The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-28
Three Whole Blocks South of
Market Street Destroyed.
LOSS ESTIMATED At SI.25o. 900
Many Manufacturing Plants, Lumber
Yards and Dwellings Gone.
Most cf the Buildings Were Frame, and
the Ffremen Could Not Stay the
Flames When Brick Structures
Were Reached the Fire Was sub
dued.

San Francisco. June z7.-Sometfing like
sl.29 900 worth OF property was destroyed
BY fire in the lower part OF the city to-
night. Almost three entire blocks COW
cred with dwellings. lumber yards and ex-
penssye manufacturing plants went up in
smoke. despite the efforts OF the firenen
10 su6due the flames.
Shortly before 8 O'Clock fire started in
the rear of Carrick. Williams 4 Wrights
box factory on Fifth street. between Bry-
ant and Brannan. BY 9 O'Clock the two
blocks bounded by Bryant and Bluxome,
Fourth and Fifth streets were reduced 10
piles OF glowing enbers. Then, TO COM
plete the ruin, the fire jumped Fourth
street, famed by stiff breeze. and licked
up the western half of two blocks divided
by Brannan. between Third and Fourth.
Fortunately the breeze which prevailed
during the hottest part OF the confagra-
ton died away. or more of the town would
have been swept. The water pressure was
not sufficient for the drain made upon il
by the full complement of engines, and in
some places the fire was left to burn itself
outs Everything possible was done by the
department, but the blaze was too fierce
for the fighters.
After destroying two complete blocks
with the exception OF the northeast quar-
ter-block bounded by Fourth and Welsh
streets, the destruction continued across
Fourth street. 1t ravagsd a strip half
a block in width south OF Townsend from
Brannan and north TO Welsh, a small
thoroughfare between Bryant and Bran
nan. To the east midway TO Third, the
progress was checked by the brick winery
OF s. Lachmaa on Zoe street. below
Brannan. On tho upper side the new
Mecnanics' hotel and a Chinese wash
house headed OF further advance at
Freel0n street.
II was the worst fire In years and one
OF the most stubborn the firemen have
tried 20 handle. They fought the en-
croaching tongues off In one place, only
TO see them shoot up in another. The
dry wooden buildings were like so much
kindling wood. and tall three-story frames
were snapped up in an instant. But one
brick structure stood In the path of the
devastating element. and that was ST.
Rose church. on Brannan street. near
Fourth. The church was only partly
completed. but was destroyed. along with
the rectory and school house. Several
hotels, lodging houses and a hundred or
so of humble homes were swept out Of
existence during the hours the fire ragged.
The entire burned district was indiscrim-
inately built up with barns. box factories
and small dwellings, with lumber yards
bestowed at intervals. 1t was the plies
of lumber that baffed the efforts of the
firemen who had 10 do battle from the
rear. The flames would catch in loose
~ slowed pile Of boards and the wind
whiStling in the creViccs creatadAA Il draft
which nothing could check. In this man.
ner the fire spread over such large area
that the department was compelled to
divide it's forces with less results Four
alarms were sounded. the first being turn
ed in at $40 O'Clock. So quickly did the
fire spread that the other alarms followed
Ia mid gzs.fa~ fr-s n-afz
ment was soon on hand with the police
endeavorfng TO keep order
II seemed as IL the entire city was at
tracted by the wholesale destruction GO
ing on south Of Market. Men, women and
children sWarmed into the streets to
windward and kept the police busy try
ing 10 preserve order The thieves who
prey on the helpless in such times of dire
distress were ont in force. and when the
householders began to flee with their
property the thieves reaped n rich hsr-
vest. Many little heaps of poor house
hold effects not worth stealing were
moved twice and even thrice by distract
81 owners, and then left TO the hungry
flames
Probably 500 poor families have been
made homeless. besides losing all their
possessions. Another Elumfregi or more
OF small manufact uTing establishments
ssgch as box and furniture factories. ma
Three big wineries. cons aiming millions of
gallons of wine wool warehouses freight
houses and railroad yards, dock lumber
and coal yards had narrow escapes.
Only one fatality has been reported
Miss Gilroy was covered wita burning oil
ard persisted.
During the first two hours OF the fire
there was not much excitement In the
city, but when II grew dark and the
sky became mass Of fame the people
from all parts of the city rushed TO the
scene. The police could do nothing with
the mob that swept through the fire lines
and the only impression made on the
crowd vas when fire engine would come
tearing along the street. The mass oF
humanity would part. fighting and strug-
Cling to get ont OF the way Among The
residents OF the FIRE district there Was
a panic. Hundreds OF families tried 10
save their property. and tn many in
stances had to he driven away from their
homes by the nremen.
laChman a. Co.'S wire cellar was relied
up0n 10 stop the progress OF the IRE. and
when IL was seen that even that brick
structure was on fire grnan went up from
the crowd. The flames caught At one cor
ner Of the building and crept gradually
along. The hTemen deserted everything
else and concentrated their efforts on this
one building. If that went nothing could
save the railroad yards and freight houses
Finally the wind changed. and that with
the efforts of The firemen. saved the wine
cellar. and the worst OF the fght was over
Great annoyance was experienced from
the trolley cars. The intense heat warned
the iron posts and The live wires were
dropped 10 the ground. The flremen were
afraid 80 60 near them. and the crovq
gave them wife berth. Finally TIE eur
rent was turned OF al the powsr house
and the danger from thar source was pass
Cd Following Is a partial list OF the
losses.
lpefgrr0E8s 1lotg1 Observation-Disclosures. { = ~,
Hmm fsr.inr N-rrkN . Z IN