An Ellensburg Merchant's Stock Goes Up in Smoke
A mysterious blaze gutted E. K. Fugarty's mercantile store, destroying one of Central Washington's finest stocks and leaving a heavy, still-uncalculated loss.
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.
Ellensburg, Sept. 20.—[Special.]—Fire broke out last night in the second story of E. K. Fugarty's mercantile establishment, and in a short time the whole interior was gutted. It contained a large quantity of boots and shoes, clothing, dry goods, groceries, etc. The fire forced its way through a crack in the ceiling into the roof, and the entire stock was ruined. Mr. Fugarty says the stock is in such a condition that it is impossible to estimate the loss, but it will be very heavy. He carried a good insurance. It will require an adjustment to determine the loss. The stock was considered to be one of the finest and best in Central Washington. It was contained in a fine two-story brick building. The building, which was owned by Fugarty, was not badly damaged. The origin of the fire is a mystery, but it is believed that it was due to spontaneous combustion.
“The origin of the fire is a mystery, but it is believed that it was due to spontaneous combustion.”
Downtown commercial fires were a constant risk in 1890s Washington towns, where brick shells and wooden stock could turn a single spark into a total inventory loss. Today's small-business owners still face the same calculus of insurance, code compliance, and fragile margins after a fire.
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