The Last Stand of Denny’s Old Home: A Seattle Landmark Consumed by Fire

Denny's Old Home Is Burned.

One of the Oldest Houses in Seattle — Nearly Destroyed by Flame Falling.

The house located at the corner of Second Avenue and Yesler Way was nearly destroyed by fire at 3 o'clock this morning. The flames originated in a room occupied by Sandy Minkowski, an employee of the Trest Shoe Company. Mr. Minkowski had just put his own personal furniture in the room and lit a reading lamp. This lamp, while burning, fell onto the floor.

Mr. Minkowski ran out of the house crying, 'Fire!' The police officer on the beat tried to turn on an alarm from a box on the front street, but it was not working. A newsboy was sent to take the place and an alarm was sent in which called the department.

The house was one of the oldest in Seattle; it was built of cedar and was formerly occupied by Mrs. Kali Palmer and children, who were among the inmates. They barely escaped. The women got their way to the second story and through to the roof before being extinguished. Mrs. Palmer has no insurance on her household goods.

R.R. WEATHER SERVICE Measures Taken to Protect Live Stock. On railroad weather reports come into the city headquarters every morning. They are received by the train dispatcher from every station along the route. In addition to this, some railroads have government reports sent over their wires twice a day, but it is said that the system of local reports is much more satisfactory than the forecast.

A weather report just as it comes from the wire takes something like much else of the routine correspondence of the railroad. It resembles in its original shape a cipher dispatch or a puzzle. Properly punctuated it becomes clear that the thermometer stood at 50 degrees, the weather was clearer and colder, and the wind was northwest at the past the report came from.

One report a day is all that is necessary unless there takes place a decided change in the weather conditions that is liable to affect the running of trains. In case of a snowstorm the wind is watched very closely.

The transportation of perishable freight, and particularly of live stock becomes a most heavy undertaking in the time of a blizzard. Nowadays most railroads that are in danger of accumulating snow drifts enough to put a stop to travel, have sheds for the accommodation of cattle. In case of a sudden suspension of travel, such as occurred on many railroads during the recent blizzard, trains very often find them out of reach of shelter of this kind.

The trains are broken up and the cars stored in coal sheds, in roundhouses, or in any other place that affords temporary shelter. When it is absolutely impossible to secure shelter, the trains are divided into convenient lengths and are pushed back and forth on the tracks all night long. The motion keeps the cattle on their feet, and the jutting and jarring of the train is frequently the only thing that keeps the poor creatures alive.

Sheep are the hardest animals in withstand the cold and exposure. Hogs die quickest, and cattle and mules next. Provided that facilities exist, calves are turned into the same inclosure with sheep. They manage to find their way to the center of the herd and hold their position. The sheep do not seem resent it, and the calves are protected.