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

Fourth street, south Of Yesler avenue. The
Catholic church was saved with greatest
difficulty. !.
etrsieht 20 the south with even fro nt
moved the terrible wall Of fame. Main
street was reached ct Z o'clock. The Squire
brick checked the are . moment and
then added to its intensity. The road
ways, all built on piles, caught on fire and
burned ahead Of the buildings, in many in
stances making escape difficult.
In the district south Of Yesler avenue
there were over l50 hotels and lodging
houses. The inmates of these places es-
capped with their lives and what they wore
and considered themselves fortunate. The
Seattle Transfer Company saved its teams
and many of its vehicles. South OF Yesiel
avenue the walls of Schw abacher Bros,
Harrington & Smiths, Dexter Horton q
Co. s, Levin & Co. Is brick and stone build
ings, all with part OF their contents de-
stroyed, were the only standing monu-
ments of busy mart left next day. Inc
Arlington hotel made very rapid hire,
and several guests who attempted to save
valuables narrowly escaped being burned
to death.
At7:3o o'clock the sight from in front OF
the courthouse was described by the POST
INrELLIGENcER as magnifcently terrible.
The entire fat below Yesler avenue was
sea of fame, with the streams of fire along
Front street, showing through ruined walls.
as tributaries. The setting sun showed
blood red through cloud of smoke, and
the air was so surcharged with heat that
respiration became difficult. The firemen
realizing the futility of fighting the fire on
the flats, turned their attention toward
checking the fire on the east.
At O'Clock the wall of fire reached the
water front, leaving utter ruin and desola-
ton behind it. Every wharf, every dock,
the coal bunkers, the mills and everything
that could burn, was destroyed to its
foundation.
The burned district included forty blocks.
or eighty acres exclusive of the water
front, which comprises about twenty
blocks, or forty acres more, making the
total acreage of the devasted territory 120.
Beginning at the foot of University street
the boundary of the district ran east to
Front street, thence south half way to
Spring street, and then east again to Sec
ond street; along Second street to James;
up James to Third, and thence south
along South Third street to the waters
edge. In this immense territory not a
single building escaped the fury of the sea
of fire.
At O'Clock in the afternoon Colonel
Haines called out the militia, and it was
some time before they were entirely re-
ieved of duty.
On call of Mayor Moran meeting Of
citizens was called at the courthouse at 8
o'clock that night, when citizens COM
mittee was appointed to swear in special
police and look after the welfare of the city
in conjunction with the police and mill
tia, with d. A. Mckenzie as chairman;
d. Z. Durie, Douglas Young, Frank Sydel,
N. B. Colt, d. O'Hara, P. w. Rochester,
secretary; T. H. Dempsey, Alfred Carton,
G. B. Nichols, G. H. Kittinger. P. Cordo-
ran. The committee swore in about 200
special officers, who did very effective
work.
Another meeting Of citizens was called
for the following morning, and darkness
fell upon scene of awful havoc.