The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-15
IN PERIL OF FLAMES.
Bears Cause Lively SCENE at a
Madison Street Fire.
SEVERAL BUILDINGS pURNED.
Photographer Starts . BIsze, Bears
Fear the Fire. Crowd Fears the
Bears, and Excitement Kales.

Gated at the Lake Washington terminus
of the Madison street cable soad, were
burned to the ground yesterday. afternoon
about 8 80 O'Clock. One othes building,
just north of those burned, was saved by
the fire department.. The two bsars, which
were kept in cage east # Rocken-
fields store. were wild with ter
ror, and it was due. to the
presence of mind of Joseph Charters that
the bears were saved and a general
stampede averted. The aggregate loss
will be about $500, while ting insurance
was $1,000.
A. Lunn ran photograph gaslery in the
upper story of the building, nest west of
Graves 4 Gamers store. Yesterday after
noon he was taking sgme tim
types and. while finishing them in
his developing room, upset the
lamp used in drying tie plate.
Lunn tried to catch the lamp AID in doing
so knocked over q bottle of coliodion,
which acts similarly to kerosene oil. The
flames spread like lightning ana in an in
credibly short space of time .rhe upper
story of the house was in fsames. An
alarm was sent in over the telephone at I.
B. Rockenfield's store two dooE5 below.
roof of the gallery. The atterTaion Of the
crowd was at once attracted ard q mass
Of humanity gathered aboutsthe place.
Everything was disorder. Men pushed
each other aside in their efforts5to get near
the fire. The occupants of the icecream
shop, under the photograph gaslery, came
tumbling out in a hurry. Tatses, chairs,
glassware, crockery, everything came out.
and in the most expeditions msalner.
The building, which was ngt very sub
stantial, was soon in the gasp of the
flames. The store of W. H. graves and
c. Garner came next. and although the
occupants had been busily tagging goods
out into the street, It was to 30 purpose,
as they were deposited too neas the burn
ing building.
At this point Joseph Charters and J. F.
McCay appeared On the spSt to save
as much as possible of the peoperty of L.
b. Rockenfeld, whose store vas next in
order. The building occupied by Graves
& CAREER was now wrapped: In flames,
which soon communicated 70 Rocken-
fields.
So far the crowd had not had any special
amusement, but now the BEARS, whose
cage was close to the store, began to howl.
Jack, the big fellow, would rush from one
end of the cage to the other, g-ab the bars
and howl in an appealing manner. Susie,
the little one, was almost frightened to
death and trembled like leaf: The crowd
yelled:
"Let 'em out, let 'em outs while the
answer from those near the cage was,
"No, no."
TYndor m pfnrcS AZ 4
which ran around Rockentieldss store was
pulled down, and thus more. room was
made between the fire and the bears. In
the midst of the hubbub ofiiceT Stepler Ell
bowed his way through the crawd.
''Let out the BEARS" yelled tAe crowd.
''Not in this crowd" yellee he, as he
brought a shotgun to his SHOULDER and
aimed at Jack. The bear kept jumping
and the crowd was bowling. Ee could not
get a shot, and was finally persuaded
to let the animals live. A msn came up
with an ak and started to cus away the
bars of the cage. A row followed, in
which the ak man was knockes out by one
blow by man who did not want to be
bears meat. The building was burning
rapidly and the heat was becoming in
tense, so much so in fact that the bears
were frantic. Some men San q rope
around the cage and were abeslt to pull it
over, when Charters pleaded with them
to stop, saying that he coud save the
bears. They stopped and afled him in
getting the animals into tha little shed
at the rear of the cage. Thsn the door
was dropped and they were shut
in for the night. Charters and McCay
then got rugs and carpets, saturated them
and covered the little house," A garden
hose played water upon it, aga although
Charters was scorched somewhat and Nc
Gays hand was burned, the bears were
saved.
Meanwhile chemical engine4No. 3, hose
wagon No. 8 and engine No. 3 arrived, just
as flames were breaking eat in Mr..
Browns house, which was soae distance
from the burning buildings: Judicious
use of the chemical averted Che danger.
The other buildings were entirely de-
stroyed. Following are the losses and in.
surance on the buildings and contents as
given by the owners:
/. b. Rockanfield, loss on houSs, household
goods and stock, 900 to 500, Insurance $3.50;
N. Miller, loss on house. total 800, insurance
$500; A. Lunn, photographers eeatnt, $3.50, no
insurance; William Bruce, ice cream parlor,
loss $780, no insurance.; w. II. graves and c.
Garner, loss on house and goods $50, insurance
$500 on house and $50 on goods; tssial loss.
The fire department made an excellent run,
considering the long distance and sleavy gradeS
AT THE HOsPITALS.