The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-19
"a Of the Big Western Union
Building Destroyed.
! MAS a FIRE-PRooF BLOCK
~..~srac Light Wires Did It-sevcn
p.eple Taken on the Burning Roof,
Nine Stories High.


ss,ner Of Broadway and Day streets. The
dhtributing room on the seventh floor, the
srersting room on the floor above, and the
tssociased Press rooms and the restaurant
q the ninth floor, were completely de-
avoved. Seven persons miraculously es-
aped.
4 few minutes before z o'clock the
ore,ators began to arrive to go to work.
About fifty men and young women had
,,sehed the operating room, when q mes
s,nser bow saw puff of smoke under the
i,be in the distributing room, on the floor
mder the operating room.
A. soon as the smoke was noticed, Night
Manager Tobin cried Fire r. and in mo-
rant al the men in the room jumped for
g hand grenades which hung about the
valls These they began to throw down
lbe hole where the flames were. The con-.
bats splashed out when the glass broke,
snd the liquid sputtered little as it met
ne FIRE, that was all the visible effect.
Hand grenades could not fight fire like
mis- Tobin called messenger boy to go
dorn and send in en- alarm. As soon as
he bog had started down stairs the oper-
afors unrolled big hose wheel, which is
tepi ct the south side of the floor, always
fesdy for emergencies of this kind. They
parcned the hose and then turned the
water on. 1t was pretty good stream,
md II looked at first as if it would beat the
waves OF flames out of existence. but it did
not, not bit. The only effect it seemed to
have vas to make the fire shoot up higher,
md It was noticed that smoke came rolling
M IN greater volumes than before. These
operators worked the hose till the smoke
became so thick that they could
not see where the FIRE was.
Three ladies of the day force
Who had arrived kept cool, and the opera
tors worked like beavers. They soon
found, however, that their efforts we're use-
less The elevator man had brought the
elevator up to the fifth floor, and the
women went in the cars with some of the
men. They began to realize by this time
that the fire was going to be more serious
affair than ct first thought. When the last
few men crowded into the last car they
xere just little bit frightened. As they
passed the floor below hot wave rolled
V4&i tdEfht MhiCh AitaAC tbIORtS uEY
and parched, and as they proceeded down,
fre-brands fell upon them and burned
their clothes. When the car reached the
bottom they were all glad enough to set
out. Not until then did these men realize
that escape had almost been cut off, and it
Il not on record where men worked so hard
under such fearful circumstances and
against such odds as did these thirty men.
By this time the flames had reached the
ceiling Of the distributing room, and forced
their way through to the operating room,
where the instruments that connect with
the wires which distribute the news
throughout the country are located. In
less time than it takes to tell 1t, this entire
door was ablaze, and the flames were ex-
tending to the floor above, on which the
Western Union Company's restaurant was
located. There were four men and three
women, cooks and walters, in the restau-
rant. who had been forgotten in the excite
ment AL means by this time had been
cut Cd whereby these persons could escape.
They we're not aware of their peril until the
smoke rushed in volumes up the stairway
leading from the operating room.
One Of the men. finding no possible means
Of escape downward. rushed for the scuttle.
The frap-door was pushed off and the
prisoners climbed to the roof.
The flames were shooting out of the
'front.' windows and volumes of smoke
puned heavenward. When the great
crowds in the streets saw the men and
women rush out on the roof, cry of horror
vent mp, for it did not seem possible that
they could be rescued. The women
screamed and wrung their hands, and the
men yelled: "For Gods sake, do some
thing to save usl''
long ladder was placed against the
burning building, but it did not reach
within nifty feet of the roof. Undaunted,
nsvever. two firemen scaled the ladder and
shrew rope up. 1t was caught and tied
oy one OF the brave girls. The firemen
pulled themselves up, hand over hand, I'M
u they reached the top. and amid cheers
nom thousands below they let the seven
Gown to places of safety. 1t was accom-
pushed just in time. for the flames imme-
0iately burst up through the cornice and
soon enveloped the roof, and the tower of
we building was caught up by the fire.
Inc entire upper part of the building
vas Quilted, and every instrument and wire
rendered useless. How the fire originated
no one seems to know positively, but 1t is
surmised that two electric light wires be-
FAME crossed, first setting the flooring on
afe. had the fire broken out an hour
ater the loss of life might have been
Fully 700 girls and men are
Employed on these two floors alone.
Inc offices of the Associated Press suf-
efed rather more than any of the others
2 the great building. The fire ruined the
operating room. and rendered every West
sfh Union wire on Manhattan island USE
ess, so the Associated Press opened head
quarters In Jersey City. Every facility
vas afforded them by the officials of the
pennsylvania Railroad Company, and be-
ore the hire was under control the various
a1cults OF the Associated Press were in
Aeuve operation.
ine western Union building has been
os many years one of the great and impos-
hg landmarks on Lower Broadway. The
'alding is filed with offices on the five
over floors, which are occupied bv some
: 'ne greatest railroad magnates in the
rofid. The vast system of the Missouri
aeihe Is operated through instructions
sven from the Western Union building.
,nd lhere are the private offices of Jay
Ioaia, Sidney Dillon, DIR. Norvin Green
'nu Others who are famous through the
sagih and breadth of the land.
All above the sixth floor was destroyed,
'Ha the nth and other fisors below were
oaAea with water. The battery and stor-
'se rooms occupied the sixth floor. the
n,pefa'ing rooms the seventh the Associated
aess and part OF the bookkeeping depart
xsa. The eighth. In the ninth were the
ass'ern Union files.
ane Associated Press loses its instru-
-eus, Vpewri,ers, furniture and all its
s s.. papers and records, dating from
$40, and valuable reference library. The
uss y lrreparabie All of tho r,atar;eI f.,r