Iditarod pioneer., 1916-04-15
DISASTROUS CONFEDERATION
 VISITS CITY OF SEWARD
Steward Gateway, March l3)

The Daggett block, the Daggett resi- dence, the & L. Colwen store building, the Colwell residence, the Rainier Buffet, the greater part of the plant of the Alaska Even ing Post and the Dee Sing noodle reStau- rant were totally destroyed by fire which broke out in the basement of the Daggett block this morning While the excitement lasts 1t is difficult to secure close eStl- mete of the losses sustained, but they amount in the aggregate to not less than $2O000 although they are probably very much more It is believed that the loss of Dr. c. T. Daggett will be at least Sl5,C00. while it is sad that the amount of in- surance held by him WAS not more than g OOO Mir Colwcll las S3,000 insurance on his stock bat nothing on the building. which was erected cnly few months ago. The stock in the store was saved, but about $50OO worth of stock stored in the base ment was lost His residence also was destroyed and hardly thing was saved. The same is true of the Daggett residence. Mir Mckenzie of the firm Of McPhall X Mckenzie, the owners of the Rainier Buffet, says he is not yet able to give an estluate of their losses. Their stock and fixtures were completely demolished. One other eN- ceedingly regrettable phase of the occur renee Is that Mrs Daggett and Mrs. Col we'll lost about all their household furniture and many articles which money cannot re rlace The typesetting machine and press of the Alaska Evening Post which was located in the basement of the Daggett block, were also destroyed. It is said that the Post had $3,000 insurance
 IL IS probably safe to say that the total losses were nearer S300 than S20000, when it is taken into account that Mr. Col wells loss alona could not be very much less than SS0O0 or $100O0.
 The fire was caused in a manner that is not perfectly clear. The Japanese porter of the Daggert block had started the fires in the basement and soon afterwards the blaze was discovered. Chief of Police Guest says that when he saw the blaze it was in a pile of firewood which stood near the furnace, and it is thought that a spark must have flown out and set the fire. Within less than two years two other alarms were caused by the same fursnce, but 1t is be lieved that the blaze this time was not due to any defect in the pipe, as the fire began down below
 The alarm was sent in just about o'clock this morning, and at the buildings were mass of smouldering debris. The fire de partment did its duty but the citizens learned for the first time that the water supply was practically non-existent The lines of hose threw out hardly more water than would be used by a lawn sprinkler, and the little streams were really sight that might be called pathetic. It has since been learned generally that the city has had no water supply for several weeks, and that the fact was well known to the authori- ties. The Seward Water Company receives Sl00 month from the city for the water supply, and some criticism IS now being ex- pressed that water was supplied to the steamers in the harbor recently, and that this cut down still lower the meager sup ply for fire fighting.
 Other losers by the fire were William D. Coppernol and w. P Henry. who had offices in the Daggett block Mir Copper noll who is the city attorney, lost all his new law library and other things the total loss being about $2,500.
 For time the Northern building, across Washington street, seemed to be rather seriously threatened, but by the use of wet coverings and by playing water on the sides and roof 1t was protected from the blaze. Similar measures were taken to save the buildings across Fourth avenue and fortunately the spaces intervening be- tween the property destroyed and all other property was sufficient to nullfy the effect of the strong breeze.