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A City In Ruins

A City In Ruins image
Parent Issue
Day
8
Month
August
Year
1889
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Spokane Faixs, W. T., Ausr. 6.- The fire which swept over this city Sunday night was the most destructive ever known in this región. Twenty-five blocks, including the entire business portion of the city, were destroyed. The loss will not fall short oí $14,000, (XX), and may exceed that amouat The fire Btarted at 7 o'cloek p. ra. in a lodging-house on Railroad avenue. The fire department was on the scène qulckly, but owing to a Jack of water the fire spread to an adjoining frame building and was Boon beyond control. The flamea jumped across the itreet to the Russ House and Pacific Hotel. By this time a strong wind sprung up. and it was evident the city was doonied, 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 useleas. From the Pacific Hotel the fire jumped across First Btreet to the frame buildings in the next block. Soon it reached the heart of the city. A block of twostory brick buildinsrs on Kiverside 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 Rtreet on Riverside avenue. Ths fire leaped across Howard street, and in a few minutes the block between Howard and Stevens street was reduced to ashea. The next to succumb was the large Tull block. From there the fire ewept the solid block of four-story brick buildings, includingthe poet-oftice, between Stevens and Washington Btreets, 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 fiames leaped River6ide avenue to Brown's bank and both sides of the avenue were in fiames. The block [between Post and Mili streets was quickly licked up, iuoluding the Grand HoteL From here the llames were oommunicated to the adjoining blook on the right Here was the Franklin block, the largeBt building in the city, having cost ♦250,000. It withstood the fire for some time, but flnally succumbed. The Árlington Hotel was the next to go. The building was enveloped in flamejj when a man was seeo to fdnTp from the sëcond etory. He aróse and started to run down Howard street, when he was overeóme by heat and feil. Several people rushed to his assistance and carried him to a place of safety. He was a pitiable Bight, bein? literally roasteu, his skin peeling off all over his fopdy. His name was Charles Davis. He died at noem. From the Arlington the lire traveled north and consumed the block between Howard, Main, Front and Stevens 6treete, burning east as lar as the latter street, where a vacant lot checked further progress In that direction. Every thing in a northerly direction, including the Northern Pacific exprees, l'nion block and Windsor Hotel, was eoon a mass of flames. The river prevented fire doing lurther damage and was a means of gaving big flouring and lumber milis. By this time, in the short space of three hours, the fire had censu-med every thing in lts path, reducmg to ashes the entire business portion of the once beautiful city. The only business block left stand, ing is the Crescent building, which was Baved by meanB ot' tearing down intervening buildings. Owing to the rapidity with which it spread ecarcely any thing was saved. Provisión are scarce and will last only a short time. Spokane Falla was one of the most prominent of the many new cities in the infant ijtate ol V ashington. Situated on th line ot the Northern Pacific railroad, close to the Coeur d'Alene mining región, the city has been the site of many large smelting and other industrial establishment?. Expensive public edifices had been recently erected. The town supported two daily papers. The population is about 20,000. The city possessed excellent water-works, modeled after the Holly system, with a capacity of 9,000,000 gallons. There were no nre-eng-ines, but by the system in use five or six good-sized streams of water could be concentrated upon any block in case oí üre. The flre department was a volunteer one. The business district of Spokane was a Btrip between the Northeni Pacific railroad tracks and Spokane ïiver. The etrip was five squares acrosB and extended about Beven aquarel in length. It was solidly built up with brick and stone structures, the cost of which varied from $25,000 to 1125,000. Ten banking houses, five hotels, the opera-house and many wholesale establishments doing a business estimated at $500,00) each were situated within the district desciibeu.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Register