The Winnifred Burns: A Lake Washington Steamer Lost at the Dock

A thousand dollars' worth of property was destroyed by the fire that raged for a short time at Leech's Dock early yesterday morning. There was no loss of life, but Mrs. Lizzie Schrier, who kept the boarding house that was burned, and her son Clare had no time to dress themselves, and Capt. John L. Anderson, of the steamer Winnifred, had his feet blistered in trying to reach the burning boat.

The fire was discovered by Mrs. R. Riddle, who saw the reflection of the flames through her bedroom window. She gave the alarm and the whole neighborhood was aroused. The flames were rising from the steamer Winnifred about midway between her prow and stern and near the boiler. They spread with incredible rapidity and before Capt. Anderson, who had jumped from bed at his room in Mrs. Schrier's boarding house, was on the wharf, had attacked a pile of wood containing forty cords, swept to the building on the wharf and were moving like lightning toward S. G. Parker's fruit and confectionery stand.

Anderson had just time to rush to his room, grab up his coat and vest and valuables and get out when the frame building was aglow. Mrs. Schrier and her son Clare barely escaped and in doing so had no time to dress.

As soon as possible the alarm was turned in to the fire department, and in the meantime the hose from the Yesler avenue power house was brought into use. There is little doubt that, if this means had not been used to stay the progress of the fire temporarily, many other buildings in the near vicinity would have been burned. As soon as the firemen from the department got a stream on there was no trouble in confining the flames, but what had already been attacked was a mass of ruins.

The greatest loss came from the burning of the steamer Winnifred, owned by Captain John L. Anderson and James Colman. She lay in the water a charred wreck. The big boiler stood alone in the dismal-looking hull. The Winnifred was built twenty months ago, and including recent repairs cost her owners just $4,500. She was insured for $3,000 in the Imperial, of London. She was 52 feet long, with an 11-foot beam, and was 12 1/2 tons burden. There was not a dollar due on her, and by strict attention to business Anderson and Colman had worked up a good business on the Newcastle run by way of Mercer slough. Early yesterday morning they commenced looking for a boat to take the Winnifred's place and soon succeeded in chartering the Quickstep.

The losses aggregated about $6,030, with insurance of only $3,650. Anderson & Colman lost the steamer, valued at $4,500 and insured for $3,000; the Yesler estate lost a wharf and warehouse worth $400; S. G. Parker lost a store and contents worth $500; Mrs. Schrier lost a house and contents worth $500; and J. A. Copp lost the sloop Ruby, worth $50.

General Manager A. F. Haas, of the Yesler avenue cable road, said that if the city would place 300 or 400 feet of hose at the lake terminus of Yesler avenue, power would be furnished from the power house in case of fire at no cost to the city. It had been demonstrated twice that it was only with great difficulty that the apparatus could be gotten down the hill. In winter it was almost out of the question, and the only thing to fight fire with was the hose at the power house. Mr. Haas said candidly that the hose was not long enough, but that even as it was good service had been done. He thought that if the city had a hose reel where it could be used when the emergency required, many dollars' worth of property might be saved.