The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-08-06
BUGS
ATTACK CITY
Attempt to Burn City,
Better Fire Protection
Is Needed.

worst conflagration in her history
Thousands OF dollars worth of property
were swept away by the devouring
flames and many buildings in the bust
ness heart of the city that were once
the scenes of activity are now but
charred heap of ruins. 1t is the wide
spread belief of all classes of citizens
that these fires were no mere accidents
but were the result of a deliberate in
tent on the part of some person or per
sons at present unknown, to destroy the
city.
Eight separate alarms were turned in
between the hours of $3.50 in the after,
non and midnight, in different parts OF
the city. The fire department no soon
er had one fire quenched before another
broke out at a remote place and this
program had not been repeated many
times before it was certain that it was
not mere chance, but the work of dast-
ardly firebugs. Such was the state of
public feeling that it is probable that
swift and stearn justice would have
been meted out to the guilty parties
had they been apprehended. 1t is true
that such a course could have had no
sanction of law, but a criminal offense
of such a despicable character brings
out the primitive desire of men for JUS
tice and when this desire is aroused
the machinery of law seems too slow.
Many rumors were in circulation
among the excited crowds to give col
or to the claim of incendiarism. Sew
eral persons claimed to have seen men
acting and talking suspiciously but it
is probable that in most instances i'm
agination supplied the details. Some
reports were substantial enough how
ever to give grounds for belief in crimi-
nal intent on the part of the alleged
firebugs.
The fire with the most pitiful results
was that one which destroyed the sta
Bile of Thorsvig & Miley, burning to
death several head of horses. Twenty
minutes previous to this fire the resi-
dence of Mr., Thorsvig was called by
phone and an enquiry made if Mr..
Thorsvig was home. Upon being told
that he was the party calling immedia-
tely hung up. This same operation
was repeated at the same time at the
residence of Mr. AIiley. 1t is supposed
that the firebugs wished to make sure
that neither OF the contractors We're at
the stable
Many of the citizens are unsparing
in their condemnation of the chief of
the fire department during the fire OF
the afternoon. They assert that the
chief refused to furnish aid at the court
house until that building was doomed,
devoting the attention Of himself and
men to the burning fire hall and ada
cent buildings, the loss of which, they
claim, was slight in comparison with the
county structure A long delay was
occasioned in getting the engine steamed
up for service and when this was ac-
complshed the water supply was pitt
fully inadequate to cope with the situa-
tion. This the officials say was due
to a temporary accident which hindered
the working OF the new power station.
Whatever the reason for the fiasco on
the part OF the fire department in the
Wetmore fire of the afternoon, it was
atoned for in the Hewitt avenue fire
that night The work of the regular
fire department and of the volunteers
on the latter fire was little short of
heroic The fire which started in the
rear of Fuhr's Bazaar, which wiped out
half OF a block OF business houses
threatened to sweep east along Hewitt
avenue The Virginia hotel seemed
doomed and the contents OF the building
were hastily carried to the street by
scores of willing hands Had this build
ing gone nothing would have saved the
buildings between there and Broadway
Working in the intense heat and amid
falling wires and flying debris, the men
toiled like fiends to check the flames
and We're rewarded by having the fire
confined to the area bounded by
Rockefeller avenue and College Lane.
No less heroic were the electricians in
Their efforts to save life and property.
Business and professional men AMI day
laborers toiled side by side against the
common enemy of death and destruc
tion. Fire was the great leveler which
swept away for the moment all caste
aud class distinction.
A special train had been dispatched
/ to Snohomish for aid and about mid
night, when the engine and fire fighters
from the up-river city arrived cheer
went up from the thousands of people
In the streets that was heard for many
blocks. Later in the night, apparatus
and men arrived from Seattle, who hst
been summoned by Mayor Jones as {
precautionary measure, as no one knew
where nor when the firebugs woul'
again apply the torch.
Many thousands of people were at