The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-28
FIRE A PLAYTHING.
Romping Children Cause a
Good-Sized Conflagration.
SOME DELAY IN RECEIVING AID.
second Ward Will Ask for n Hose Cart
and Form Volunteer Company
An Errant Spark.

Come little children who were playing with
matches in the shed in the rear of Charles
Stevens residence on Weller street, just west OF
Rainier, set il fire yesterday afternoon at 2. 40
O'Clock. The flames spread quickly, and the \ re
was communicated to another shed that was
used for a storeroom in the rear OF the home OF
vs.. d. Taylor, ON Rainier street, between Flor
ence and Weller. Then II spread to the houses
ut $40 and SD Yakima street, between Weller
and Florence, and damaged each one about $500
worth The house at $40 was occupied by the
owner, J. c. Wehn, and the other was the home
OF Frank McCabe, foreman In the employ OF
the Washington Iron Works Company Each
house was worth s., 900 and was insured for $500.
Nearly all the furniture was moved 1t also was
insured. The outhouses and their contents were
a total loss. They were worth 500 and were not
insured.
The wind shifted just before the department.
arrived, and Mr. Taylor's house was in immi-
nent danger, but it was saved by the efforts of
the neighbors, assisted by the fremen. The
house was badly scorched. Two hundred dol
lars will repair the damage. The total loss by
the fire will reach 81 800.
Chemical engine was first on the scene, but
1t might as we'll have stayed away for all the
good 1t accomplished. The down town engines
aud trucks had just come in from a hard run
when the alarm came, and they made the trip
over the steep hills OF Jackson street with
great deal OF difficulty. The team attached to
engine was exhausted. One of the horses fell
down on the Jackson street slope from sheer ex-
haustion, and was unable to go on for some
time. general alarm was sent in, and the
serve forces came up when the fire had Just been
put out.
Cinders, blown by the strong northwest wind,
were waited into the lumber yard of j. 1. Taylor
at Rainier aud Fremont streets. The blaze was
checked by the employees. The damage is
nominal
The residents in tho vicipitv of Tho fro .ra
very much dissatisfied with the protection they
are under. They do MT yame the authorities
however. The location is over two staep hills
from the business center, and il takes the
engines aid hose wagons a long time to get to
the scene OF the fire. Mr.. w. /. Taylor said yes
terday that the citizens OF his ward will petition
TO have cart and some hose stationed con-
veniently near, and then they will form yolun-
teer company that will do much as possible
70 check the course OF the fires while the regu-
lar department is on the way He said that such
n department would have been able TO ex-
tinguish yesterdays fire while ii was in its
incipiency, whereas by the time the department
arrived it had grown to troublesome proper
tons
The alarm from box No. &c that was received
at 1:50 yesterday afternoon was for fire on Day
Bros. wharf, at Commercial and Il streets, in
the same spot as the fire OF the day before. IL
was caused by spark from passing dummy
~ WIS S~siHBuiSncu Neiy quFhiy anu tne utii-
age is nominal. Engine No. 3 put out the fire.
IL was the fourth time the wharf had been fired
by sparks from passing dummies.
"The railroad companies should be required
to do one OF three things" prominent insur-
ance agent said yesterday. "They should either
use spark arresters or sprinkle their right-of-
way. Fires are too common along that line. IL
is owing TO good luck, and not good manage
ment, that the fires have been controlled Let
one get little start, and away would go the
acres OF wharves bridges and warehouses that
are in that yiciuify'i