The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-31

TIE Frye-Bruhn Packax corn,auy,s en-
tsnstvs plant, located on Grant street
bridge some distance south Of me city.
narrowly escaped complete destruction ~
Gre Iasf evening between and O'Clock
for half al hour t1so Co worth OF property
xss in the balance. but the combined es-
forts OF the employees Of the company and
eeastle's hrenen ovsrcarne thu threatened
eounzsratlon. ard one Of thu most import
ait iocal industries was saved The total
damage 20 buildings and stock II estimated
~ nelos. and thirty-fvs sheep were burned
or ssphyxtafe6
Taxing all things iaso consideration"
said President G. III. Frye and w o. John
xon TO a Post-Inteilisencer reporter Ian
night, we got out Of IL Ia great luck"
Never has the company been In a worse
condition TO meet q IRE. Its large salt
water pump was cut Of service. the tide
was out, 80 tina. the IRE boat could not
render assistance. and the big warehouse.
we're stocked 10 their utmost capacity. IL
the ere had reached the lard room. no
power on earth could have saved build
tags, cattle. stock and wharves A auar-
ter OF a million doilsry worth OF property
wesd have fed the flames, and the tnsur-
snce to cover u amounts 70 only g8a ooc
But the fates had II that the victory
should be on the side OF the brave men
who rushed from the company. oars.fns
house and took part with Chief Keilosx's
freEnen In the fight that meant bread sae
butter or a period Of enforced idiene=..
Tbs plant 10 located upon A wharf and
covers an ARIA 40 feet long by soa feet
wide. II 10 composed OF ssvsral buildings
ore Joined TO the other A switch runs In
from TIE Northern Pacific tracks along
ihs south side OF the largest anA most re-
Gently constructed building. The fra ara
not resch this building Yesterday tha
company received eight car loads OF stock
II slso had on hand large number 81
sheep. In one storehouse were 100 COO
pounds OF salt pork. worth about cents
pound.
Before the GAYS work was ens~s yea
terdsy tfarty-hvs sheep were driven into
the killing bed OF the sheep department.
Under This bed II A small room from
which a sheep run extends up 10 the
bed. To the north OF the sheep depart
rent II tho pork warehouse, and 10 the
south is the bone meal roosn and aiso
WAREHOUSE where hoofss horns, etc. are
stored.
Before tho men leave the works ev.rv-
thing is IN ship shape Nothing 50 FAR a.
can Dc learned, was omitted I'm this line
last evening. and that Il one OF the res-
sons why The officials of the company are
nystiaed about tho origin Of the fire
The company has always bean very care
ful about fire. and has lifted the nlant
or six water plugE. fitted with regulation
two and a half inch hose.
Night Waterman George KHpatrfek
went on duty at O'Clock last evening
Twenty minutes later his heart was set
20 beatinx rapidly by the sight OF fasnes
coming up the sheep run" from the room
below the killing bed. Thlrty-fve Aelple.zs
sheep were doomed
Fitzpatrick ran to the auxiliary box ana
smashing the glass sent IN an alarm
through box sisty-~eysn. As the aanfes
spread 20 the pork warehouse and worked
up through the roof other alarms were
sent ia. The alarm brought ths men out
Of the boarding house which Is near the
packing house. with a rush Kilnatrfck
HalsilIngsr. the lard man. who lives
Rcros the railroad tracks. Bookkeepar
Thomhnson. and employees. rushed to the
rFe hose and commenced working like
Trojans 70 save the valuable property
Bookkeeper Tacmlinson took charge OF
shs brigade. and Is reported 20 have
handled hrs forces well
Fortunately. the walls OF the buildings
were well whltewashad, which served 20
make the IRE burn comparatively slow.
Then. again. the roof % the pork ware
house was wet. which also retarded the
flames for the time being
The fre apparatus made an excellent
run. considering the roads and soon had
- Nast or AfDtH tho nFe plug, when -
nearly opposite the packing house. Chem
soai engine No. / again 6.d great work.
proving that it ia undoubtedly one OF the
best fire checkers IA the Northwest
II was stubborn fight. bat every man
worked as II hts lie depended on the out
come. The flames ran along the roof OF
the old packing house. and in me mean
time chewed away in vigorous but not
imposing manner on che ~ 90 pounds OF
saii pork below. This Is where the heav-
lest damage came. Before the battle va.
ended the bone meal room and the ware
house for hoofs aud hides haa been in
vaded
The men we're glad when al vas over
and the danger had passed l. really aiS
not look % BE as big fire a. 81 vas. and
the poor sheep died - quickly THAI q vas
impossible 20 save them
President Frye reached the Ere hsfo~.
II wss out and had a good opportunity 20
observe the work He saia that he rslt
dstniy grateful 20 the firernen ana 20 the /
eompsny's employees and others who turn /
ed oat q fight the flames
have ~ isca how IRE IRE started j
ae said There vas nothing fn ehe room 4
% start Ere, and done sec how anyone I
could have got there. either"
)" Johnson. Of the company. was also 4
the Ere. He praised The men for che /
sood work done, He saii thar hs was I
~ loss % figure out the cause There 4
a suspicion that the fire. was set.