The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-20

The power house OF the Seattle Con-
Solida,ed Street Railway Company was
Quilted by fire at an early hour TINS morn,
ing together with all the machinery anu
nearly all the cars OF that company, elii
all the macmnery OF the Tnlru otFest az
Suburban Company except one cS ha 1
The result is that half the transIot a'lC ,
lines of the city are crippled, the "nolS
OF the city north Of Pike street - AeA1
in darkness. and the two companies sus-
tain loss which is very moderately eS''-
mated al $l0a. ESQ The fire was sun ourh-
ing when steps were being taken 10 Sc
cure power from other sources 10 run the
Third street and Grant street cars, the
latter being supplied by the Consoldateu'
and to secure light for the city tonight
The power house. barn and repair shops
of the Consolidated Street Railway Com
pany are located in the large brick build
ing that fronts on Fifth street ana ex-
tends along the south side OF Pine 10
Sixth The building is 90 feet wide and has
a depth OF $40 feet. At the front II IS one
story, but at the rear. owing 70 decline
in the street. may be termed two-story
building On the first floor, as one en-
tered from Fifth street, was the office at
the right hand. and then came the barn
where the cars were kept Here also were
the repair shops and many of the tools
used in such work. on the floor below was
located the valuable machinery that 1ur-
nished power TO all the Consolidated street
railway lines and great part OF the city
lights.
Among the extensive ana costly array
of machinery were ten railway generators
valued al 81 600 each. two 1000 incandes-
cent machines two fifty arc macnlnes'
each valued at $500 There were also
four 250-horse power engines easily worm
$500 each.
1t was nearing o'clock this morning
when the big power house became silent
Several of the day men had beeh "otN-
ing and night foreman John Carlisle con-
.ented to take them OUT toward tnelr
homes I'm the Lake Union section. Inc
car was run out and they boarded ~: Inc
pa ssengers included Edward Williams
carpenter: Dave Foreman, john OAKLEY
William Oliver repairer, ana herman
Gunther. machinist. The men say tnat
tbev are nositive that there was nothing
about the barn that would have given
cause for the fire and are utterly at ioss
to account for the origin
After the car handled by Carlisle left
the barn there were left in the buliolnS
on the lower floor the engineer. fireman.
oiler and perhaps one other person that
was missed in the summing up. No one
was on the upper floor. where twenty
five valuable cars, easily worth SS.VO
each, were standing and in the ofhces
was the safe and many valuable papers.
The doors to the power house were open.
When the fire was discovered it seemed
to start from about the center of the
south side of the building, and then in
an instant's time TO fash from all the
windows Instantaneously tongues or
flame leaped high into the air, and
hollow roaring announced that an I'M
mense confagration was at hand The
flames swept back with lightning rapid
ity into the car house over the base
ment and ate into the floor, saturated
with grease. and were soon fed by the
paraffine in the insulation of the wires
of the dynariloS. Before the alarm was
rling in four minutes had elapsed and the
entire building was a roaring mass of
flames.
As near as can be discovered. the first
person to take any action. although other
people may have seen the flames previous
Iy. was Fireman Patterson. From the
lower floor It was discovered that the
building was on fire and the engineer told
Foreman Carlisle that the first intimation
they had below was when Goals COM
menced falling upon them.
Patterson lost no time in running with
all his might 10 the fire engine house at
the corner of Pine and Third streets. Fred
Collins. who was on watch at the switch
board. was suddenly startled by the cry:
THE power house is on fire.
with all the rapidity in his power Col
Inns gave the alarm, and the f1remen came
sliding down the brass poles like shadows,
jumped 10 their places. and as the reins
were snapped into the brides it WAS
known that every house had been alarmed
by phone. \ fewmoments later some one
at the corner OF Pike and Front saw
the fire and sent in an alarm from box %
Fortunately the telephone alarm was in
ahead so that no time was lost in reach
ing the scene.
When engine No came out OF her
house at Pine and Third streets a grand
but awful sight met the eyes Of the fire.
mon Down the street only two blocks
away could be seen the big building fairly
wrapped in flames. The whole heavens
were lighted IN and from every window
and the front Of the building the flames
were pouring in dense masses. \ moment
| later the flames burst through the roof
end went heavenwari in huge columns.
II was athriNDg sight. but the iiremen
had no time for beauties. With all their
energy bound SIP in their work they COM
menced laying lines Engine No. swung
into position NJ Fourth and Pine and had
Two lines ont in double quick time. In
the words OF the firemen ''Tw0s were first
in" Chemical engine was on hand pretty
near FIRST As usual. but in such a fire was
Of ut,Ie use Engine No took position
a. Olive and Fifth and ran out two lines
more with about 40 feet of hose on each.
Company No was On hand with her
lines and also Conlpa MES 4 and : 4 part
Of the Greboat hose was used - connect
No - lire from Virginia and Sixth
Quickly following up the first alarm
came an "a second from box = at Pike
ana seventh THIS brought all ne appar-
ats - che Scene. ami was IN fast a
general alarm. Company No. : was the
laSt called on 20 rim a line. which she
5s3 from T'tkn ana Eighth streets
Among the frs ~ a~~tya At the fire
wa~ fha patrol wagon from police head
c,rar-ers but even then Acting ChfoS
Clark VAS on hard. and engine NJ. had
ha- Streams 1n.
/ wss evident from TNa way sha flames
were Raging I'm the building thar 81
vVoald oe zuttst. and j7e heat was 81 in
tense chat u looked as If the large livery
sane rs The soutaesSt corner Of Pre-
a05 F-t-a was GocTei also. The glass
w5~.lryS on the pine street side Of the
sta5sa wee cracking and falling - thA
r~o41i. ard RE aIiiEng was hI{ster.rg.
4 hass was tGr0ei on It and the dang. n
avev-@t
The oao73, in the stable became alarm
- aad as fast as possible ran ont all the
wagons. o..
The residences in front o. and beside
tha burning building were also in danger,
bat The dash or stream cooled them
down
THE electric wires that cross the streets
were dangling from their poles ami many
were sfra 4 some ore would get killed hut
fortunately no accidents were reported
Despite che efforts Of the fremen. Who
had lines out on all sides OF the building.
TIRE FIRE went steadily on and could be