What are fire and Brownstone preachers?

"Fire and Brownstone preacher" was the nickname given to building code inspectors after the Great Seattle Fire.

The fire would be comical if it hadn't been so destructive. It began in June 6, 1889, at 2:30 pm, when a John Back was making glue in a carpentry shop. The glue was in a kettle above a fire. John tipped it over and the flames spread to the wood chips and turpentine on the floor. When John tried to douse it with water, the flames spread more until the cabinet shop was engulfed in flames. The fire reached a nearby liquor store, and, if our tour guide is to be believed, a nearby armory filled with ammunition. The fire department could do nothing, as they didn't have enough water in the system.

The fire destroyed $20 million dollars' worth of goods and buildings, one small boy, and a zillion rats.

The city rebuilt on the ashes, and changed its code to require buildings be made of brick and stone, like Brownstone, not wood. When newcomers came to help with the rebuild, doubling the city's population, they were accosted by local residents' passion regarding building materials. One carpenter is recorded as saying, "I've heard revival preachers preach more quiet. All they could talk about was the fire and the Brownstones!"

When they rebuilt the city, they did so one story higher than before, thus solving a really unfortunate sewage issue. Today, you can take a Seattle underground tour. It's really cool. You can see the old sidewalks, the city brothel, and the church that tried to take out the brothel. That was a real fire and brimstone preacher!

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