large
dry goods and clothing store,
/ Abernathy's shoe store, Croose X
/ Co.'s undertaking establishment,
Latour's large dry goods house,
and others. The Kenyon block, to
the north, had to go, too, DOtwith-
standing the wind was from the
east. In this block was the job
printing establishment of the
Erming Tiger and VeneO & Vaugh's
music store.
From the Opera House block
the fire moved to the square to the
south, consisting of two.stOry
frame buildings. The fire depart
ment struggled with determination
to save the most valuable portion
of Front street to the south, be-
tween Columbia street and Iesler,
which contained a row of brick
buildings, two and three stories
high, where four banks had their
offices. This row consisted of a
corner block occupied by Toklas,
Slngerman & Co.'s Wholesale dry
goods, the Union block, the Parin
binding, the San Francisco cloth
ing house, and other buildings.
All the telegraph offices we're in
Central square. 1t was generally
supposed that the entire water
front would go, but 1t was hoped,
if such was inevitable, these build
ings could be saved. The explosions
of giant powder we're fruitless to
prevent the spread of the relentless
flames. Onward the fire went,
cracking and roaring. The three
story building occupied by Welton
Il COmpany's sail factory was an
easy prey. The water was giving
out, and the streams from several
lines OF hose only reached :he
second story.
The Tacoma Fire Department had
come over from Tacoma in sixty.
two minutes on the Puget Sound
Shore Railroad, but both depart
ments combined were pOwerless,
and the attempts TO blow up the
Union block we're more disastrous
to the valiant fire fighters than 70
ANYTHING else. All this row OF
buildings succumbed, although the
occupants had time TO get out most
of their property. The square
north gave way TO the fire easily,
and soon the root of the Occidental
Hotel, the finest hotel in the city,
got abaze. Before the fire reached
Yesler avenue, Toklas, Singeman
/ a Co.'s COlberg's Wholesale grocery,
the four banks above mentioned,
Treen's shoe store, Humphreys
book store, aud other stores were
reduced TO ashes.
From the initial point the fire
spread north and south a distance
of one mile. Every newspaper,
hotel, telegraph office, railroad
depot, and wharf in the city was
totally destroyed. The entire
water front. including all wharves
and docks, coal bunkers and rail-
way tracks, the wholesale quarter
and everything south of Union
street and west of Second street
and reaching around TO the gas
works was completely burned
The burned district, comprising
sixty -four acres, now presents the
aspect of a huge oven of burning
Goals, and threatens even further
destruction. The fremen, reen'
forced by Tacoma and SnohOmlsh
are on the alert. The streets all
through the nlghG were crowded
with people, wandering about
pennlless and homeless. The militia
and extra police are to DO seen on
every corner guarding the property
against thieves and vandals. One
hundred arrests have already been
made. All of the daily newspapers
will be published tomorrow.
The burned district covers %
area of thirty.one blocks. Th'
boundary of the burned district II
University, Front, Spring t.
Second, James, South, Fourth
Wall. and Water streets. Thu
comprises the business portion o
the city. The residence district
escaped. The property loss II
about S7,000,000. This is covered
by total insurance of 81, 250,OOO
Fvarv couthern Hanra IN Vote the