A Prayer for the Property
A homeowner's desperate plea to save his burning house becomes a local spectacle.
Between 2 and 6 o'clock yesterday morning the two-story residence of George Cochrane, an engineer on the Lake Shore road, located on Greene street, was destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of about $2,000. The family were visiting south of the city and the fire had gotten a big start before it was discovered by the firemen at engine house No. 6. The principal work accomplished by the firemen was in saving the residences on either side of the burning building. It appears that one of the adjoining houses was occupied by a man named Yearny, who was not aware of what was going on until aroused by the people who had been attracted to the scene by the fire. As soon as he saw the danger his house was in he fell down on his knees and with outstretched hands said: 'Oh, Lord, have mercy on me and save the house.' His house was damaged slightly. The Cochrane house was fully insured.
“Oh, Lord, have mercy on me and save the house.”
Fire remains a constant threat in Seattle's dense residential neighborhoods, though today's fire department response is significantly more sophisticated than the horse-drawn era. The scene of a neighbor praying for his home while others watched the fire highlights the precarious nature of wooden housing in the city's early development.
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