The Great Seattle Fire on June 6, 1889 was enormous and it swept over a 32 block area virtually destroying the core financial district and dooming the city of Seattle. The magnitude of destruction was enormous. The fire engulfed the entire business area and all the rail road terminals. There were no loss of lives in spite of this massive destruction.
Events of the Great Seattle Fire
It was a fresh spring morning, and the dry weather caused the temperatures to rise. On the afternoon of June 6, 1889 John Back who was assisting in Victor Clairmont's wood working shop at the Front Street was heating some glue over a fire. At 2.15 the boiling glue caught fire and in no time the fire engulfed the floors covered with wood chips and turpentine.
Spread of the Great Seattle Fire
When the fire department arrived on the scene at 2.45pm the source couldn't be discovered. The fire was out of control and spread to the adjacent Dietz an Mayer Liquor Store, Crystal Palace Saloon. Entire block from Madison to Marion was on fire. Seattle's water supply proved inadequate to fight the fire. Fire hydrants were
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located on every other street, and the pipers were small and made out of logs. The Fireman also failed to pump out water from Elliott Bay as the tides were out. As the wind rose, the fire spread to the Colman Building and the Opera House. By 4.00 pm the fire had crossed engulfing the Second Avenue. As the fire reached the third avenue Trinity Church was set in flames . The roar of the massive fire could be heard from miles.
The fire continued to burn till 3 am. The damage was colossal. 125 acres holding 25 city blocks including every wharf from Union to Jackson Streets were razed to the ground. People were displaced from their homes and another 5,000 lost their jobs. The total loss was around 20 million dollars.
Reformation after the Great Seattle Fire
Post fire reconstruction took place. The Great Seattle Fire changed the architecture of the city. The walls were spaced 27 feet apart from each other. Intermediate rows and columns were introduced. Fire resistant materials like steels replaced wood in construction. Narrow alleys were made wide and the fire fighting system underwent a face lift.
The positive aspect that arose after the Great Seattle Fire was that the town of Seattle was changed into a city.
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