The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-05-30
scENss or WILD CONFUSION.
Men. Women and Children Barely
Escape with Their Lives.
The Msss Disastrous Yirs ssses Jsss
HssIy Yesterday Msrnsss II Ccn@sr-
cisi ssd weller streets - Lssssss
o3s 900; Insusasc<. is.ooo-Hereic
Deeds-NobIs work Of Yirsnes-
Dranssie scezA sna stirring Iscs-
dsnss.

The most disastrous fire that has visited
Seattle since the great confaerstion OF
June 8. 1859, which destroyed the entire
business portion Of the city, occurred yes
terday morning. Between the hours OF
and s O'Clock the greater portion OF the
triangular block having fr0utages on Com
mefcial and Weller streets. and being
fanked BY the Northern Pacific railway
tracks, wAs leveled to the ground and 20
people vere burned out Of their homes and
lodging places, many OF them escaping
only with their lives. 1t Is claimed that
some did not escape at all and perishcd In
the flames, but rumors to this effect lack
authenticity. For . time II looked - II
the whole block and the blocks adjoining it
on the south and west. the Northern Pa
rific depot. roundhouse and other buildings
and the Columbia 4 Puget Sound Oh ops TO
the north and east were doomed; but the
i've department BY herculean efforts sue
cssded IN checking the flames before they
had devastated the block In which they
originated. A usual the water supply
vss 70 utterly insufficient that for long
time the woll-dirscted efforts Of the fremen
vent almost for naught. and il was not
nntiI stream Of salt water was put upon
the flames that they were subdued.
The block consisted Of eleven frame
buildings, ranging from two to four
stories In height, and hnddled together -
closely q they could be built Facing
upOn Commercial street, commencing
ut the corner Of King street. were
the following buildings: Northern Pacific
brewery saloon and l0dgingh0use. three
stories; Ssxonia house, three stories; Odeon
Restaurant and lodginghouse. two stories;
Chicago lodginghouse, "Ali Stop" saloon
and Coast Seaman's Loft, in three story
building; Eaxonia lodginghouss and Scan
dinavian saloon In three story building:
Montana lodginghousc and Champion
beer hail In three story building; and on
the corner Of Commercial and Weller the
European hotel. restaurant and Exchange
saloon In three story building. On the north
side Of Weller street toward South Second
street, frontal the Scranton lodginghouse
and New Stats restaurant. three story
building; the Pioneer iodginghouss. . fonr
story building running nearly through the
block and having the Silver Moon restau-
rant and saloon underneath: the three story
Weller house and saloon: Mira Richard
sons iodginghouse, three stories. II will
be seen that each Of the eleven buildings
ON these two frpntages contained . lodging
house. seven OF these were totally de-
struyed. On the rear side Of the block
were the roundhouse. supply house and
turn table Of the Northern Pacific, the Of
fee Of the Coast seaman's Union and one
or two other small buildings. None of
these were burned.
The fire first broke out in the Pioneer
lodginghouse from the second window
from the back end Of the second story.
Charles Rand. driver of the Northern Pa
cific switch engine, saw the flames burst
forth, and Immediately gave the alarm by
blowing the whistle OF his engine. He kept
up series Of sharp "toots," and the voice
OF steam gave the first intimation to the
.wo hundred or more dodgers In the block
OF firc-traps that danger was at hand. In
the meantime Officer Philbrick had sent in
m alarm 10 the fire department from the
nearest box, and other alarms had been
sent in from telephones and boxes in sew
neral portions Of the city, one being
from the neighbdrhood Of the
South school. These wild alarms DELAYED
the department somewhat in starting, and
when they arrived on the scene five min
utes after the first alarm. the whole rear
end Of the Pioneer house was q mass Of
seething flames. which leapea in every ii.
rection and touched the adjoining finder
box houses with fatal effect.
The flames spread rapidly toward both
Commercial and Weller streets. The
scandinavian and Montana lodginehouses
on the Commercial street front were the
first 10 he engulied in the terrible whirlpool
OF hame and smoke. and the fry demon
travelled with lightning rapiiity through
the long Railways Of the Pioneer house and
burst out OF the windows upon the Weller
street front
fSrrscRIrARIK SCENES.
The scenes at this jancture were ones
never to be forgotten. Weller and Com
mercial streeis swarm with humanity nj
all seasons OF the year. bat just now are
particularly ovcrcrowded owing TO the
large influx OF foreigners iuto the city.
Every hotel and lodginghouse. big aud lit
tie. was crowded with miscellaneous mass
o. swedes. Scandinavisns. Germans. Japan
csc and people from all countries and all
nations. Ali were wrapt in Slumher. Tor
with the exception at q few lahorers there
are few early rssers in this part OF the CITY.
The occupants III the Pioneer house we're
al fast asleep. There were sixty-eight
souls in the house. packed IN closely in
small roenS Five of these we're women.
Suddenly. without an ins,ants warning.
that most dreadful of cries to slumheriur
people. Fire. Fire, Fire" and the ATM
louder warning Of the whistle rent the AIR.
The hslf-ssleer foreigners awoke slowly Il,
ind bright ssFeaks of fame shooting IN
every direction, from pile cap In roof
Smoke was poaring in dense masses
,hreaeh TIE eAinks In the floors. under
the 4cer1ays and through the crsviees in
the eFssy walls.
Then an almost inasserihshls scene arose
Women ran shr.ektng through the hall.
vAys. wAale strong snea moansi and
srsfs their haads and groped their way
10 windows, easy 10 fad escape cut on.
Ansl almost certain death staring tAein in
she tacs. Tae pathways we're narrow and
tie stairs we're narrower still. and crooked
nows these the psnie-strieken creatures
Euas themselves in their mad rush for
iite. There Was only one fiee~eScSp~. on
the Weller street side of the building, and
in sn snssant this Was crowded By mad.
aened. sarssng mob. half-cscshed and
nearly frantic With frsSht Added 20 the
terror az The night Was the shrili footing AZ
the locomotives On the tracks and in the
yards close ty.
Fortunately It was bread daylight Had
il esen night. there Is no telling how rs~a,
the loss OF isse would hsve heen.
The fsagass swept ,hruagh the building
WITH lEserexsthle ssrssstltr Nsu "a sxxrx