Late Night Fire in Seattle Alley
A cottage between Pike and Union Streets was partially destroyed by fire, leaving the occupant to escape in his nightclothes.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
About 2:30 this morning, fire was discovered in the back room of a one-story cottage in the alley between Pike and Union, Fifth and Sixth streets, owned by Mrs. Mary L. Kenworthy and occupied by Joseph M. Stoning. Mr. Stoning's attention was attracted by the flames breaking through into the front room where he was sleeping and he ran out and gave the alarm. Then he began carrying out his goods, only half clad himself. An alarm was sent in from box 42, Fifth and Pike streets, and the fire department was promptly on hand and soon had the flames under control. The building was partially destroyed, as was most of Stoning's furniture. He estimates his loss at $300, with insurance in the New Hampshire. The cottage is worth about $600. Neighbors provided a temporary shelter for the victims of the fire.
“Mr. Stoning's attention was attracted by the flames breaking through into the front room where he was sleeping and he ran out and gave the alarm.”
The area between Pike and Union, near 5th and 6th, remains a bustling core of downtown Seattle today, though the small residential cottages that once stood in the alleys have long been replaced by high-rise commercial structures and hotels. The story captures the pre-professionalized nature of 1892 fire reporting, when the loss of a neighbor's furniture was a matter of community concern rather than just insurance paperwork.
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