The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-12-28
A RELIC IN FLAMES.
Old Wycof House Narrowly
Escapes Destruction.
BEGAa IN A JEwELRY STORE.
About 81 900 Damage Done In One of
the Frame shacks which Sur
rfved the Great Fire.

Fire broke ont ct 10 o'clock last night in
the rear Of A. A. Barre's jewelry store at
f12 Second street, end before il was under
controi had damaged the store and build
ing in the suTn Of 1880. Tie building in
which the fire occurred stands at the
southeast corner Of Second and Cherry
streets and is 2 two-ssory frame owned by
Amos Brown.
Among the occupants OF rooms on the
second floor Of the building is a.
g. Ferguson, 3 resl estate man.
He was reading when his atten-
ton was attracted TO smoke coming
mp through the floor. lie discovered that
the walls were hot and, rushing into an al
Joining ball, he drew bucket % water from
e faucet, and after 1ooding the floor Of his
room, ran down stairs. lie saw flames in
the rear part of the jewelry store and then
gave the alarm G. 81. Saunders pulled IN
an alarm from an auxiliary box In the
P0sT-IyTELLIoE1 Cherry street en-
trance. Ar. Ferguson ran back into the
burning building and awoke Mr. and Mrs.
T. r. Denton, who i've on the second floor.
They had retired, but we're soon dressed
and out on the street.
Chemical engine No. was the first on
the scene, and Mr.. Barre, who had in the
meantime arrived. opened his store. and
the firemen rushed in. Inside of ten min
utes there was nothing bat smoke.
II is not known how the FIRE originated.
bat Chief Kellogg thinks it was due, very
probably. TO spontaneous combustion. In
the rear Of Mr. Barre's iewe.ry store IS a
large closet divided into several sections.
One half Is used by Mr. Barre and the
other by Michael Maginnis. whose tailor
shop Is in the same building. but fronts
on Cherry street. Another smaller closet
adj0ins this big one. and is
used as storage-room by f.
]. Wilder, the ticket agent who
has an office directly on the corner. In
the three closets were stood all manner Of
things-old bottles. feather beds. several
cans OF coal oil and old clothing, while on
half dozen shelves we're the accumulated
DUST and cobweps Of years. Ii was in the
half OF the big closet opening in the Jew
eIry store that the FIRE started. The flames
spread rapidly and burned up two trunks
belonging to Mr.. Barre ruined q set Of
jewelers. tools and damaged everything in
q sleeping room directly adjoining The
fire had Just communicated 10 I. ". Halls
las Office, which opens In an alley off Sec
made its timely appearance Every
thing in the law Office. which
probably represents a value Of not over
SO. was ruined. The tailor shop suffered
some damage from water, as did the
jeweiry store and the lodging-room of Mr..
Ferguson. One thousand dollar5 will
amply cover the total damage.
Mr.. Barre carries about 5000 worth of
jewelry. clocks. watches, etc, and carried
$500 insurance with companies repre-
scented by III. F. Whitney Il Co. b. B.
Dearborn's printing office. in the same
building, suffered but little damage.
The building Is the only wooden one on
any Of the four corners, and is one Of the
few frames in the burnt district which es-
capped destruction in the great FIRE. On
the northeast corner is the handsome
seYen-story structure Of Dexter Horton &
Co, diagonaliy across the street is the
Washington Territory Investment Com
pany's building and on the southwest
corner IS the Bailey block, 6 siK-storv stone
building. The arrival Of the chemical en-
CINE is sll that saved the binding and the
row Of wooden ones adjoining on both
Second and Cherry streets. As il was. the
ire had good hsadway and Quilted the
closets and ate away portion OF the par
titions and ceilings.