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

stores had been.
The foundation Of George B. Kittinger'.
puliding on the northwest corner of Sec.
ono and Washington streets was built to
the sidewalk, and suffered no harm, but
smith q Wadleigh's theater was mass OF
cinders. The old Korn building disap-
peared except q bit of the first story left to
speak for itself. Kline & Rosenberg's
store was remembered as standing on the
corner OF block bounded by Washington
.no Main. and Commercial and South Sec
ona' out it had disappeared with the Squire
building. On the two blocks south the
Dearoorn building was only scorched, but
the Arlington hotel, Minnesota house,
Markie's blacksmith shop, L. v. Penny's
polie rworks and the Office Of the Spring
nhi Water Company were wiped off the
lace OF the earth. Farther south it was
not easy to realize that the desert of
cnarred timbers had been the site of the
Columbia d Puget Sound roundhouse,
otetson d Posts mill, Hall & Paulson' 8
mill, and the Oregon Improvement Com
pany's big mill ana the tracks of the two
railroads.
Between Main and Jackson, from Com
mercial west, the castiron tank of the
standard Oil Company, and some twenty
safes OF the Chicago Safe Company, were
all that prevented the area from looking as
II 1t had been swept by a broom. From
fesler avenue to Commercial street could
be seen wall of Schwabacher's warehouse,
few remnants of Gardner Kellogg's store,
Carkeek's marble works, Puget Sound
Shore depot, and blank area formerly oc-
cupied by many small stores. The docks
were swept away entirely, and only for
est piles remained. One solitary feature
OF this sea of blackness was the one story
stone structure occupied by Dexter Hor-
ton d Co., the bankers.
The Occidental hotel was completely
Quilted, and along the water front the
streets leading thereto had been so badly
damaged that access was impossible.
North of Yesler avenue the scene was
ikened to the bad lands of Dakota. The
hre had been checked on its northern
course at point about sixty feet north of
University street, on the west side of
front. and it was stopped on its way to Sec
ond between Seneca and University, where
it only succeeded in destroying two
story frame structure owned by Guy c..
Phinney. The last trace was left
on the grass around Amos Browns
residence between Seneca and Spring.
Streams of water were turned upon the
hot embers, and men followed them re-
moving the debris and clearing the ground
ready for rebuilding. On the outskirts of
the ruins, along the line of Second street,
on Yeslef avenue, in every nook and cor
ner, hundreds of men were busy putting
up tents and hammering together frame
buildings, where, as soon as the lines were
staked of, vendors of wares were already
doing business. While these temporary
expedients were under way the more sub
stantial rebuilding was being planned.
Few promises then made were not full
filled; most Of them were far exceeded by
results.
Bailey Gatzert, Of Schwabacher Bros,
had several little stores opened where they
received orders. Toklas, Singerman 4
Co., received kilograms from II. B. Clahin
& Co., of New York, and Farwell & Co.,
offering to be drawn upon to any amount
Moran Bros, who lost $4,000, with only
$4,000 Of insurance, began work at their
new building within ten hours. Gordon
Hardware Company decided at once to re-
build. Mrs. Starr, Mrs. NJ. J.. Pontius and
others started in at once to rebuild; and
the work never ceased from that moment
until the city was in its present condition,
two years after.
While property owners were individually
prosecuting these Improvements the city
council and committee of citizens were
engaged in the work of replatting and
widening the streets. The chief difficulties
to be overcome were the Yesler and Rine-
hart corners. Front street then ran to
Yesler avenue, ending at point east Of
the Olympic building, and the row of
buildings where the First National bank,
Humphreys, Boyd's, etc., now are were
thrust forward ON what is now the TRAN
gular Pioneer place, making very awk-
ward turn for q main thoroughfare. The
Rinehart corner formed the same obstacle
to through street from Second south
through what is still called South Third.
At the meeting referred to the first
principle was laid down that call private
interests must give way to public interests
and the general good"
A plan was adopted which included the
following chief improvements:
Commercial street and Front street to be
made eighty-four feet wide by cutting nine
feet off each side; the Yesler corner to be
cut off so as to make a direct line between
those two streets.
All sidewalks to be sixteen feet wide.
Railroad avenue to be established as a
street, LAO feet wide north of Yesler, from
Yesler avenue south to King to be $50 feet
wide.
Meantime, the appearance of Seattle
was of the most extraordinary character.
Dwelling houses had been converted into
perfect hives of offices, three and four
firms frequently occupying one room.
Hundreds of tents lined Second street,
Front street beyond Madison, Cherry. Col
umbia, Yesler avenue, and wherever there
was space on even ground within the
borders of the burnt district. The Posi-
INTKLLIGENcER, which lost all its plant
except little type, opened an office in a
private houses standing in a small orchard
at the northwest corner of Columbia and
Fourth The night of the fire it was printed
on a small hand-press; next night the
type was set on board the T. ]. Potter
while on the way to Tacoma, where a
larger press was borrowed. Meantime a
press was telegraphed for from Portland,
which did its best until Webb perfecting
press could be got from Chicago. The
Evening Times suspended publication for
several days, and was for long time there
after printed in tent on Second street.
The city was vast encampment, where
business was carried on under canvas by
day, and many hundreds slept In the open
air on those hot summer nights or occu.
pied cots in Railways, alleys and on roofs.
1t was time of high fever. Millions OF
feet of lumber were coming into town by