The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1872-11-23
Large Portion o! the Business
Centre Destroyed.
An Area of Seventy Acres
Burned Over.
The Loss from B8O,0oO,oo0 to
s1oo,ooo,ooo
Detailed Account OF the ORIGIN and EX-
tent of the COnnagrati0n.

last evening, fire broke ont In the rear
end of five story granite building,
Nos. 81, 80 and 81 Summer street, di-
rectly on the corner of Kingston street
This building WAS surmounted with q
high Mansard roof, overlapping all
other buildings In that immediate vi
clnlty. Directly as the flames began to
spread through the story beneath this
roof, and before an engine or hose car
riage was on the ground, great volumes
of flame suddenly burst out from the
rear of the lower stories OF the build
ing, and in less than twenty minutes
the whole broad facade extending fully
one hundred feet along Livingstone
street, was one sheet OF flame, as was
also at the same time the Summer street
front, the heat being SO intense as to
force the firemen away from that i'm
mediate vicinity.
BY this time strong wind had sprung
up, the flames began to sweep over Sum.
mer and Kingston streets, and, despite
all the exertlons OF the firemen in every
branch of the department., the fire was
communicated to buildings on the OPP
poslte corner of Kingston and Summer
streets, as well as to the great block on
the corner of Summer and Otis streets,
and IN less than half an hour the flames
were bursting ont of the roofs and all
up and down the broad sides of the
immense structures. by this time the
wind had increased TO nearly a gale,
and the flames having entire mastery
OF everything, swept from story to
story, from roof to roof, from block to
block, and from corner to corner, driy-
ing the tiremen from every vantage
ground they could secure, and render
ing all their eXertions useless.
Wherever the flames reached they
rapidly consumed everything of n
cOmbustlble character. The large block
on the corner of Sumner and Kingston
streets, III which the fire first started.
was occupied on the first and upper
floor by 1lbbitts, Baldwin and Davis,
dry goods iobbers. 4. X Young and
Co., occupied the third and fourth
stories as mandatory for stays and
corsets, employing about 200 men.
The second floor was occupied by Dam
on, Temple and Co, furnishing goods,
etc
Notwithstanding this great building
was IN almost an incredibly short space
of time completely levelell to the
ground, its destruction had moi pro
gressed far before theitiames and srarks
which rose from it had lodged upon all
the buildings around about. Thus the
ire spread almost instantly in three
directions, first to the adjoining block
on Summer street, to the opposite side
of the block, and then to Kingston
street. In the first named direction
the adjoining building was occupied nv
LELAND and Wheelock. gents furnish
ing goods, and Sawyer, Mansfield md
Co, importers of dry goods. The next
are Eager, Bartlett and Co, wooden
goods; O. Is. North and Son, hats caps
and furs; next Farley, Amedcn and Co,
dry goods iobbers; ard Rhodes and
Ripley, wholesale clothing. The latter
firm owned the building
The structure at the opposite point
OF starting was of granite, four stories
and half high, occupied largely by
Mayflin, Mullen and EIms, dealers in
trimmings, who used the entire lower
floor. Harding Bros. ard CO, and
Garter and Gu, occupied the upper
floor. From this building across the
square dIagonally was stone block
occupied by Smith, Rice and Corton,
and Geo. NJ. Glazier, dealer in corsets
and ku1t goods On the corner of Otis
and Summer streets stood the Everett
block, an imposing granite structure
owned the Everett estate. It intlud.
ed Nos. so, 81, IS, SO, so, 90 and Ga
Summer street, and was occupied by ID.
Lyons and Co., Neil Brothers and Drew
fus, Phillips and Shuman, c.. G. King
and Co, and Mari Brothers, dealers in
clothing, furnishing goods, fancy goods,
trimmings, &c The upper floors were
used mostly as Offices, and occupied by
various parties,
Now the fire began to Green steadily
up both sides of Summer street, crawl
ing along from roof to roof opposite
Everett Block. The buildings as they
were engulfed In rapid succession, were
as follows Bricks 100 feet front oc-
cupied by A. Folsom and Sons, floor
cloth, oil and oil cloths, and Geo. II.
Butler, hair goods, and Eugene Chaplin,
commission merchant. The granite
block, Morse; Hammond and Co.
hosiery and gloves, Stiles, Belts and
Somcrs, wholesale clothing; S. Klous
and Co., hats, caps and furs; Strucker
Bros. and Co, bat and cap manufac-
turers, Gyman and Arklay, imported
goods and linens, Ewing, Wise and
Fuller, linens and white goods, Roth
well, Suther, Potter and Co, clothing;
Mitchell, Green and Stevens, clothing.
At this time, about 10 O'Clock, flames
burst from the top of the buildings on
Arch street, a dozen doors removed
from Summer street Almost before
the existence OF flames In this quarter
was known, they had spread down
through the building and were burst
ing IN perfect torrent from all the
windows in front of the fancy goods
store OF Hawley, Folsom & Martin. The
fire spread to each side, envelopinc the
stores of Thos. KELLEY & Go. ID. Nj.
Hogdcn, clothing, Marsh Bros, Pierce
y Co, Merser, Beai & Hack, all of
which We're quickly blazing. At 1OI
o clock the whole roof of the Everett
block was sheet of flame, sending
high into the air column of fire
smoke and lurid sparks. This GAINED
perfect control OF the Everett Block.
The lire stretched It's arms across mar
row Arch street, and moved rapidly up |
5owards Washington street.
About eleven o'clock the scene in
Essex, South Federal, and
'ther streets in that immediate neigh
Dorhood, WAS one of the sadGest of the |
night. Hundreds OF men, women and
'hldren were hurrying along, laden
WITH every variety of household goods.
Semnd them roarinn Hanne m.rn In