, 1869-04-23
THE BURNING Of HANCOCK, MICH.
AHundrcd and Thirty Buildings
Destroyed.
Loss Over Three Hundred Thousand
Dollars,


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From, the Portage Lake Mining Ga.ts.e, Aprs11a
n; ia onjne1 stamn Whist1e ma H. ea9 ~
nnre seI col.,mr n ihic, hiasE smoS 'g ~
tne people Of this plaee that serious iire had ID
nfteea:minutes the Column Of smoke 10 vas ,ioup1ei
nns tnnVuns of f1rc mil II herame eridens ~ III
Tint most dtsastrnas connagTNfinn VIVA ,m,.nent NJ
The fire alaIIn was rnnp AMI hundreds NJ 1ne7
we're soon On the Ice running to tic assistsnce Of
when great dropping c.rders, borne b 1he wind
across the lake, warned cur people thst there was
deemed prudent to Seep ~ il nefs. " il wonld mia
have been useless at any rate as the winter aupply
gave out within tho 1rst hour, and NON thence
The me at irbt originated in little French ss-
loon, adjoining the Catholic Church and SCHOOLS
Thefa had been dance or joIltcation N the house
pears, waa overturned, and It's Contents scat,ered
over the room. Without attempting to extinaliish
ne names which 1t onse spFqnK v, az paFfS ap-
fate. The building was situated tn the northTest
quarter Of the town, and the wind. unfortunately,
cnyeloped that bujIfijno. nnd cnmmnneatcA fro,1
II to Hose contiguous % the east ana in Isss than
half m hour there were half dozen buildings In
Inc other side cansht rom he intense heat % and nd
burst OFT with nnexa1upled ncrceness
About this time the water supply gave out, with
out any particular bcaent having been derived
from 1t or the paltIy tl1e apparatus belonging to
the towu- The nalneS spread from house to house
On both sides of tne street and back IN each dlrec
1n extent and nerccness, until, at the end Of IN
hour more, not less than thirty buildings we're
tIun.
The scenes which ensaed beggar desetipaon
messed. The DANES roaved lks IN approaching
CLING yoltcys Of asIau arms- The air was hot, SUI
1ocatIng, anu thick With binding smoke now
now lifting by the Wind, revealed broad sheets Of
nans iIom ni 70 nye a1ndred teef N LENGTH anu
feaehlng, l at TINES, Utmost ne ,l clouds.
me streets we're crowded with people ana teams
hurryinR to Rnd fro with furniture and goods Of
every description, mingled IN almost tne3tztcahe
confusion. all ~ seeking safety, but none scarcely
knowing pnefe TO Hnd II. "
Ffotn tne hfst mere seems 70 nave been little
~ CoaaS III ~ 1e ~
~ lH te,r anu ,r, slea ae eoas
~ taest tl,ee6s ~ talto 1he Hist nil houI
sx ~ t % ~ et ~ 's 1 4iI nat rSth , ~
er9 ~ .ne y, tbs y, ~ eoui1 es
Isi tarouxh he Heart & ths own: TSe asok and
tho Wes;er si.ir nn,i nrn.ah1T thrr,hr aavsH ,na
MctneI'isf 1,hnrrh si Ao Pafrsa:a a, Waa,nic NE
Aalls anu inc puialnes surrounding and lying be-
oM Tni rng Ihesc Ia, on The tnazan, se n, tbs-o,e
which hsd By this ume taten arn nj hold Of sss
Ma nnicA IluasGan s ~ 1 , ,muNeA uolti1GS nni1s
Ie5cueo 3; stseSG, oe!oW 3alney; A. ms Tine the
q 9Th The buildings eapsns The Snsness n sfo
O. 9 sae town Wy ,,e as tae snstn tae
flames were licking up building aiter building like
stuhbie. Merchants and small dea!era tnmoed
rndu II 1rifIfrv han,1s cnnveyni fhnn, n1,ao,1t.,
Some ottnsm wsrs move three flour times 10
af,sr hnSnng fonp hon1! eteod,,r Tho ,o,o. ~.
san 10 there wefs no more s,T punEs
ee ses n nogaa ., ne 81
Remained c! the once thrifty village Of Hancock
was an immense heap Of emeerA enaIitably sov:
eFed win asnK cloud Of smoke 9s small fringe
amonk hicn tne Csinsllc and Methodist charehes''
s.; Pst1ieks and Masonic Halls loom up NE
monuments MARKING inc gfoses OF tnc1r nelghDors,
he sent tSs ase o Sasd and force ppps the
warchoases md docks an he 20 QUINCY stsmp mIj Iii
Ss qoM so q Sans @ e9 tDD
lne, i seemed scarcely possible fo save W even n
Ra scrs &c bsat ~ @ e ssea
at considerable fis1 the people continued to keep
T. The ground burned over Is estimated at twelve
| acres On which were situatei ore hundred ami
ffty hnij1jncH of which ian wprp nse5l nqi wei,inus
IN xhoIe nr 9n nsyt Ererv ssnra In ihs fovn 1rS
| consumed hut with fTyn a. fhrrc rvccntfona wara
TuiiT ins1,Te1 md m 1e.rtrnent eTna1,anna5d ~,
! yonu thar Of rcmporarT inconyenenee
AZ the 1rst, when We Consider The ereat mum.
| her Of families thrnm mt nf hnuse and hntne
their Ens Urent fror mat t11era 1ron1f h rnnr2
ifesfftnfinn AMI snfrr-tnV ammo .he nnnrer cinSa
and our neon1e with their 11snsi nromntttnde se|
| ahouf nrnTijinr fnr their fmmf,ifata wants 4
nublic meeting Tas called ior WontlaT. ami vacant
houses at the mines near by were ntace1 at tn III
porarv seiter go plentifnIly thai by ncht ali Terf
Most disr rarefn1 srpnes oc,ur7e3 ea,1r il, ths
evening n15d A. ntoNt E1,st thaTa Esaa ~ sa s.,i
amount Of druufenness ouI 1chting. and al he
NIGHT set IN th,eTinT IN eserr 11.9sr ru 2har.
FOODS ot pfopertv We're ~ dcnesi,e9d eammence m1
an was cartel on in the hoiest manner sihfe
to an enormous extent despIte fthe wntchfuIness
nf eyrrthnir IL Ve1nraj1y co!,raS,ai sh.t staIs
we're more goods stolen than we're lost bY the Ore
fot 9ne pasf t"o Gay Shet7H Foley and his assist
RD{S nave been out with search W1fTunES, ant
i D6ft secured EDGI3 anu furniture lT fOA1S
| The tales are TINT khey were left bT Hgofnehndy
and had not before been called for:
three ~ and 2esTa M u 1
tlt1pn, an after visiting oil the families reporte,
eney M aodaa ea ie q No s that
| would be much gutYerinR. but on Bang moro care
Ia!iS oons1eEcd @ L became s.itent there vas oa
na;rad de1A "~n" 1aeAono"A19 HeeslAns "eSe II
@'''s1' .cu,c.oo anr1 II