The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-10-30
BUILDINGS ROCKED
AND TREMBlED.

hNU lk[mDL[U.
Continued from Page One
tumbled suddenly into the street In front
of the building. all at once.
The force of the explosion below nad
thrown the firemen back across the
street, so that they We're not caught.
but their escape from the rain OF debris
was almost miraculous.
Money strewn About.
The wreckage was thrown across
through the windows of the building In
which Is the Irving National bank, on
offices In the Irving bank, and of Meek
lem Bros. bankers and brokers. were
nearly wrecked.
Al the first explosion an attempt was
made to gather all the money and pa
pers that were lying on the counters to-
gether. and to throw them into the
safes. and II was supposed that this had
brought flying glass and plastering from
the skyiighted buildings down about the
heads OF everybody, and caused them 70
the detective bureau. who hurried every
available man OF his stan 70 the fire.
was appealed TO TO protect the funds of
the. bank, he being told that they We're
posed to be unlocked. The captain and
his men went in. however. and found
about $4,000 scattered IN confusion over
thrown into the vault and the door was
locked. The bank viii open for business
tomorrow.
Almost Asphyxiated. -
In Mecklem Bros, office. in the base
ment, there were II. Fl. Mecklem and his
brother, William. and Frank Heckenoerry
a man named Bruce and some girls,
among them Ellen Van Deem ana Mary
Dunkiemann. When the fire broke out
Heckenberry was stationed at the door
while this was gathered ready for put
ting in the vault. The first explosion
nlled the place With su asryhnay smoke 9hs
second explosion blew in the windows and
cut the two Mecklems seriously. The
boy and Heckenberry found the two girls
lying In a heap, tainted away. They car
ried them to a place of safety. The 9TH
ers, when they came to their senses.
gathered the money from the floor. put
It In cigar. boxes. and carried II to
The other tenants Of the building. .
number of lawyers and brokers. all es-
capped injury.
windows Demolished.
The explosion completely demolished
windows on Greenwich street tree ,, on pom
The street was covered with fine bits OF
glass The explosion did not spare the
interiors, everything being heaped up In
The explosion tore down the building to
the west the walls OF those on the Wash
ington street side being hurled outward TO
the streets as " an explosion sion haa taken sen
Greenwich street end OF the block. X
was thought indeed. that explosions had
followed In these buildings, but no cause
for them could be found.
The Immense buildings OF J. II; Mohl-
mann e. Co.. fronting on Washington
street, simply collapsed. boxes and bar
stretched half way across the street,
At the time Of the explosion blazing
barrels were hurled clear across Wash
ington street. and set hre 10 the buildings
TO the west. threatening another fire In
that direction, but the firemen deluged the
buildings and saved them
The first news OF the fire sent out was
that the Tarrant building, In rs fall. had
crashed down upon two crowded restau-
rants and buried a hundred or more IN
each. Subsequent examination showed
that II any persons were caught In these
places 1t was the kitchen help and very
few, II any, customers.
Peril Of Restaurant Patrons.
Patrons Of the Home Made restaurant
were in the utmost danger, but witnesses
say all escaped, and after the flames sub
sided clear view could be got into the
dining room, and no bodies could be seen.
the place being untouched by fire, though
much damage was done by collapse OF the
restaurant building. A man who watched
the fire from across the street. said that
the crowd in the restaurant was evidently
warned, and swarmed out after the nrst
explosion, everybody being out when the
second explosion came.
A restaurant on the south side OF War
rem street was in great danger. and the
building was totally destroyed by fire. but
Il was said that the crowd got ou,. y was
restaurant and some OF the guests who
tried to escape by rear alley might
have teen caught,
Probable Loss of Life.
Outside OF few who are injured In
and explosion must have occurred IN the
Tarrant building mainly and possibly In
the other buildings DESTROYED by fire.
The number OF persons In the Tarrant
building was estimated to be In the neigh
borhood of nfty. Secretary Allen. OF the
company, said that these were forty-hve
employees, and he thought al got out
with the exception OF one. People who
saw the ire declare. however that more
must have been lost.
In the basement where the engineers
department and the shipping room are,
five men were employed. All these prob
on The hrst moor were the Offices ., the
company and the retail dispensing de-
partment. There were about half DOR
en- persons on this floor at the time OF
the fire.
y
pepsin Chewing Gum factory, where ten
girls and six boys were employed.
The third and fourth floors were storage
floors OF the Tsrrant Company There
acre several porters on the two doors,
THE ff,h was used as A bottling depart
meni FOR one OF the firms Epccialties,
Six girls were employed here.
The sixth floor was the place or manu-
factnre OF one OF the npsclaiiseH. where
three men were usually employed one 81
these, a porter named John Phillips IL
known 70 have escaped. Another. an
GA ruan named Callahan may have lost
his life
The top floor was chemical laboratory.
used BY Louis Patterson. the chemist 81
the concern ard two men and two girls
he,nc3 him there. Most % tbese cot
ont although st a late hour Patterson
alrnseif had not been heard from.
Loss of Life = Gsess.
Hsw mary % the girls and ether en-
pinveH ESCAPED cannot ~ even guessed
tonight although the large number 20
missing persons indicate that there pssfa