The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-06

nothing with the bare brick and mortar.
On the north side Of University street for
block from the water front line u water
block. This stopped the Ere here. Two
tracks Of the Seattle, Lake Shore d Eastern
railroad cross the foot of University street
TO the Canadian Pacific dock. Here large
force OF men were at work with buckets,
obtaining their supplies Of water from the
river, and with the greatest exertion sue
ceeded in preventing the FIRE from crossing
these trestles and burning the docks to the
north. Abucket brigade made up of about
zoo men extended from the water front to
the corner Of University and Front streets,
and by hard work prevented the fire from
spreading along by way of the sidewalks
on the south side Of Front street. It took
several hours of hard work to stem the
tide OF the flames at the north end, but by
6:30p. m. all danger of spread in that di-
rection was practically at an end, and the
residents of North Seattle began to breathe
easier and to thank God that they would
not be burned out of house and home. The
firemen performed wonders in checking
the flames at this point, when it was con-
sidered that there was not q drop OF water
In the hydrants at their command.
The fire spread with great rapidity to the
water front, sweeping everything in its
steady advance toward the south. At
o'clock Yesler's wharf took fire, and it was
few minutes only until the entire wharf
was consumed.
The flames swept on, increased in vio-
lence by the swelling wind. A squad OF
several hundred men, commanded by
Mayor Moran and II. w. McNeill, of the
Oregon Improvement Company, COM
menced tearing down the wooden build
ings on the north side of Yesler avenue
from the PosT-INTELLIGENcER building
upon whose site the Seattle saloon now
stands) to the foot of the street. They
succeeded in tearing down nearly all of the
buildings, but it was of no avail, for the
flames crept up to the scattered ruins and
then leaped across the street, consuming
everything in their way. And then COM
menced a fearful and destructive blaze.
The steamer Ancon, Captain Wallace,
was lying at the ocean dock, and when it
was found that the wharf was doomed the
captain had everything on the dock taken
on board his vessel. Also a considerable
amount of private property which had
been taken on the wharf from the stores
on the south side of Yesler avenue. When
the vessel was loaded to its utmost capacity
it steamed out into the harbor.
In the meantime the steamer Mexico,
which was lying at the city dock, was
loading with merchandise brought from
the stores by the drays, and after taking
all the vessel would hold from the wharf,
it steamed into the harbor.
The entire shipping in the harbor, hay
ing plenty of time to do so, pulled out into
the stream, and it Is well it did so, for
every wharf from the foot of Union street
to Jackson was consumed
Among the ships in port were the steam
ship Ancon, Captain Wallace; steamship
Spartan, Captain Paliteo; steamship Mex
leo, Captain Huntington; the Palmyra
and many other ships and smaller vessels,
the names of which 1t was impossible to
learn.
The craft in the harbor did much good
work and by their timely assistance
saved a great deal Of property. Amongst
these were the steamers Goliah, Blakely,
Mastick, Henry Bailey, Washington, and
the schooner Teaser.
Meanwhile the tempest of flame was
steadily sweeping down Front street.
The Yesler-Leary building resisted the
flames for long time, but the insidious
enemy finally entered from the rear, and
having once gained an entrance spread
through the entire building like flash.
The walls of the San Francisco, Poncin,
Union and Merchants bank blocks had
barely fallen in when the topmost pima
Gle of the big Yesler-Leary building be-
came the fiery center of the column of
destruction.
The PosT-INTELLIeENcER building on
Yesler avenue to the west of the Yesler-
Leary building, was licked up in trice by
the flames, which then walked with steady
march along the wooden row toward Yes
Ter dock.
On James and Second streets the fire
had destroyed every building up to the
Butler block by $40 o'clock.
The Occidental hotel then stood as the
only barrier between the flames and the
sawdust flats, the most populous portion
of the city. For time it appeared as If
the huge triangle of brick and stone would
stand the storm and aid in conquering the
fire. A line of hose was passed to the roof;
but again the water supply failed and the
firemen stood holding the impotent hose,
while the flames jumped across the mar
row street and touched cornice and win
dow sill. Within ten minutes the entire
north side of the big hotel was sheet of
fire.
A yell and cheer at this juncture an
nounced the arrival of hose team from
Tacoma. Dispatches had been sent at 3
o'clock to Tacoma, Port Townsend and
Portland for assistance. The Tacomans
had answered promptly to the call and
about forty men with hose cart and 500
feet of hose started from Tacoma on a
special train, which made the trip in So
minutes. They pulled up to Second
street, where they laid several lines and
did splendid work in checking the progress
of the flames toward the east.
The frame Butler block caught at exactly
the same time that the Occidental did.
The fire passed through the hotel, reached
the other side in less than ten minutes.
and then with bound seized the other
side of Yesler avenue.
The column of fire now extended along
Yesler avenue from South Third street to
the water front, moving along toward the
south with terrible regularity, licking up
the flimsy buildings as if they had been
paper.
The fire had been spreading to the east
meanwhile. John Collins residence, which
stood on the corner of James and Second.
after q bitter fight, succumbed to the
flames, but the Mallory house adjoining
was saved. Trinity church and the resid-
ence of the dean caught from flying brands
and soon fell in ruins. The little house on
the triangle in front of the courthouse wa,
torn down by the hook and ladder crew
a.