Late Night Scare on Second Street
A fire behind a downtown Seattle mercantile building nearly threatened several city blocks before firefighters brought the flames under control.
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.
Fire broke out in the rear of the one-story brick building at 306 South Second Street, occupied by the Parker Mercantile Company as a second-hand store, at 10:20 o'clock last night. For a few minutes, it looked as though several large brick blocks might be swept away. The firemen, however, were equal to the emergency and confined the flames to a remarkably small space in the rear of the store. Chemical No. 1 and a line from hose wagon No. 8 were used. The damage to the building was of a trifling nature, except that the windows in the rear and the front doors were smashed in effecting an entrance. The damage to the stock was more from heat and smoke than fire. Chief Hunt took a careful look at the stock and said at first estimate he would allow $4,000 and $50 to $100 on the building. It is understood that the loss is fully covered by insurance.
“For a few minutes, it looked as though several large brick blocks might be swept away.”
This incident occurred in the heart of Pioneer Square, a neighborhood that has survived numerous fires in its history. The specific address—now part of the revitalized historic district—serves as a reminder of how quickly fire could destroy the wooden and early brick infrastructure of 19th-century Seattle.
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