The Night a Streetcar Powerhouse Fire Left Half of Seattle Dark

The power house of the Seattle Consolidated Street Railway Company was gutted by fire at an early hour this morning, together with all the machinery of nearly all the cars of that company and all the machinery of the Third Street and Suburban Company except one dynamo. The result is that half the transportation lines of the city are crippled, the northern part of the city north of Pike street is in darkness, and the two companies sustain a loss which is very moderately estimated at $100,000. The fire was still burning when efforts were being made to secure power from other sources to run the Third street and Grant street cars, the latter being supplied by the Consolidated, and to secure light for the city tonight.

The power house, barn and repair shops of the Consolidated Street Railway Company are located in the large brick building that fronts on Fifth street and extends along the south side of Pine to Sixth. The building is 60 feet wide and has a depth of 240 feet. At the front it is one story, but at the rear, owing to a decline in the street, may be termed a two-story building. On the first floor, as one entered from Fifth street, was the office at the right hand, and then came the barn where the cars were kept. Here also were the repair shops and many of the tools used in such work. On the floor below was located the valuable machinery that furnished power to all the Consolidated street railway lines and a great part of the city lights.

Among the extensive and costly array of machinery were ten railway generators valued at $3,500 each, two 1,000 incandescent machines, two fifty arc machines, each valued at $2,500. There were also four 250-horse power engines easily worth $5,000 each.

It was nearing 1 o'clock this morning when the big power house became silent. Several of the day men had been working and night foreman John Carlisle ordered to take them out toward their homes in the Lake Union section. The car was run out and they boarded it. Passengers included Edward Williams, carpenter; Dave Foreman, John Oakley, William Oliver, repairer, and Herman Gunther, machinist. The men say that they are positive that there was nothing about the barn that would have given cause for the fire and are utterly at a loss to account for the origin.

After the car handled by Carlisle left the barn there were left in the building on the lower floor the engineer, fireman, oiler and perhaps one other person that was missed in the summing up. No one was on the upper floor, where twenty-five valuable cars, easily worth $1,500 each, were standing and in the offices was the safe and many valuable papers. The doors to the power house were open.

When the fire was discovered it seemed to start from about the center of the south side of the building, and then in an instant's time to flash from all the windows. Instantaneously tongues of flame leaped high into the air, and a hollow roaring announced that an immense conflagration was at hand. The flames swept back with lightning rapidity into the car house over the basement and ate into the floor, saturated with grease, and were soon fed by the paraffine in the insulation of the wires of the dynamos. Before the alarm was rung in four minutes had elapsed and the entire building was a roaring mass of flames.

As near as can be discovered, the first person to take any action, although other people may have seen the flames previously, was Fireman Patterson. From the lower floor it was discovered that the building was on fire, and the engineer told Foreman Carlisle that the first intimation they had below was when coals commenced falling upon them.

Patterson lost no time in running with all his might to the fire engine house at the corner of Pine and Third streets. Fred Collins, who was on watch at the switchboard, was suddenly startled by the cry: 'The power house is on fire.'

With all the rapidity in his power Collins gave the alarm, and the firemen came sliding down the brass poles like shadows. Jumped to their places, and as the reins were snapped into the bridles it was known that every house had been alarmed by 'phone. A few moments later some one at the corner of Pike and Front saw the fire and sent in an alarm from box.

Fortunately the telephone alarm was in ahead, so that no time was lost in reaching the scene.

When engine No. 2 came out of her house at Pine and Third streets a grand but awful sight met the eyes of the firemen. Down the street only two blocks away could be seen the big building fairly wrapped in flames. The whole heavens were lighted up and from every window and the front of the building the flames were pouring in dense masses. A moment later the flames burst through the roof and went heavenward in columns.

It was a thrilling sight, but the firemen had no time for beauties. With all their energy bound up in their work they commenced. Engine No. 2 swung into position at Fourth and Pine and had two lines out in double quick time. Engine No. 1 took a position at Olive and Fifth and ran out two more; Companies 3, 4 and 5 were also on hand. A part of the fireboat hose was used to connect No. 1's line from Virginia and Sixth. Quickly following the alarm came in a second from a box at Pike and Seventh. This brought all the apparatus to the scene, and was in fact a general alarm. Company No. 6 was the last called on to assist in the work, which she did at Eighth street.

Despite the efforts of the firemen, who had lines out on all sides of the building, the fire went steadily on, and could be seen consuming the street cars, not one by one, but all at once. Within thirty minutes the roof fell in. At the same time the last remains of the office in the southwest corner of the building fell into the burning pile of ashes on the floor, taking with it many valuable records. The company safe was in the office, but the superintendent, who stood across the street watching the destruction, said that he believed it would go through all right.

After the roof fell in and the big jagged pieces of tin that formed part of the roof could be seen hanging down from different points, there was a momentary spurt of the fire again, and it seemed to gain. As a matter of fact, however, it was the struggle so far as the upper story was concerned.

On all of the building the windows were out and within the valuable machinery of the company had been given up to the flames. Below, however, the fire was still eating its way and keeping the firemen busy from windows trying to conquer them. At the back end of the building there was considerable wood and this furnished food for the firemen's foe.

With the dimming of the fire after the first big break-in of the flames, the crowd found itself in darkness and commenced to go home.

Receiver Backus reached the scene about 2 o'clock, and found Manager of his own company and Manager W. J. Grambs of the Third street line already on the ground. He estimated the loss to his company at $50,000 at least, while Mr. Grambs placed the loss to the Third street line at $30,000. The insurance on the Second street property was [unreadable], while the Third street machinery was fully covered.

The Second street company loses all its machinery, all its cars except two, one of which is off the track at Eighth and Howell streets and the other is at Lake Union, while the Guy C. Phinney car is also saved. The Third street company loses all its machinery except one dynamo, having lately moved it in a general consolidation of the plants. As the Consolidated company was also furnishing power to the Grant line, it will thus be seen that the fire completely paralyzes the largest individual street railway system in the city, including twenty-seven miles of track, and cuts off the street lights from the northern half of the city, the Third Street and Suburban company having succeeded to the contract held by the Rainier Power and Railway Company.

Mr. Grambs, who is receiver of the Grant street line, as well as manager of the Third street line, no sooner met Mr. Backus than they began devising remedies for the disastrous effects of the fire. Mr. Grambs sent a force out to the Grant street power house near the race track to start the machinery, which was only operated for a short time after the completion of the road. If it can be speedily put in order it will run the Grant street cars and perhaps those of Third street, while the Union Trunk line may be able to furnish some for the Second street cars.

The one dynamo which the Third street company saved will probably be transferred to the Union Illuminating Company's plant on Grant street. In this way, and with the aid of the Union Illuminating Company, it is hoped that at least an irregular service can be given on all three car lines today and light furnished to the northern half of the city.

At the time of the removal of the offices of the Trunk and Second street road from the Masonic building the records of the Second street road were transferred to the frame office in the northwest corner of the power house, and all except a few locked in a small safe and those which were in the possession of Receiver Backus, were destroyed by the fire. The insurance policies were fortunately among the papers saved.