The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-07-08

w Nen the news was received IN olntf
cities of the state offers of assistance
were made on every hand Although
Seattle had been swept 10y flames less
than II month before it was the first
city to ofer assistance Robert Nor
an, the mayor of Seattle, wired: RE
memheriue Ellenshure'S earnest SYM
patty in our recent disaster, SEATTLE
sends hearted, It Gr,ts n the great loss
you nave suffered. Can "" help YOU?
f. L Ferry. treasurer of the Seattle
relief committee, wired: DRAW on me
for $1,000 for relief Of sufferers by
fire Tacoma, Portland. Spokane
and other cities of the Northwest were
equally prompt with offers of ASST,
lance.
The constitutional convention WAS in
session at Olympia and ,Iohn t. lloyt,
The chairman, sent $500 which had been
subscribed 10y the delegates With a
telegram of confidence he sent II mes
sage: "What can we do for Nou?' FL
ensburg was ia the midst of fight to
secure the capitol and the spirit of the
town was shown 10y the reply: I'VE
want the capitol.
The story of the fire is told by the
Ellensburg Capital. the only newspaper
in the city To escape the flames. Fol
lowing the lire the citizens held Il mass
meeting on the streets while the ruins
were still smoundering and decided to
rebuild a better aud more substantial
city. c. Is. G. aves an attorney of
Seattle mounted the dashboard of an
old bus and addressing the assembled
crowd, urged rebuilding the city on
better and broader lines He was fol-
lowed by the mayor and other leading
citizens. Before the meeting ad Journ-
ell the building of eighteen brick build.
ings to cost 500, 600 wa, promised, and
before two weeks had passed the
original eighteen buildings were in
creased to forty.three. the cost of the
structures totaling close To one milliou
dollars.
While building was going on mer-
chant, did business in tents and frame
shacks hastily thrown together The
rebuilding OF the town was the start Of
a slow but substantial growth.
la The Capita in its issue of July :,
1889, told the story IN part a follows:
"rhe fire was spread with alarming
rapidity, consuming the dwelling house
of Walter Elliott. The meat market OF
Adams x Davis, and the ice cream par
lors Of Welty aud Brown on the North.
The fire was prevented from spreading
farther north 10y the fire wal of the
Nash building but it had everything
its own way south and east. neither
brick. stone or iron being able to in
pede its progress.
On the south side of Main it soon
swept over Armstrong; and lmbrie's
offices to O. Is Castle, Key House:
thence across Fourth To the I.Ocaliznr
office, carrying everything along Main
on either side OF the street with the
exception of Blumauer < Sons store,
Spencer's lodging house. Gas> X Ram
,ey's and the saddlery store. Nam
street was swept 70 FIRST street The
gale being from the north west the coz
tiagration spread more rapidly to the
southeast. All the saloons on the north
side of Fourth above the keg House
crumb led before it like egg shells:
thence to Gross and David,on's Offices
Louis Hermans store. and the Old
johnson House and The ASHER Here
it was terrific and the arof the flames
deafening as storm at sea The tall
building was entirely enveloped in Il
few minutes from the foundation 10 flag
staff and went down with crash
The ASHER soon followed and its wells
of brick were like so many straws in
the wake of the fiery storm. Bv this
| time the Geddis block, Snpe> * Co. :,
! bank and the Dav dsOn block were
ablaZe, and the whole city south and
east was doomed to destruction II
was an ocean of flame which ragged with
unabared fury and only stopped when
there was nothing left TO feed upon
/ Fully 10 blocks in the bus ness portion
of the city were in ashes within the
space of four hours.
ny suDf'HuIIdI tHtII lIt lsNfltIl
block, the Ellensburg National bank
the old City hotel and all that portion
of the city between Pear and Fun
and the Presbyterian academy was
saved from destruction. The greatest
! effort, however, was made TO save the
| City hotel, directly opposite the Mason
ic temple on Fourth and Pine. The
water supply meagre enough at first,
vs. now almost exhausted but men
got on top of the building with hose
aDd "A constant stream was kept flowing
over the roof and down the sides until
the Temple fire had ceased and danger
| from that direction no longer threaten
ed. This effort saved the residence,
on the north side of Fourth street. the
Baptist church. the public school build
Ing and at least % other buildings
The hand engine. which constitutes
the fire department of t.llensburg,
was brought into rtquisitOn at the
first alarm and did as GOOD service as it
was possible under the circumstances
and the brakes were manned by as