Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1889 — A CITY ALMOST RUINED. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A CITY ALMOST RUINED.

SPOKANE FALLS, WASH. TER., DEVASTATED BY FIKE. V. Conflagration that Baffled the Fire Department and Burned to the Water's Edge—The Losses Will Aggregate 514,OOO.OOO—AwfuI Work of the Devastating Element. A Spokane Falls (W. T.) dispatch of the 6th inst. says: The entire business portion of the city, with the exception of one mill, was destroyed by fire Sunday night The loss will reach $11,000,000 .The blaze started in (a lodgng house on Railway avenue at 5 o’clock in the evening and burned until Monday morning. A large number of frame buildings and several grain elevators were near the lodging house and soon after the fire broke out they were ablaze. A strong wind was blowing toward the city at the time, and the blaze was soon beyond the control of the firemen. The fire leaped from street to street and nothing could be done but let the flames have their own way until they reached the river and then endeavor to prevent the fire from reaching the buildings on the opposite side. The flames swept through the city and one business block after another was consumed, everything being burned to the water’s edge. The fire department was stationed on the other side of the stream and prevented flying embers from setting fire to the buildings there. Only a few dwellings were destroyed, as the residence portion of the city was not visited by the fire. The water supply proved totally inadequate, and firemen as well as citizens became panic-stricken. Several people are known to have perished in the flames and several more were injured by leaping from windows. Charles Davis of Chicago, a guest at the Arlington house, was awakened by flames bursting through the doors of his room in the third story. He jumpted from the window, was shockingly mangled, and died In a few minutes.

A woman whose name is unknown leaped from the second story of the Pacific hotel and was killed. The fire spread with such astonishing rapidyf that it is believed many were shut off from escape before they were aware of their danger. By order of the Mayor a dozen large buildings were blown up with giant powder, but even this failed to check the flames. The Northern Pacific is probably the heaviest loser, the passenger depot and magnificent new freight warehouse being destroyed. Its loss, including freight burned, will reach about $1,000,000. All provisions and supplies were burned, and there will be much suffering for several days. Appeals for help have been sent out, and Portland, Seattle, Tacoma, and several neighboring towns have already responded. The fire started at 7 o’clock p. m. in a lodging house on Railroad avenue. The fire department was on the scene quickly, but owing to a lack of water the fire spread to an adjoining frame building, and was soon beyond control. The flames jumped across the street to the Russ house and Pacific hotel. By this time a strong wind sprung up, and it was evident the city was doomed. The fire spread with fearful rapidity and the firemen were powerless. An attempt was made to check the fire by blowing up buildings in its path, but it was useless. From the Pacific hotel the fire jumped across First street to the frame buildings in the next block. Soon it reacL-jd the heart of the city. A block of two-story brick buildings on Riverside avenue next went. From here the fire was communicated to the magnificent Hyde block, a four-story building, taking in the whole block between Mills and Howard streets on Riverside avenue. The fire leaped across Howard street, and in a few minutes the block between Howard and Stevens streets was reduced to ashes. The next to succumb was the large Tull block. From there the fire swept the solid block ®f four-story brick buildings, including the postofllce, between Stevens and Washington streets, and here burned out from lack of material. From the point of beginning the fire took another direction, leaping across Sprague street to the Opera House block. From it the flames leaped Riverside avenue to Brown’s bank and both sides of the avenue were in flames. The block between Post and Mill streets was quickly licked up, including the Grand hotel. From here the flames were communicated to the block on the right. Here was the Frankfort block, the largest building in -the city, having cost $250,000. It withstood the fire for some time, but finally succumbed. The Arlington hotel was next to go. From the Arlington the fire traveled north and consumed the block between Howard, Main, Front, and Stevens streets, burning east as far as the latter street, where a vacant lot checked further progress in that direction. Everything in a northerly direction, including the Northern Pacific express. Union block, and Windsor hotel, was soon a mass of flames. The river prevented the fire doing further damage and was a means of saving big flouring and lumber mills. By this time, in the short space of three hours, the fire had consumed everything in its path, reducing to ashes the entire busib ess portion of the once beautiful city. The only business block left standing is the

Crescent building, which was saved by tearing down intervening buildings Owing to the rapidity with which it spread scarcely anything was saved. Provisions are scarce and will last only a short time. The city council met this morning and appointed a committee on relief. Provisions will be sent for and the needy supplied. Individual losses as far as known are as follows: Honey, Mason. Marks & Co., wholesale hardware $125,000; the Great Eastern whole-ale p aud retail dry-goods house, $100,000; the “White House,” wholesale and retail, $80,0 ( K); Lowenburg Bros., $100,900; Benham Ar Griffiths, wholesale grocers, $40,000; Mason, Smith & Co., grocers, $40,000: Pacific hotel, $40,000; Grand hotel, $10,000; Windsor, $25,000; Hyde block, $75,900; Washington block, $65,000; Crescent, $30,000; Cannon block, $20,000, Moore block, $30,000; First national bank block, $25,000; Wolverton block, $25,000: Frankfort block, $125,000; Tull block, $75,000. The disaster is undoubtedly far more serious than that which overtook Beattie, both on account of its great extent and the more substantial character of the burned buildings. No account of losses has yet been received. The Western Union office was burned out and all instruments except one, which an operator is now working on a dry goods box just outside the city, were destroyed. All the flour and lumber mills were saved. Bpokane was one of the most prominent of the many new cities in the infant State of Washington. Situated on the line of the Northern Pacific railroad close to the Cceur d’Alene mining region, the city has been the site for manyTarge industrial establishments, such as smelters and kindred enterprises. Expensive public edifices had also been recently erected, and the population was easily supporting two prosperous daily papers. The business district of Spokane was in a strip between the Northern Pacific railroad tracks and the Spokane river. This strip was five squares across, and extended about seven squares in length. It was solidly built up with brick and stone structures, the. cost of which varied

from $25,000 to $125,000. . Ten banking houses, five hotels, the opera house, and many whoisale establishments doing business estimated at half a million dollars each, were situated within the district described. The estimate of a $30,000,000 loss is believed to be exaggerated. Half that amount is thought to be nearer the actual figure, assuming that the reported complete destruction of the city is correct. The population of Spokane is about 20,000. The city possessed an excellent water works, modeled after the Holly system, with a capacity of 9,000,000 gallons. There were no fire engines, but by the system in use five or six goodsized streams of water could be concentrated upon any block in case of fire. The fire department was a volunteer one. As to insurance the best information here is that no largo amounts were carried. Buildings that cost $30,000 to $40,000 are known to have had but $9,000 to SIO,OOO insurance.

SPOKANE FALLS BEFORE THE FIRE.