The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-09-16


u IRE In the anskehousas. which ssem-
"a . part Of the main budding. bscoDing
too fierce Bursting through the iron fur
nsces. Il = supposed the flames ct are 70
thu. Woodwork outsIAa. from which u quick
u communicated 70 the inAannabis con-
tents Of the building.
The 0rs was discovsssd By Night Watch
MN James Nolan about 80 o'clock In tho
mprnfnx. He Gays he wAs preparing the
he NV namAD near the smokah0uses. Call
ing some Of the employees Of the company
who wera a4ecp In the building. he turned
. stream Of water On the rAptdly growing
biaSe II had no effect. The IRE depart
ment was called out. but befoee n arrived
tina flames had spread, not only 10 sii
parts OF the main building. but TO the old
packing house building adjoining. which
Is used A. . storeroom- IN few moments
both buildings were almost completely
wiped out.
Tho contents OF the buildings which were
burned we're about n follows: One pack
ing house plant and electric Hight plant.
valued 1T s2s0oO; 30 head of dressed hogs.
- head Of dressed sheep. II head Of essed
cattle DO watts Of picked neats each con-
tanning 500 pounds 10000 pounds Of ard.
sixteen carloads OF cured meat. i00,0O
pounds OF meat IN tho process Of smoking.
10000 pounds Of dry salt meat. 30 bar
reis Of corssed bees, Am hides. 2.ooD sheep
peltA and twenty live sheep. which II wss
impossible to get out Of the burning build
ing On account OF = stampede.
Driver Ost - the rIanes.
The main packing house building where
the nre started had three floors. Almost
In the center Of one Mde Of tho building
stood four brick smokshouses In . row. the
outside wali Of which formed q portion Of
the outside wall Of the main building. II
was on the middle 0oor where the blase
was lirxt discovered. but the chances are
that n started down below In the furnace
under one Hpf the smokehoascA Once the
names burSt out II the furnaces II was saly
s1sssGn q .,s snsI e: ssrs r
the igniting OF the meat and lard.
Experienced fr~men say the blaze was
the hottest Of which they ever knew Chief
rive on the scene. attempted 30 enter the
main building hut before he had gotten
three feet inside the door he was driven
back by the fierce heat and binding smoke.
After tina, little attempt was made to enter
either ef the burning structures. for Il was
seen At once that the buildings were both
doomed.
A fact tina, handicapped the aremen con-
sfderabiy was thar the tide was out. which
prevented any water from thu bay being
pumped onto the flames Tho water &C.
main Assistant Chief Ralph Cook saga
however. that the contents of the bu III
ing were tnnammaSis 10 such n degree that
any amount Of water would have done no
good.
The only portion Of the group OF build
ings saved was four extra smokehouses
which wers btit, during the Kioudike rush
Joining buildings we're situated sufficiently
ctuee to catch nre. Another fortunate
thing vas the ease with which eighty head
Of cattle and about 30 head Of sheep were
Eetten out Of the pens where they were
Kept. A. stated. the only live animals TO
&e burned up were twenty head % sheep
Which stArnpeded.
Lsss = Heavy One.
Charles EruhE, a member III the nrm. In
Qpsaking OF the nae. said:
I'VE place cur gross loss ~ ahou: SIS. 600.
Our plant was worth fully $500. and. In
fact. cannot be replaced for that sum at
the present price II machinery. The stock
eff meats and the like which had In the
two buildings burned was worth very near
~ siau.aoe
Until We can get 40 eur hanks II Will be
almost impossible 10 figure the exact lose
We had three safes containing our books
and two OF them. toxssaer with their con
tents, were DESTROYED Ia the firc. The safe
containing our ledger and other important
account books came through ali right
hcv
My impression IL tina, We carried about
sai.ooo worth 81 insurance. bat I am not
sure OF the exact amount. and will nni
know an'sl tomorrow. II MAS about the
3
knows the exact amount, ~ III Montana
and have no, heen able 10 communicates
with him
s.AA seor as W. can get she~~ smoking
er.eefs cleared away ". vii rornunt nee
the work 81 rehnssi'nE We are IN seattle
60 stay. and in ss short q sgsce y, tstre AZ
possible We wsn erect An even better plant
thar the ore which was burned"
The main packing aosse building which
was burned WAS hsisit iu iSs1 The other
WAS built prior 10 the great ere % iss9
Meszrs. FRYE and RrtIhn. fhs head mem hers
OF the Arm. started IN business IN Seattle
~ the pyonrsstor~ H a r~at market on
First aves9e south years ago This rsar.
ket fhcy sftll own. bat from time 70 time
they have enlarged their business mn,u
they have h~en regarded as one 90 sac lasx.
eat business esta hl. sfmsns~ tn the citv Tha
packing house gave employ meet 10 about
s.xty men.
Yesterday Mr.. nrs,hn male arrange.
sneuts To sssrpiy his fsrai TRADE ansi the
bussness 90 the FIRM viii SITS Ne conducted
as though their xtgantte establishment bad
net been completely wiped out.
ARE YOU GOING rASTs
Cal At the Northern ractAs o<ssee Sat.
tie and make arrangements Effective
sextspssh~e ira rate 20 Chicago Sea a
a.. ~. L..