The Great Fire on Washington Street: A Narrow Escape from Ashes
A blaze in the upper story of a building near Pike Street threatened to consume Seattle’s growing commercial district, but the quick arrival of the fire engine saved the day.
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.
A SMALL FIRE. About 12 o'clock yesterday morning a fire broke out on Washington street, in the upper story of a building now used as a shoe store, in the rear of the old Kino Saloon. It was not more than fifteen minutes from the time of the first alarm until the fire company was on hand with their engine and had extinguished the flames. Had they not got there quick it would have been too late, for the fact that the matter took was covered with lumber and barrels of lime. This matter should attract the attention of the authorities as warnings about metalfires must have been disregarded, and a few minutes from such a cause in case of a fire might prove disastrous. The damage was confined to the upper story of the hall, and as inconsiderable mainly caused by the water thrown from the engine. The fire was caused by the carelessness on the part of the owner, who did not know what he was doing.
In 1870, Seattle was still a fragile collection of wooden structures where a single spark could wipe out the entire town. This report highlights the constant anxiety of early settlers regarding fire safety and the critical role of volunteer or nascent professional fire companies in protecting property before the Great Fire of 1889.
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