The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-25
THE FIRE FlEND FED.
Two Large Industries De-
stroyed in One Day.
THE RAINIER MILL BURNED.
Total Loss s5o,000-Myers' West Seattle
Cannery Destroyed by Incendiarism;
Loss s25, 0O0- Insurance.

The Rainier Mill company s mill, on the shores
of the harbor at the foot Of Mercer street In
Queen Anne Town, took fire yesterday morning
a. IL O'Clock, and before assistance arrived the
flames were beyond control. and the mill to-
gether with large and valuable stock OF lum-
Der. was reduced TO ashes.
The origin of the FIRE is not known. 1t is
thought that it originated in the boiler-room or
In the dry kiln. Mr.. A. NJ. Evans. president OF
the mill company, was standing on the Lake
Shore d Eastern track, which runs out on
trektle beyond the buildings and wharves, when
some one came running out OF the mill yelling
fire" Mr.. Evans turned and saw flames dart
ing out of the building directly over the boiler,
and before anything definite towards staying
the blaze could be accomplished they spread
with startling rapidity aud great heat ell
through the mill. Mr.. Evans summoned men
and tried to work the pumps-the plant having
private fire department but owing to the heat
nothing could be accomplished.
The proprietor OF the mill had taken every
preoautlon for fire, for realizing their isolated
position they knew that in cases CT emergency
the fire department could render them no ma
terisl assistance. All along the roofs OF the
buildings were barrels filed with water. and
buckets aid extinguishers were e. frequent in
teryals ell through the mill. The water and ex-
tinguishers were nothing to the fierce flames
that cat their way along the rafters, through
OF sash AID doors with which the place was
packed. The men who fought the fire finally
gave up the unequal contest and fed for their
lives.
1t was at least ten minutes after the fire broke
out before an alarm was sounded and the fire
department was notified One look in a north
erly direction at the rising volumes of dense,
black smoke convinced the iremen that their
immediate services were needed, and engines
l. frn trtgp he nd ha
were seon speeding towards Queen Anne town.
The bills. underbIush and broken road did not
allow the apparatus to approach nearer than 200
yards to the burning mill. One of the engines
drew up at "Queen Anne pond, and although
100 feet OF hose was run out, no assistance
could be rendered. The firemen abandoned the
engines and, armed with axes, rushed to the
scene of the fire. and letting the mill burn be-
gan chopping away the wharves adjacent, on
which were piled many thousand feet OF unfin-
ished lumber. great deal of the lumber was
thrown ov, rboard, and cutting off the approach
the wharves were saved.
Within an hour after the alarm was given
nothing was LETT of the large mill but few
smoulderng piles. The timber as fast as it
burned away dropped into the bay, leaving
nothing to mark where once the building stood
President Evans estimates the loss of the COM
pany at $4,000 complete plant of excellent
sash and door machinery had just been put in,
aud on this he estimates loss of $751; OO The
company he'd IN this plant and stock an insur-
ance OF SIS, 900, and Mr.. Evans held 1000 in
surance with the Hartford 81 Beach insurance
agency for machinery stored in the building.
The Rainier Mill Company was
incorporated year ago last year. and proved
paying investment for the stockholders. Presi-
dent Evans said yesterday: 1--WE don't know
our exact loss yet. We had an immense stock
of fine sash aud doors in the mill, besides a
$1,000 glass stock, and our loss may foot up
even more than we anticipate. The fire has
come TO us at very unfortunate time. We had
not less than $4,000 in orders ahead of us and
more were coming in all the time" The de-
struction of the mill also throws out of employ
ment twenty-five or thirty men.
The company's safe which went through the
fire with everything else, now lies at the waters
edge, heated aud warped. 1t contains all the
books and $4,000 insurance policies, in nine
companies of the Calhoun & Gazzam agency,
which will be taken out tomorrow If the safe
Can be opened. Mr.. Nixon the manager, is of
the opinion that the papers and books are in all
probability destroyed.
The milling company have established tenn
porary Office in room GA, of the Union block
where they win transact ali business connected
with the firm.