The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-29
WATER FRONT FIRE.
Two Immense Wharyes Par.
tally Destroyed.
THOUSANDS SEE THE Gig BLAZE.
Parts OF Harrington 4 Smiths and Hat
fields Warehouses end Con-
tents Loss, $4,000.

What came very nearly proving a most disas.
trous fire broke out on Harrington & Smiths
wharf. between Yesler avenue and Washington
street last evening. The damage to the wharf
and contents amounted to $4,000. and had 1t
not been for the effective and speedy work OF
the fire department. the adjoining docks and
wharves. representing many thousand dollars
worth OF properly, would have been consumed.
The solemn sounding OF the fire bell and the
vigorous blowing of locomotive and steamboat
whistles startled the city at $50 O'Clock and
brought the fire department out on the jump
Alarms from boxes ~ and 43 were sounded and
one look in the direction of the harbor on Rail.
road avenue, near Yesler. caused hundreds Of
people to follow in the wake of the excited
horses that went plunging toward the scene
with the steaming engines,
The entire sky to the south bore an angry,
iurid aspect. and huge sparks from cracking
timbers were shot upwards by the fierce flames
aud floating over the city threatened properly,
OF fell with swish into the bay in a brilliant
shower like pyrotechnic display.
DASH TO THE RESCUE
Two fire engines, followed by hook and lad
der company. tore down Yesler avenue and ran
out on Yee1ers wharf, followed by hundreds of
men. women and children. The hremen passed.
ard several policemen. by threats, momentariy
"
officers were pushed rudely aside and the ex.
cited crowd filled every portion of the dock.
Across strip Of water fifty feet to the left
angry flames enveloped the central portion of
Hstfield's and Harrington 4 Smiths wharves,
wherein was slowed, besides MISCELLANEOUS
freight, 150 tons of baled hay. The light dry
straw furnished excellent fuel for the fire and
in an almost incredibly short space OF time the
smoke cleared away aud the red flames darted
through the roofs, tearing away the shingles
and bu ging from the cracks in the walls, crack
ling and roaring.
Engine company No. came down Main
street, scattering the people right and left and
ran on to the Washington street slip, where it,
big suction pipe was thrown int the water. A
dozen.hremen disappeared in the binding smoke
with two lines Of hose. few minutes later
the white foaming streams were teen shooting
through the smoke acroes the burning wharf,
second later engine No. came like cyclone
from the Yesler wharf and took up its station
below engine No. 3. No. appeared moment
later and was stationed OH the slip between the
docks, opposite engine No. 3, and soon four
more salt streams were shooting above the
flames. The fre grew less intense. and the
smoke increased ten fold, q change which the
hremen welcomed with pleasure, because they
knew the fire had been stayed
AUXILIARY SYSTEM DID GOOD WORK.
The Colman salt water systsm was used to
good advantage. No. 8 had . strong stream
playing from the plug at the corner of WASH
ington and Railroad avenue, and No. had
another stream doing effective work from the
fesler avenue plug. Nos.1 and chad two streams
with . heavy pressure playing across the
flames from the city plug on Yesler3 wharf and
a small stream from the Oregon Improvement
Compsny's engine on the city dock, was not en-.
tirely useless.
The chemical wss changed about, first on one
side OF the wharf and then the other. Firemen
made their way to the roof by cutting holes and
in this manner over half OF the wharf was kept
untouched by fire and suffered no damage ex-
cept by water.
FIREMEN IN DANGER.
The situation was warm and startling for
Fred Zahn, William Cantrell and Lieutenant
Stern, OF Engine Company No 3, for short
time. They were the first to attack the fire, and
suddenly they found themselves hemmed in
near the end Of the wharf by the flames.
stream from scow was directed upon them
while they were there to keep them from burn
ing.
SEEN BY THOUSANDS
The red flames that canopied the water front
attracted thousands OF Sunday evening idlers to
the scene, and not long after the engines had
arrived Railroad avenue, Washington street and
the Ocean dock were thronged with black
mass of people, and the police, with di fliculty.
kept them back out OF the way of the firemen.
The hatcars on the Ocean dock gave an excel
lent view of the burning warehouse, and as the
whale oil stored therein ran down into the
water and burned fercely on its surface, en-
veloping the piles on either side, the sight was
as unusual as it was grand.
While the people were watching the scene a
small rowboat, pulled by mere lad, shot
across the slip. The boy climbed up on scow
lying alongside the burning dock, cut the rope
..,k.s ~hf A. Al = -
stern OF his boat. He tugged away at the oars
some moments before the huge scow moved,
bat when it began to gain Roadway and he had
gotten the craft out of immediate danger he
was rewarded by cheer
HOW THE rIRR STARTED
The fire was first discovered by Officer Cave
and Merchant Patroman Harry Windsor stimuli
taneously, and the former turned in AN alarm
from box AZ and the latter from box As. Rush.
ing to the docks Oficer Cave saw flames Begin
ming TO shoot out from the center of the wharf
and they spread with great rapidity. gentle.
man, who refused to give his name said
that shortly before the alarm was given he saw
several men hastily leaving the wharf, but a.
they appeared en- pty-handed he thought moth
ing about it. 1t is now supposed that party OF
tramps were sleeping in the hay, $50 tons of
which was piled on the wharf, and which was
consumed, and that the place was fred by a
smoking cigarette.
TALK OF INcENDiARIsM
John II. Richard, a warehouseman, stated af.
ter the fire was over that he saw a man set the
nay on fire. He was standing some distance
away on the wharf. when the incendiary struck
the fire, and by the time he reached the place
the fellow was gone.
LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
It was nearly 10 o'clock before i: could be dis.
covered to what extent the dock and wbarves
had been damaged. 1t was then sscertained
that nearly $50 feet of the wharf had been con.
sumed.
On the dock was several hundred barrels NJ
lime which was more or less damaged bv Are
and watsr About fifty feet OF the extreme and
OF the dock, extending out into the bay. which
was uncovered, escaped the flames as also did
many barrels of oil. large shipment of terra
Gotta sewer pipe and good deal of misoellan.
eous merchandise.
The warehouse and dock was separated or,r
by board partition. one-haif Of the doct
being leased by }. A. Hatfield and Harrington q
Smith. The dock being burned entirely across
each firm lost the same amount of whsrf sr.ce
The wharf buildings were owned by Z. II Tar
ana A. A. Denny.
Tire Lucy Low had taken leo tons of f-s;os.
from Haiheld's wharf the evening before The
fire.
TOTAL LOSS $4,000
The total loss Il estimated by the d;ss,a,,
parties as follows: Harrington & smith $40
goo; J. A. Hatfield. si.700; Terry & Denny 8, sno
The itemized loss of Harrington & smith IS g.
follows: 400 tons OF nay, $500; so harrels 80
OIL sl,aCo; farm implements, ST. 600. w.
house aud wharf, 81 800 Hatfed's isemizad