The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-12-16
MENACE TO THE CITY.
Storage and Carriage Of Explo-
sives Need Regulation.
Low DAKcEHousEs CONDEMNED


The recent discussions upon the dangers
attending the present methods Of storing
And hauling explosives has resulted in the
mayor sending = communication 70 the
city council advising immediate legisls-
ton on the subjecs- The residents Of
Queen Anne hill have peiitionsd for years
Tor the removal Of the storage magazine,
which becomes more dangerous ~ the
district settles mp and bush fires become
more frequent. Alderman Jordan al
tempted 70 incorporate . provision regu-
iaane storage and carriage of explosives in
the charter. but the revision COMMITTEES
decided that 10 contained sufficient power,
and al that Was needed was an ordinance.
In the coarse OF the discussion Alderman
Miller related that not long ago in the
busiest part Of the city IN iron rod pro-
Jecfing from . wagon was thrust right
into tho head Of . keg Of nisro-glycerine.
and its failure to explode with destructive
effects was little short Of . miracle.
That Liquidation In needed was shown
yesterday by the presence of vessel 1t
the Union dock with q large quantity Of
explosives. The three-masted schooner
r. s. kecheld, shieh he'd twenty tons of
giant powder aboard for Tacoma, did rot
get away from Union dock yesterday when
her permit expired As the vessel brought
some powder for this city she Was given
twenty-four hour permit TO lie at the
wharf. bat the captain desired 70 discharge
his other freight also. As he did not get
away yesterday he was ordered away BY
Harbormaster Jeich last evening. Not .
tug in the hsrnor could be induced to
undertake the task of towing the schooner
10 Tacoma. and the captain did not want
70 30 in the night, so last evening the ire
boat Snoqualmie towed the schooner to
the west side Of the harbor. where she
anchored for the night. Harbormaster
ing powder to lie at the wharf longer than
TO afford time 10 discharge powder for this
port.
The mayors letter to the council 10 40
follows:
II avail myself Of the charter privilege
OF this department to communicate with
you suggesting the need of additional leg
isiation relating TO the practice Of dealers
IN explosives while such materials are in
transit through the city. Frequent in
spections have been made from time to
time IN the past and all places where ex-
piosives are known TO Be for sale, and the
exact location Of snch explosives ascer-
tanned. 1t 10 believed thar she present
laws in this respect are being generally OBJ
served.
Pursuant to rzy request the chief Of the
ire department has made . report upon
this subject. From this it appears that
serious damage 10 often threatened 70 the
lives of the people by the manner of the
transportation Of powder and other expio-
sives through and i'm the city. Reports
kAxv e. -
ment OF large quantities Of powder
being stored in some specified 10
cality. In every instance these re-
ports have been Investigated. either by
the chief in person or by his deputies.
Shipments Of powder are being made and
placed in warehouses within the city, tenn
porarily, before being loaded on boats or
instance the chief Of the IRE department,
accompanied by police officer. made an
inspection At 10 O'Clock at night and found
seventy-five cases Of powder stored In .
warehouse, which had been there for sew
erai hours preparatory to being loaded on
cor for further shipment. The watch
man in charge of the warehouse Was very
insulting to the officers both In speech and
action and threatened that an investiga-
ton should never take place again in that
warehouse except upona permit having
been first obtained from the manager.
THE presenN ordinance allows infiam-
mable oil while In transit TO bs stored any
place in the city for forty-eight hours
While the letter OF this ordinance il per-
haps not violated, yet in spirit it il vio-
lated TO the serious menace Of the lives Of
individuals. Such oils after remaining
forty-eight hours upon one dock have been
removed to another dock to remain there
another forty-eight hours awaiting ship
ment. In one instance a large quantity Of
iniammable Oil remained on the docks for
four days by this peculiar process Of
changing owners awaiting shipment while
en- route.
THE chief of the fire department sug-
gests as a remedy for these Irregularities
the appointment of q ire marshal whose
exclusive duty shall be the enforcement Of
the fire laws and the investigation Of the
causes of all fires. 1t Is impossible
for either the chief of the fire department
or the chief of police to do this at present
In . city of the size and Importance OF
Seattle this should be done at once Until
such time as such Office is created the
council should pass an ordinance relating
10 explosives, requiring all merchants to
notify the chief Of police and the chief Of
the fire department of each shipment
made. of the time il will leave the powder
house, and the freight shed or dock where
IL Is TO be unloaded. Each shipment OF
such imfiammable oils and explosives
should be taken direct from the car or boat
to the magazine without being placed in
any warehouse or dock. At present the
superintendent of buildings, bridges and
wharves is ex offieio the only fire marshal
We have, but 10 is apparent that II is i'm
possible for that officer properly TO dis
a.