The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1904-06-10
One of the Most Destructive
of the Many the Town
Has Had.
Enough Property Lost in a Few Hours
Tuesday Morning TO Pay for
Two Good Water
Systems.

I Gs
structive in its history.
AS near as can be made out between
twelve and one o'clock Tuesday morn
ing fire broke out in the Leavenworth
Mercantile companys wooden ware
house adjoining their brick store build
| ing on Front street.
A San Francisco drummer by the
name of Babb got up about one o'clock
to take the 1870 train and discovered
the fire and gave the alarm by knock
ing on the door of he City Drug Store
which adjoins the building in which
the fire started. Mr. E. A. King, the
manager, and wife who occupied living
rooms in the rear of the drug store, got
up and just had time to take in the sit
uation, locating the fire on the right
hand side as you enter from the street,
where it had burned hole three feet
across in the wall, where the tincture
bottles were already bursting from the
| heat. He and his wife just had time to
get out. Mr. King managing to get his
clothes on, but Mrs. King did not take
time to get the clothes she wore the
day before. A stock of goods in the
small room adjoining the drug store,
consisting of ladies suits and skirts that
we're to be offered for sale Tuesday
were totally lost. The stock Of goods
; in the City Drug Store was also total
loss. Not so much as toothpick was
saved, as was Mr.. Kings household
goods and clothing. The next two
houses were large two-story frame
buildings, belonging to Tholin & Smith.
The lower floor of the first was occu-
pied by their saloon and the upper
floor was divided into lodging rooms
all of which were occupied. The first
foor of the next was occupied by Mrs
S. E. Blagg & Son, with the Tumwater
Cafe, and Mr. Greeve's barber shop,
and the upper noo by offices, DR.. Hox-
sey, occupying the front suite of rooms
and L. j. Nelson the rear as law of
flee. The furniture, fixtures, books
and instruments in both the Doctors
aud Mr.. Nelson's Office was partially
| lost.
The Cascade Ho el, owned a0d con-
Quoted by Mr.. T. F. Russell, in the rear
of the other Buildings burned, also
caught fire, a1d though heroic efforts
were made to save it, lack of water
made the effort nearly useless, and ii
with nearly ali its contents was des-
troyed. The postoffice building, owned
by County Clerk Carl Christensen, was
saved by mighty effort, in which Ben
South. G. N. fireman, played a
conspicuous part. To his efforts, in
the face of heat that was almost unbsar-
able. all those living east of the Tum
water Cafe, owe the saving of their
property. 1t was to his, VIM. McGloth-
Inns and Henry Larama's work that
the fire of last Friday was stopped be-
fore it reached the Merriam buildings.
The Echo takes pleasure in naming
these three. although there were hun
dreds of others that did all they could
to stop the fire and save property, and
regrets that it has not space to name
them all. But those who stood idly by,
not raising hand to help laughing at
those who worked like fends to save
and help the unfortunates, it will leave
to the torments of their own con-
science, not doubling but that in their
secret thoughts they are heartily
ashamed of themselves. Many of them
are known and % ne OF them We're suf-
ferers in former fires, and benefited by
the help of willing hands Let them
settle the account in secret.
The office of the Echo, which is just
across the street from the Cascade Ho-
tel. was also saved by the hard work of
such men as Fl N. Smith, E. G. Spen-
Ger, H. 7 Hansen, Charles "A. Solenes,
Emery Ross and others whose names we
cannot recall 1t was badly scorched,
but beyond the damage TO the building
caused by the dynamite explosion, and
the loss of bed clothing and slight dam
age to paper stock and fixtures it es-
capped serious loss.
To prevent the fire spreading to the
Echo office and The adjoining Merriam
buildings across the street from the
Cascade. three attempts were made TO
blow up the hotel. The first two with
powder and the third with dynamite.
Nearly hundred sticks OF dynamite
were placed in the rear end of the Cas-
cade hotel. 1t exploded with deafen
ing roar and sent lumber, beams and
debris flying in very direction. All
the doors and windows in the front end