The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-02
FIRE FEDBY DRUGS
A six-Story Building in st.
Louis Burned.
DESTROYED IN ronrr MINUTES
The Esehardsen Drug store and sur
rounding structures Wiped
out-Lass. ss55 .0e0.

NJ. Lerfs. Jan. The immense ak
story brick building Of the Richardson
Drug Company. corner Fourth street
and Clark avenue, vas reduced 20
ruins III 10 minutes after 2 O'Clock this
morning. Tie baslding ffonted isi
feet On Fourth strees ard ran baek %
Clark avenue % feet. Back Of this
WA three story brisk warehouse used
hy the firm 10 store explosives ara
hfghlv eombdsfibts goods and eils. 20
ferre vvaz the FIRE that I've minutes
after the alarm Was turned IN tAe
t,nlidi,v across the street Wss smoking
All about 70 burst into flames. Every
I@,s uinufes terrible exp.asion would
det0nate throughout the buildings
when every pane Of gl4ss vas out
of the building tongues OF IRE lsapid
ort and their beat made the narroN
steel slteol for the fifsmen, who
tailed with bursting, Burning hose 70
save the property. Their coats
snnoked and their hands were bis
,ered The entire six floors we're
filled With canbastible goods. great
uorfion Of the stock being extremely
infammable. On the third floor were
naints ard oils. The oils dripping
,srnn,t, the first tgo stories, fount-
ar I'd IRE played from basement TO
roof defviug all Efforts - cheek ~
eostfv flow II was an awful sight
from the Grst two minutes after is
discover anti 3 O'Clock, when the
The richardson Dfug Go. was the
s,,toyrath o. the business 81 ~ years
sgn loanaed BY James Biehafdson'
~ ,-re.ent president. The building
"a. erected several years ago At cost
of $50 80. and was one Of the largest
whoie.ale drng house. IN the country
TIE 6sjtdings IN close proximity 10
The f,re was the scene OF tremendous
excitement. The Ehier house. at 20
Soath Fauth street, occupied ~
h.oar8sra vas the scene % q panic.
The scream Of frightened women and
men rushing 10 and fro after friends,
created mueh terror, Finally the are
mon came, t. their assistance anu az
the OCCUPANTS were Fescued nc
WOE. Wa4qucrade store, 291 south
Fourth street. vas destroyed. Al +oi
and 40 Clark avenue a row OF thFee-
story brick clearinghouse was ai-o
the scene Of a fright The occupants
had only time 70 escape. IT.
Al 90 a, M, the most exciting
epoch OF the fire occurred, when seF.
eral great explosions OF benzine ana
explosive drugs occurred almost SIN
ultaneouslv with the falling ana
crashing III the southeast corners OF
the building. eudAngering the lives OF
the firemen on that portion OF the
work. The heavy cornices ana coping
stones on the top story began 20 efach
on the wavering walls, and tue bremen
had ouly time to escape from the I'M
prndiug danger. when, with a sudden
rrasb. that portion Of the building tell,
throwing burning fragments across
CLARK avenue and setting fire 70 III. !;
MiIier's bakery, twO-story brick, ana
the adjoining building on The south
east csfner 81 Fourth street and
CLARK avenue, and covering the
Intersection OF the street with lame
and smoke. IL was expected panic
would occur in the Southern hotel,
which Is within aInost half square OF
the drag bnildiug, but the guests were
quickly informed that there was no
Imminent danger and the ladies' ana
gentlemen lcisurely came down 10 the
eorridors and sidewalks and wiTldoWs
oil their rooms to watch the scene
The loss on the stock Is 500, eAl, IN
suranee $50 GOO. on bnildings, 500
90 The origin OF the ire Is not yet
known. ,
Andrew Geraghty night Waterman
in the drug store, Is missing, anu - ne
lsved 90 have persisted IN the ire-