Explosion Shatters Chinese Washhouse in Seattle
A bomb destroys the front of a Sixth Street laundry, sparking fear and anti-Chinese sentiment among locals.
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.
At 10 o'clock last night, the city was startled by a loud explosion, followed by another in quick succession. It was soon learned that the scene of the explosion was the Chinese washhouse of Saey Lee, No. 514 Sixth Street. When a reporter reached the spot, a large number of people were gathered. The house sits back from the street, and there had been steps leading to the front door; under these, dynamite or other explosives had evidently been placed, as fragments were scattered across the street. The windows were completely shattered and the doors knocked off their hinges. Eight Chinese men were in the building ironing, and all were badly scared and shaken up. Among the crowd were some anti-Chinese agitators who at once maintained that the Chinamen had blown up the premises themselves to elicit sympathy.
“Of course, the Chinamen having placed the bomb, would stand waiting by the windows in hopes to be showered with the flying glass, so as to prevent detection of their wickedness.”
This attack occurred during the height of the 1886 anti-Chinese expulsion riots in Seattle. Today, the location—formerly the edge of the Chinese district—is part of the vibrant International District, a space transformed by a century of immigrant advocacy and community resilience.
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