A Powerhouse Fire Couldn't Keep Seattle's Streetcars Down for Long

Notwithstanding the fact that the early yesterday morning fire destroyed the power house of the Seattle Consolidated Street Railway Company, and twenty-nine cars belonging to the company, together with machinery and boilers and all the power house contained, including the plant of the Third Street & Suburban Railway Company, which had the contract for lighting the city north of Pike street, both street car lines were running yesterday morning by 5 o'clock, the Third street line giving the same service as usual and the Second street line running five cars instead of twelve, the usual number. Last night the residents of the part of the city north of Pike street had light as usual, the lines of the Third Street & Suburban Railway Company having been connected with the dynamos of the Union Illuminating Company. The Grant Street line, which was receiving power from the Seattle Consolidated Street Railway Company's plant, was also running as usual by 5 o'clock with power from its own power house.

The Second street line is now running five cars and giving the best service possible under the circumstances. Receiver Backus expects to put on two or more additional cars within the next five days, so that probably by the first of the week the entire street car service of the city will be in as good condition as before the destruction of the power house. Two of the cars now in use on the Second street line were saved by being outside of the building. Two more were borrowed from the West Street North End Electric Railway Company, and the Phinney car, which has been run between Fremont and Green Lake, was brought into requisition.

Power is furnished the Second street line partly from Judge Burke's power plant in his building on Second street, which also operates the West Street & North End road. One generator is furnished from this source, and the balance of the power needed comes from the Grant Street power house. Receiver Backus is engaged in getting another generator installed in the Rainier Power Railway power house on Main street. At present the power received from both the Burke building and the Grant Street power house is fully used in operating the five cars now in use. Several more cars are expected from Port Townsend within a day or two, when they will at once be put on the line, power being furnished by the dynamo being placed on Main street. This dynamo was saved when the power house was destroyed.

Receiver Backus said: "I would roughly place the total loss at about $75,000. There were twenty-seven passenger cars, two freight cars and one wood car, a moderate estimate of value being probably $1,000 each. In the building were seven large generators, all of which are more or less injured. There were two Corliss engines of 250 horsepower each, as well as the boilers and all necessary attachments to match. All of this property is more or less injured. Some of it may be in condition to be used, but nothing can be said with any certainty until a thorough examination is made. The company had only carried insurance of $25,000 until about six weeks ago, when I put on an additional $25,000, making it $50,000."

The origin of the fire was uncertain. Backus considered spontaneous combustion, an incandescent globe near the store room, or a spark from a boiler arch falling onto the oil-soaked floor. He was certain it was accidental and praised the fire department for prompt work. The safe containing company records survived; the fire burned the floor from under it, but the papers and books were uninjured. The Third Street line's loss was small and covered by insurance; Manager Grambs planned to move usable machinery to a new building on West street and rebuild. Receiver Backus telegraphed stockholders in Chicago, Philadelphia and other Eastern cities and expected to rebuild as soon as insurance was appraised and settled.