Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-06-08
Ravaged but Robust.
Seattle Is a Waste Of Embers
and Ashes.
BUT HER CITIZENS, UNDAUNTED,

ing from Her Ruins-The Losses at
Latest Accounts Reach Over $1,000, 900,
with Not One-Third Insured-Many of
the People Destitute and Others Believed
to Have Been Killed-A Wave of Flame
Mile Long-Relief Sent on.
SEATTLE, W. T., June s-The fire, which
started in this city Thursday at 2:45 p. M,
was, when the size of the two cities is taken
into account, nearly as destructive as that
which swept over Chicago. And to-day
Seattle is practically bed of cinders and
ashes. The city looks like some doomed Go
morrah. There are no streets in the burned
district. 1t is all burning debris, with a
few standing walls. What the loss in prop
erty Is it is impossible at this writing to
estimate, bst it is roughly put at from $l0,-
100000 to $40, 600 900, while the loss of life
will also, it is believed, prove to be very
great
Where 1t Started.
The flames first broke out in row of
wooden buildings, and, like the Chicago fire,
it was woman's property that originated
the confiagration. By some means a guam
tity of turpentine in building at the south
west corner of Front and Madison streets,
owned by Mrs. Margaret j. Peuster, took
fire, and in an incredibly short space of time
the flames were raging over the whole block
From the initial point the fire spread nor tn
and south, extending from Second and Third
streets to the bay, distance of over mile,
comprising the entire business portion of the
city. The Western Union operators were
driven out of their office with time only to
save their Instruments, and this caused the
break in telegraphic communication. The
instruments were taken outside of the city as
rapidly as possible and in a short time COM
paratively they were set up and communica-
ton re-establshed, the Office being in pri-
vate residence. The burnt district comprises
sixty -four acres.
Suffering Among the Poor.
There is great privation felt among the
poor classes, nearly every restaurant and
grocery in the city has been consumed by the
fire The burnt district now presents the
aspect of huge oven of burning Goals, and
threaten even further destruction The fire.
men, reinforced by the Tacoma and
Snohomich departments, are on the alert
The streets and crowded with people wan
dering about penniless and homeless from
the effects of the fire The militia and extra
police are to be seen on every corner guard
ing against thieves and vandals. The sur
vivors of this fire will suffer terribly for
want of the necesSaries of life, and those
whose homes and places of business are
spared are generous in their offers to aid
The Rush for the Hills.
When the fire became uncomfortable the
people fled to the hills to the east, and horses
flecked with foam dashed up to the high.
lands with promiscuous loads of everything
attached TO every available vehicle Words
fail to describe the awful picture of desola.
ton. 1t is like the Chicago fire, but like
Chicago the city will be rebuilt. Every body
seems in good spirits, as il is hard to realize
the dreadful import of this sudden calam-
ity.
Crushed Under Falling Buildings.
When the Foklas & Singerman building
fell about thirty people were near it, and
many of them were crushed. Similar acct
dents occurred at most of the large build.
ings.
One Block That Was Saved.
The magnificent Boston block, in which wa.
the postoffice, is saved. The Canadian Pa.
cific docks are gone and nearly everything
from the head of Elliott bay to Union street
The Tesler avenue, jackson street and Front
street cable lines and electric motor line ar,
useless, their tracks being badly damaged
and many of their cars burned. All tn,
warehouses are gone.
The Irony of Fate.
A committee had been hard at work up K
the time of the fire soliciting subscrip
tions for the Johnstown sufferers and abou,
5000 was thought to have been raised
Every Business Man n Loser.
An accurate record of losses would includ
every business man of prominence in town
1t is dreadful calamity, from which few
have escaped. All the citizens made common
cause with the firemen i'll the hopeless figh
and struggled with might and main. Their,
were many others, too, whose first though
was to save their individual possessions, ant
the streets were soon crowded with teams
loaded with valuables of every description
seeking places of safety on the hills Hun
dreds OF men were at work emptying many
business buildings of their contents and load
ing them into wagons
It's an Ill Wind Blows Nobody Good.
1t had been predicted by insurance mer
time and again that the city would some tim,
be swept by fire, and it was only that tn,
wind was from the north-northeast tina
drove the flames eventually into the bay
and saved that part of the city north o
Union street. This leaves good wharf room
outside of the burned district, and spared tn,
homes of a large number of poorer peopl
who have all their earthly possessions within
the wooden walls of their humble huts
Going to Work Bravely.
Already in many places workmen have be
gun to grade and clean up lots preparation
to rebuilding. Many merchants have secure
quarters in the residence portion of the city
and are open with remnants of their stock
from the fire. The people have decided t
rebuild the city with brick and stone
Forwarding Relief
Tacoma citizens sent TO Seattle yesterda
morning large quantities of food, blankets
and tents to supply the immediate wants O
the homeless, and large quantities of supple
have also been sent from Portland.
Latest Estimate of Losses.
SAN Francisco, June S-From officis
figures furnished by local and foreign insur
ance companies The Coast Revue,
newspaper places the property loss at 81, 600
600 This is covered by total insurance @
s., Dds, 900, held mostly by English compau
les
A Mysterious Suicide.
nr-r .