Steamer Burned to the Waterline on the Skagit
A fire sparked by a boiler quickly consumed the steamer Fanny Lake, leaving passengers and crew with nothing but their lives.
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 Fanny Lake burned in front of Skagit City shortly after 2 o'clock on the morning of May 21st. The fire caught in the wood around the boiler and quickly spread to the hay with which the steamer was loaded; within five minutes, the whole boat was in flames. No freight, clothing, or effects were saved, though all crew and passengers were rescued and taken to shore. The captain's face was scorched in his effort to save his passengers, as he was the last to leave the burning steamer. A tug has since taken the hull in tow for Seattle.
“Within five minutes the whole boat was in flames.”
Fire was the greatest fear for early steamboat operators, given the mix of wood, boilers, and heavy cargo. Skagit City, once a thriving landing, is now largely vanished, reminding us how quickly a town's primary economic engine could disappear.
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