The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-06-21
Car Lines Running Again in
Spite of the Fire.
LOSS AND INSURANCE IN DETAIL
Power Obtained From Other Sources
and Partial Service Gfven-Pre-
pairing 10 Rebuild.

rover house contained. including the light
and power plant OF the Third Street *
suburban Railway Company. which had
The contract for lighting the city north OF
Pike street. both street car lines were run
ming Yesterday morning by s O'Clock. the
Third street lire giving the same service
as usual and the Second street line run
ming FIVE cars instead of twelve. the usual
number. Last night the residents OF the
part OF the city north OF Pike street had
light as usual. the lines of the Third Street
a. Suburban Railway Company having
baen connected with the dynamos OF the
Union Illuminating Company. The Grant
street line. which was receiving power
from the Seattle Consolidated Street Rail-
way Company's plant. was also running
as usual By 8 o'clock with power from its
own power house. which was all ready TO
start no at any time. but which has been
idle for about two years, as IL was found
20 be more economical 10 buy power from
the Consolidated Street Railway Company.
How second street Line Fared.
The Second street line is now running
Eve cars and giving the best service pos
sfhls under the circumstances. Receiver
Backus expects TO put on two or more ad-
ditionaI cars within the next FIVE days, so
that probably by the first of the week the
entire street car service OF the city VIII be
In as good a condition as before the de-
strtiction OF the power house. Two of the
cars now in use on the Second street line
were saved by being outside OF the build
ing Two more were borrowed from the
West Street * North End Electric Rail-
way Company and the Phnney car, which
has been run between Fremont and Green
lake. was brought into requisition. The
service extends clear through to Green
lake as usual. though the Woodland park
line has been for the present abandoned.
Power Is furnished the Second street line
partly from Judge Rurke's power plant in
his building on Second street, which also
operates the West Street & North End
road. one generator is furnished from
this source, and the balance of the power
needed comes from the Grant street power
house. Receiver Backus is engaged in get
ting another generator installed in tho old
Rainier Power & Railway power house on
Main street. At present the power re
ceived from both the Burke building and
the Grant street power house rs fully used
in operating the Ave cars now in use. Sew
eral more cars are expected from Port
Townsend within day or two, when they
will at once be put on the line. power De
ing furnished by the dynamo being placed
on Main street This dynamo was saved
when the power House was destroyed
TIE Third street cars are being oper-
ated by power from the Union Trunk
line power house, on James street. The
cars were only run as far as the uni
versity grounds. though from this point
as good service as usual was given. No
cars were run 10 Ravenna park during
the day. but that service, IL is expected.
will be started today. The Third street
line from It's terminus at Yesler avenue
and Third street only missed one or Its
regular trips during the morning, run
ha grounds n
stead of the whole distance through TO
Ravenna park.
Receiver Backus. of the consolidated
lines; w. ]. Grambs. who is manager
Of the Third street line and receiver or
the Grant stree. road and Superintend-
ent Danes. of the consolidated lines, were
all busy men yesterday. and great credit
is due them for the very efficient work
done in so soon repairing loss so seri-
Gus.
At the scene of the Fire.
Large numbers of people visited the
scene Of the conhagratfOn yesterday and
viewed the charred and blackened piles
OF wood and iron reduced 10 ctnders ana
twisted and distorted masses. The nre
seemed to have done its work in very
short time. the walls partly standing ana
the tin roof melted and twisted in all
conceivable shapes.
Receiver Backus, on being asked the
probable origin of the fire, said; The
way the fire started is purely problemat-
ical. and Of course will always continue
to be a matter of speculation. One theory
advanced is that of spontaneous com
bustion. Another is that the fire might
have started by one OF the incandescent
globes hanging In the store room near
the center Of the building. where the fire
certainly started. getting near some OBJ
1eet 10 which ii may have set fire, and or
course once started, the floor being sat
urated with oil, there was furnace rag
ing in A few minutes. The last ana L
think the most plausible theory Is that
one Of the arches in the boiler room.
which Is situate just below and in front
Of the store room. may have parted from
some unaccountsble cause, and spark
or Two falling through on the oli-socked
floor or on some paraffine covered wires.
and thus started the ire. Any one OF
these theories may be correct or none
Of them. but one thing Is certain IN my
mind. the fire was OF purely accidental
origin. I was called up by telephone at
my house a little after l o'clock in the
morning and told that the power house
was on fire. / at once hurried on my
clothes, and in the meantime my wife
called I'D a quincy, when was az me
foo- nv the time | was dressed.
=
down PASSED the home OF w. j. Gramos'
who got into the quincy with me. We
arrived at the scene Of the confagration
81, rs and a. that time the roof had
already fallen in and the ere was pretty
xall under control. all the more iniam-
r7abIo material being consumed.
..r mink that the members Of the FIRE
department are deserving Of the greatest
raise for the prompt and efficient man
- a. which they went to work. OF
course The fire was Of such a nature
.Ast verv little could be done with IL
urtl the more infammaole material such
az the oU-soaked floors and the parafine-
covered wires burned Out
Estimates Of the loss.
Stocking ~ the loss ~ the fire Mr..
Barkus said,
~ would roughly place the total loss
AZ about 81. 600. Of course the very large
ra~t Of that being the property Of the
cor, soli5sted line There were twenty
seven passenger cars. two freight cars
ana one wood car. "a moderate estimate
az the value OF these being probably NiS9
each These ears cost about Sfs0 each
when new and they were IN fairly good
,.-.4f+tcn In the building we're seven
railway generators. all If which are
mora or less injured. There were two
sc~FSe engines of - horse power each.
a. we'll rs the boilers and al necessary
a3ftl-~fz 20 match All Of this property
is more or less injured Some Of II may
b., IN condition 10 ne again used. but OF
thar nothing can De said with any Ger
tainty until a thorough examination Is
made The company bad only carried
s., 90 insurance OF thu. plant until about
SIX weeks ago, when / Pre- on an add
tlonal 81 80. making II so %"
Ia a-.-n