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

WeaponieSs In the lace OF the terrible
enemy.
Several charges Of dynamite were then
placed under the corner Of the San Fran
cisco store, which was by this time on FIRE,
but they failed to have any effect. All Of
the powder in the city was by this time
expended, and messengers were dispatched
to the powder houses for more.
No efforts were made to save goods from
the San Francisco store; but from nearly
every other building on the street mer-
chandise was carried and piled in the Gen.
ter OF the side streets, and loaded upon
drays, which blocked the streets.
At O'Clock the scene became indescrib-
able. The fire had left the San Francisco
store mass of ruins, and had passed into
the Union block, adjoining. On the oppo-
site side OF the street every building was on
FIRE, and the heat was so terrible that no
more effort could be made to check the fire
there. The side streets were black with
people carrying their possessions to places
of safety. Goods piled in the center of the
street caught on fire from the burning
brands. The air was full of flying boards.
signs, and goods thrown from the build
ings.
at o'clock the wind, which had hither-
to been blowing gently from the north,
veered square around and came in ftful
burst from the south, beating back the
wall of fire which had reached CHEEKY
street on the east side of Front street, and
which had been checked for moment by
the heavy walls of the Safe Deposit build
ing. Again hope was entertained that
the progress of the fire in its southwark
course might be checked, but it was short
lived. A moment later a strong breeze
from the northwest sprung up again and
at twenty minutes past o'clock the fire
reached the Gordon Hardware Company's
block. In this building there were over
thirty tons of cartridges, which went Off
in perfect fusilade, continuing for over
twenty minutes. In the Seattle Hardware
Company's store adjoining there were over
twenty tons of cartridges and they COM
menced to explode about the time that the
din had ceased from the other lot.
1t was just 6 o'clock when the fire
jumped Cherry street, and it was only
twenty minutes later that it reached the
southern end of the block.
After leaving the opera-house the fire
not only moved southwark, but swept
eastward to Second street. This was about
AGO, nearly two hours after the flames
first burst forth.
The first building to ignite was the two
story frame on the corner of Second and
Marion, occupied by Harris & Greenus,
sign painters. on the lower floor, and Mrs.
Story, music teacher, in the second story.
The building was consumed in half an
hour from the time OF igniting and the
flames had nearly enveloped Pieser's stu
dio adjoining.
The Halter block, frame, one story, cor
ner Second and Columbia, was reached in
an incredibly short time and soon RACED to
the ground. This structure was occupied
by J. A. Ames, job printer; Mrs. Lynch,
dressmaker; A. Fisken, stationery; Nc
Laughlin d Bridges, hardware. These
firms lost all except the small movables
which could be removed before the flames
reached. Boyd's photograph gallery, on
the opposite corner, was next enveloped.
The buildings in this block-the Northern
Pacific Land Company's Office, st. Charles
hotel and the building occupied by the
Congress saloon--were swept away.
The Boston block, opposite Boyd's gal
lery, one Of the finest structures in the
city. was In imminent danger for some
time, the window frames being ignited,
but the timely assistance of number of
spectators prevented destruction. Two
bucket brigades were formed-one extend
ing up the front stairs to the fourth story,
and the other reaching across Columbia
street, up the side entrance to the second
fiat. The building caught from the ad-
joining wooden structure occupied by j.
S. Edwards, which was destroyed. The
windows in the front were all smashed,
and the plastering somewhat injured by
water. The structure would undoubtedly
have been consumed if the bucket bril-
gades had not been organized, as the ef-
forts of the fire department were now di-
rected altogether to saving the Front
street bricks.
The Colonial block, northeast corner Of
Second and Columbia streets, was ablaze
several times, but the efficient service of
the brigade was again called into action,
and the building was saved. No damage
save the flooding of the building and
broken glass resulted.
The buildings on Second, between James
and Cherry, caught at 5 p. m. and were de-
stroyed in about half an hour. This left
the way clear for the Occidental, which
the flames reached at about 5:45.
The flames had swept down Front street
nearly to Marion before they crossed to the
north side of Madison. The Commercial
mills were in a mass of flames at o'clock
and the fiery food swept up under the
wharting, first attacking the blacksmith
shop. One stream of water was being
played upon the Times building, but it
was futile, as the fire soon broke out in
every part of the block. Meanwhile the
warehouses and whole whar6ng on the
northern side of Madison were igniting.
From this point up Front and back to the
water edge the flames surged in living
waves without any attempt being made to
check them other than futile efforts with
buckets and garden hose. Warehouse
after warehouse fell in with a crash and
the wooden business blocks on both sides
of the street rapidly went down before the
fiery tempest. The excavation for the
Holyoke block, Front and Spring streets,
checked the progress on the east side of
the street, and undoubtedly saved the
next block and the residence portion of
Second and Third streets, beyond Spring
street. On the west side to the waters
edge was one great fiery caldron.
Starr brick block was in flames at $50
and all south of it destroyed. The fire
was confined to this building for a time,
but swept on back through the mills and
warehouses, and again reached Front
street by the burning of the Oregon house
and electric light works.
The fire at the north end was finally
checked at University street. A few doors
e 4 -. ~ =