Firefighters battle blaze in the ruins of the old McMaster mill
A fire sparked by a passing engine ignited the long-abandoned McMaster's mill wharf, forcing firefighters to wade through shallow mud flats to save the structure.
The story, cleaned up
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The fire department had its hands full yesterday afternoon, with four separate fires breaking out. The most significant was discovered at 12:30 p.m. in the ruins of P. H. McMaster's mill, at the corner of Water Street and Railroad Avenue, which had previously burned in June. It is believed that sparks from an engine running across the bay to West Seattle settled among the old wharf ruins and were fanned by strong winds. The fire boat could not be utilized because of the low tide, and firemen were forced to carry hose through a boat across a 900-foot span of mud flats to reach a water plug. The flames were difficult to contain as wind shifted, and hose lengths burst during the effort. By 6:00 p.m., the debris was finally extinguished. The wharf was largely unoccupied and insured for a minimal amount.
“The smoke made it dangerous walking on the old wharf, and several firemen had narrow escapes from being thrown upon the mud flats below.”
This waterfront fire highlights the precarious nature of Seattle's early industrial infrastructure, much of which was built on wooden pilings over mud flats. Today, that same area, long since filled in and built up, remains a critical and perpetually changing part of the Seattle waterfront, though the 'industrial fire' threat has been replaced by different urban challenges.
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