The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-08-30
FINE HOUSE BURNED.
DR.. Rawson's Residence and
Contents Destroyed.
VALUABLE PAINTINGS LOST.
In the Occupants Absence the House
Takes Fire-Fine Furniture and Furs
Burned-Loss About $4,000.

The residence of DR.. G. A. Rawson. on
Drexel avenue, at the corner OF California
street. was burned at 6 O'Clock Yesterday
morning. causing a loss of upwards of $l0.-
90. The origin of the ire is mystery, as
the family had been away for about a
week, and had left the house securely
locked
At the hour stated L. C. Branson saw
smoke bursting cut through the south side
of the building. just under the cornice.
He rushed to DR.. Bailey's residence close
by and had telephone alarm rang in for
the fire dep artment. Mr.. Branson and
several of the other neighbors then ran to
the burning building and broke IN a door,
intending TO carry out the furniture, but
the black smoke was so dense they could
see nothing and had to give mp the at
tempt.
The fire department misunderstood the
telephone message and only went as far
as the Walla Walla addition, where the
firemen were securing the neighborhood
To locate the fire when a messenger arrived
and put them on the right trail. The
chemical engines started at all speed, but
the horses on one. exhausted with the
long run, got stalled and had to wait until
another team came up to help pu1l the
engine out. These delays gave the fire
such Roadway that the chemical engines
were wholly Intellectual when they arrived
and, there being no hydrants
in the vicinity. the pumping
engines were powerless. A line of hose
was run from an engine stationed at the
corner of Yesler avenue and Rainier street,
several block away, and this afforded pro-
lection for A. C. Whelan's house adjoin-
ing, which might otherwise have been de-
stroyed. for the pressure on the little pipes
supplying the houses in the vicinity was
so Ii hit that the small lawn hose would
not throw water to the tops of the first
story windows.
In the house were several pictures that
DR.. Rawson priced very highly. One by
the old Dutch master, Holbein, and an
other by Rubens were exhibited al the
art loan exhibition held here about two
years ago, and DR.. Rawson placed fabulous
prices on them. He said they had de-
scended through his wife's family for
several generations. He afterward sent
them to Chicago to be sold. but they did
not find purchaser, and he had them re-
turned. The doctor also had some
valuable bric-a-brac and furs, which
would greatly increase the aggregate
loss. The indefinite value of the
pictures leaves the total loss on the con-
tents matter of conjecture, but il was
probably greater than the insurance, which
was $1,000. the risk having been taken by
Hanford & Stewart for the Hartford COM
panv. The building itself, which was
erected about two years ago, was worth
about 81, 900 and was insured in the Spring
field company, of Massachusetts, for SO, 500,
the risk having been taken by v. J. Knapp
& Co.
DIR. and Mrs. Rawson went away about
three months ago. the doctor going to
Buffalo Lithia Springs. Va, to take the
water for Bright's disease. and Mrs. Raw
son following him. Recently they went
from there to Waukesha, Wis, and pre-
sumably are about ready to return home,
IL they are not IN fact already on the way.
The building was left IN care of Mrs. L. X.
Norton. the mother of Mrs. Rawson, who
also had the care of their little child
About week ago Mrs. Norton started
East with the child, leaving the house
locked up, as she expected the couple
home in a few days.
The origin of the fire will probably re-
main a mystery, though the police are in
yestigating the matter. The late hour in
the morning at which it broke out is
against the theory of incendiarism, and
Chief Jackson thinks it might have origi-
mated from an electric wire in some way,
but the fact that 1t seemed to have started
in the basement is against this theory.