The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-03-11

JAMES RYAN.
A. ". REDPATH.
MARY FLYNN.
{. J. WELLINGwoPfA
GEORGE l. RUFPIN.
CHARLES GAsKIN&
MATILDA RICHARDA
JOHN J. LYONS.
KExProN TwEss. driver hose carriaga
RoBERr BOsTERICK, iadderman.
MICHAEL DEvLIN.
FRANK MARsHLAND. numerous contusions.
Miss MAGGIE LOVE-
Ton GIBBIS.
The flames broke out in the toy depart
ment of Horace Partridge & Co., who oc-
cupied the fifth and sixth floors of the
seven-story building at the corner of
Essex and Lincoln streets. owned by F. L.
Ames. The cause is at present unknown,
but the story told by those nearest to it
describes it as resembling the bursting of
a huge firecracker. The flames spread
with incredible rapidity and in very few
moments the entire interior of the build
Ing was burning.
There were many employees at work at
the time. and the other floors of the build
ing were sprinkled with human beings,
and the usual avenues of escape having
been at once cut of, they began scramble
for life which slckened the beholders. The
panic-stricken inmates fled to the windows
and roofs; some escaped by sliding down
telegraph poles; others by leaping into
blankets; several jumped to the pavement
six or eight stories and were terribly
mangled, and others, how many cannot
now be told. fell back into the caldron of
flames or were overcome by the dense
oba uvk toA all rvh
not speedily escape.
The entire fire department of the city
was speedily on the scene and the depart
ments OF Summerville. Cambridge, New
ton and Brockton arrived later by train,
and aid was requested to be in readiness
from more distant cities. Fortunately
further help was not needed. Vast crowds
Of people began at once to flock to the
scene and as a matter of precaution, Gov.
Russell ordered out two companies of
militia. The fire spread rapidly, and
despite the efforts Of the entire fire de-
partment of Suffolk county, it was not
controlled until the whole square was
leveled. and also five buildings on the other
street. The principal buildings burned,
and the occupants thereof, were as fol-
lows:
Ames building, occupied by the Woon-
socket Rubber Company: Barbour Bros,
thread dealers: AmaZume Machine Com
pany, Consolidated Glass Company, Mer-
rick Thread Company. A. Packard g. Co..
r. W. Appleton, Hanover Shoe Company,
Lariat Manufacturing Company, Clafiin.
Iarobe & Co. United States Rubber
Company; Redpath Bros. boots and shoes
S. b. Thing & Co., Jacquith Rubber Com
pany. Tapiey Machine Company, Horace.
Partridge & Co., Hathaway. Soule & Har-
rison. Cape Cod Glass Company, Ameri-
can Wine Company and many others.
The Lincoln building five stories. oppo-
site. was occupied by the Singer Manu-
featuring Company and many other con-
Germs. The Ludlow building, six stories.
on Essex street, and the Brown.Durell
building, seven stories, on Essex and
Kingston streets. All concerns in these
two buildings were burned ont. The five
story building on Columbia and Essex
streets was occupied by Walter s. Baries, a
paper-box manufacturer. and others. The
United States hotel was slightly damaged.
Three small buildings occupied as dwell
ings and stores were burned
1t would be impossible to narrate all the
exciting scenes attending the confiagra-
ton. Hoseman O'Connor in relating the
story of the fire, said he went to the Sec
ond story Of the Ames building, and
found q struggling mass of men and
women trying TO throw themselves out Of
the windows. He beat them back and,
opening the window, took one at a time,
dropping them into net below He sue
ceeded in dropping thirty, and says there
were at least as many more who never
came out Of the building alive
The manager of the I.ariat Manufacture
ing Company says that six of the COM
pany's employees are missing. The widest
kind of stories are in circulation regarding
the loss OF life and general extent of the
disaster The greatest confusion and ex-
element prevails, however, and it is i'm
possible to ge, authentic details tonight
There we're many intensely exciting
scene attending the ire, the one which
attracted most attention perhaps being
tha, OF a man appearing in the eighth
story of the Darrell building when the fire
was at its height. He seized large in su-
lated cable and proceeded to cross to the
opposite building hand over hand, amid
intense ana GREATNESS suspense on the
part of the spectators. He soon weakened,
however, threw both legs over the
cable. and thus worked his way
tediously, while life-saving net was held
under him BY the police and iremen, and