Steamer Regie Destroyed in Mystery Fire
A vessel formerly used for government coast surveying is lost to flames while beached for repairs on Lake Whatcom.
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.
The steamer Regie, on Lake Whatcom, was destroyed by fire about 2 o'clock this morning. She had been beached for repairs and the origin of the fire is a mystery. She was built in Chicago in 1888 and first used on this coast by the government for coast surveying. The Regie was owned by Bell & Wyatt, valued at about $5,000, and insured for $3,000 in the Liverpool, London & Globe.
“She had been beached for repairs and the origin of the fire is a mystery.”
Lake Whatcom remains a vital water source for Bellingham today, though the era of small, private survey steamers is long gone. The mystery of the fire serves as a reminder of how quickly wooden vessels—and the industries built around them—could disappear in the Pacific Northwest's early settlement era.
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