Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-08-04
A Big MORNING BLAZE
The Bellingham Bay Steam
Laundry Burned to the
Ground
The Building a Mass OF
Flames Before the Fire is
Discovered
The Laundry is Totally De-
stroyed, and a Heavy Loss
Ensues


by four distinct aud successive shots,
as though produced by gun or a min
iature cannon. A HERALD reporter
rushed 10 the street, and as he gazed
for brief moment from the door OF the
HERALD oilice, the whole lower por-
tiOn Of the city was Illuminated. A
short, startled look down Larrabec
avenue revealed the fact that the
Belingham Bay Steam laundry was on
fire.
10 took but brief space OF time for
"A HERALD reporter b. reach the scene.
and as he arrived at the building IL
was one sccthing mass Of flame.
There was no mistaking the fact that
the laundry was on fire and burning
for all 10 was worth. As the HERALD
man ncared the burning building, five
other men stood around, at close quar-
ters, viewing the smoking mass, which
rcscmblcd more huge holocaust OF
ancient times, than a burning build
ing, but a few moments since intact.
A huge volume Of smoke burst from
the building and the few spectators
whom time or chance had brought
there, were forced back beyond the
range Of the terrible heat Of the fire,
accompanied, as it was, by binding
smoke.
The fire had evidently caught in the
rear Of the building next the engine
b use, nearest the railway trcstlc
Ten minutes after the HERALD re-
porter arrived on the scene the first
hose cart arrived, and In the mean
time Onlccr Suitcr, who had fred the
shots first heard, had succeeded In
reaching the fire hall, aud the bell
rang out violently far a minuteor two
and then subsidized
The lrcmcn and hose carts arrived
quickly, a connection was made with
! the hydrant at the corner Of Larrabee
and Tenth street. but the fire had
gained such headway that the stream
played upon IL had no effect whatever
in staying the progress Of the flames.
Another line Of hose was attached
10 the hydrant at the corner Of
Twelfth and Harris, but the combined
streams failed 30 abatc the fury Of
the flames.
The fire engine was not called out,
as, so report states, 10 was In an unfit
condition 10 appear, and "A recent
change Of engineers and repairs being
made. rendered II totally unfit for use.
In the meantime, the Tenth street
bridge, above the railway track. had
lcaught fire, and but for the steams OF
water that played upon 10 prevented
the fire from spreading and but little
damage will result.
| All hope Of saving the laundry
building wasat an end, and the efforts
lOf the hrcmcn were directed towards
saving the CribwDrk Of the bridge and
the surrounding buildings.
| With a rush and a roar thirty-hyc
minutes after the fire was discovered
the entire building collapsed; first a
portion Of the east side fell
in and was licked up by
the flames, then the roof
went, aud finally the whole build
ing, or what rcmaincdOf 10, went down
"a wrthIng mass Of flame.
| In the midst Of the fire
an alarm was raised that IIar-
rls and Tenth street was on
fire. The frcmcn rushed 30 the
scene, but the report was occasiOned
by the falling cindcrs from the laun-
dry, which lit up the city for blocks
around By 4 O'Clock the fire had
spent its force, the laundry was "A mass
" smoking ruins, the bridge and crib
work Of Tenth street were saved, and
nothing but smOuldering embcrs and
blackcncd piles marked the site where
once the laundry building had stood
The building was a two story frame,
+ aud was built year ago last spring
by W W. Sly, who occupied 10 as a
steam laundry. Two or three former
fires have occurred la the building.
the last one about two weeks ago,
when only slight damage was done.
The upper story has been occupied by
To- Mr. Sly and family, as well as by a
I number Of rODmcr-. but since the last
70 fire, and while repairs were being
made, they had all moved out. There
Il, we're twenty-fOur rooms on the second
= floor, and four Of these we're
furnished, and all the furniture they
contained Of course was total loss
{ So far as known at this point. no one
y was in the building at the time, 80 no
lives are lost. Captained Smith, who
occupied a room there, is known b. be
1 in Port Townsend, and the
u marker and engineer OF the laundry,
who slept In the building, are also
safe.
o How the fire originated Is a mystery
= as yesterday being an OF day, no fire
was lighted In the building IL Is
n supposed, however, % have originated
!. In the cnglnerOOm attached % the
, building
Abouts2, 900 worth of clothes, lnclud-
= Ing those In the dye works and laundry,
= were In the building. The total In.
e surance cannot be estimated az this
hour Of the morning, but the loss will
IS fall heavily upon the proprietor, who
n had all his means invested In the en-
u terprise.
Mo ney 20 Loan
| A.