Toilets were very popular when Pioneer Square was first being settled. Unfortunately, plumbing wasn't. Tide tables were left in stalls so you'd know when it was safe to flush (only at low, or else the pressure created a geyser). Either way, eventually the tide would bring the sewage right back in, despite the wooden pipes trying valiantly to dump it out in the ocean. So the fire was considered partially a blessing, since it allowed for revamping the system! (The flash really brought out what we couldn't see until we developed these pictures — the crusty look to the toilet and the kind addition of toilet paper!)
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