Connecticut western news., 1889-06-12
A BIG FIRE AT SEATTLE
THIRTY-ONE BLOCKS OF BUSI.
 NESS HOUSES BURNED.
The Residence District Escapes, but all the Business Blocks are in Ashes-vain Efforts of Brave Fire men-Loss, $7,OOO, 900.

A dispatch from Portland, Oregon, says The entire business portion of Seattle. Wash. ington Territory, is nothing but smoking ruins. Some turpentine caught fire in the basement of 8 two-story frame building at Front and Madison streets. The Volunteer Fire Department responded promptly, but it was impossible to make any headway against the flames. The whole square offrame build across Marion street to the Palace saloon and Opera House saloon and in less thap thirty minutes another square was burned to ashes, taking in Addison $. Smiths grocery fruit store, J. W. Lang & Co s drug store. John Spencer's plumbing and steam fitting establishment, R. J. Graham's tailor shop. Edgar Bryan's pawnshop, Palace restaurant, Simison Brothers shoe store, ,Gering < O'Con nells jewelry 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 build ing, flve-story brick structure, valued at $12O, ,OOO, 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 Co.'s un dertaking establishment, Latour's large dry goods house, and others. The Kenyon block, to the north, had to go, too, notwithstand- ing the wind was from the east. In this
 
 the Evening Tiger and Veneo & Vaugh's music store
 From the Opera House block the fire moved to the square to the south, conss ting of two- story frame buildings. The fire department struggled with determination to save the most valuable portion of Front street to the south between Columbia street and Yesler, which contained a TOW of brick buildings, two and three stories high, where four banks had their offices. This row consisted of a c1, ,f-l | Ta1 & Co.'s wholesale dry goods, the Union block, the Parin building, the San Francisco clothing house, and other buildings.
 All the telegraph offices were in Central square. It was generally supposed that the entire water front would go, but it was hoped, if such was inevitable, those buildings could be saved. The explosions of giant powder were frutless to prevent the spread of the relentless flames. Onward the fire went, cracking and roaring. The three story building occupied by Welton < Com pany's sail factory was an easy prey. The several lines of hose only reached the second story. A
 The Tacoma Fire Department had come over from Tacoma in~ sixty-two minutes on the ments combined were powerless, and the att tempts to blow up the Union block were more disastrous to the valiant fife fighters than to anything else. All this row of buiid- lDgs succum bed, attn hOugh the Occupan1 had time to get out most of their property. SThe square north gave way to the fire easily, and soon the roof of the Occidental Hotel, the finest hotel in the city, got ablaze Before the fire reached Yesler avenue, Toklas, Singeman Co., Colberg's wholesale grocery, the four banks above mentioned, Treen's shoe store, Humphreys book store. and other stores were reduced to ashes.
 From the initial point the fire spread north and south distance of one mile. Every news paper, 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 railway tracks, the wholesale quarter, and everything south of Union street and west of Second street and reaching around to the gas works, was com pletely burned. The burned district, com prising sixty-four acres, now presents the aApect of a huge oven of burning coals, and threatens. even further destruction. The fire men, reinforced by Tacoma and Snohomish, are on the alert. The streets all through the night were crowded with people, wandering about penniless and homeless. The militia and extra police are to be seen on every cor. ner guarding the property against thieves and vandals. One hundred arrests have al. ready been made
 The burned district covers an area ofthirty- one blocks. The boundary of the burned dis trict is University, Front, Spring to Second, James, South, Fourth Wall and Water streets. This comprises the business portion of the city. The residence district escaped The property loss is about $7 ,OOO, ,OOO. This is covered by total insurance of $2,25O,- 900.