Auditor’s Home Lost in Late-Night Blaze
A lamp explosion destroys the residence of County Auditor Mathew Bartholet, highlighting the constant threat of fire in the growing city.
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 residence of County Auditor Mathew Bartholet was destroyed by fire on Sunday night. It is believed the fire was the result of a lamp explosion in the servant’s room, as Miss Schanno, the only member of the family at home, first discovered the flames in that quarter and noticed the broken lamp on the floor. The fire department arrived promptly, though they initially faced difficulty getting water on the building; once water was applied, they performed effective work to prevent the fire from spreading to adjoining structures. Mr. Bartholet valued his house at $1,000, with $650 insurance through Fred R. Reed Co. While furniture on the first floor was saved, the second-story contents and the clothing of the Misses Schanno were lost.
“The fire department was promptly at hand, but had some trouble in getting water on the burning building.”
In 1890, Yakima faced the constant threat of fire in its wooden building stock. Today, while building codes have evolved to prevent such tragedies, the reliance on insurance payouts and the volatility of housing security remain a central tension in property ownership.
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