Explosion Destroys a Home on Lake Union
A coal oil lamp explosion on the bluff overlooking Lake Union leaves a local pharmacist's home in ruins, with fire crews struggling to reach the steep hillside.
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 fire occurred at 11 o'clock last night on Lombard Street in Day's addition, on the bluff on the shore of Lake Union, about 400 yards southwest of the Fremont mill. The property destroyed was a two and a half story house belonging to B. F. Lyon, who is currently fitting up a drug store on Front Street. Mr. Lyon came home and started to get himself a cup of coffee when the coal oil lamp he had with him exploded, setting fire to everything around. The destruction was complete, with Mr. Lyon saving only an overcoat and a few articles. An alarm brought engine No. 4 and truck No. 1. Arriving at the lake boulevard, the firemen had a hard task to climb the bluff, which at this place is very steep. They finally got a stream on the blaze, however, though not until they had used about 600 feet of hose.
“Arriving at the nearest point to the fire on the lake boulevard the firemen had a hard task to climb the bluff, which at this place is very steep.”
Lombard Street (now part of the Queen Anne/Fremont area) was a developing 'addition' in 1891. The struggle of 19th-century firemen to scale the steep Lake Union bluffs serves as a reminder of how the geography of Seattle dictated the development—and destruction—of its early neighborhoods.
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