Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-11-28

tom House, etc, Deyonshirc. corner Franklin.
4. Western Onion telegraph aud present Post
Office, state street, near Washington,
3. Old South Church, corner Washington and
MILK streets.
Area OF Fire-Greatcst distance, east and west, II
south, three eighths Of 4 mile. Area In acres, 100.
of the contlagrat:on, by the explosion OF
~gunpowder, was begun in good earnest, the
( shocks shaking the city to it, foundation.
Al d:05 o'clock a most terrific explosion
took place, which undoubtedly did good SER
vice.
At $50 O'Clock the buildings on Devon
shire street were blown to atoms. A deter
mined effort is being made to prevent the
further urogress of the flames northward.
The TrpHScri8t building caught fire just be-
fore four O'Clock, the flames bursting into
the rear, and spreading with such rapidity
that all hope OF saving it was at once dis
PEELED.
At four o'clock this morning the fire ey-
tended from Washington street on the west
to the wharyes on the east, and from MIX
street on the north to the Hartford Il Erie
Railroad bridge on the south, the area Of
burnt district being roughly estimated ut
200 acres.
SO fierce was the march of the flames, and
so irresistible, that the merchants on Oliver
street, when they first were made aware of
the danger, essayed to move their goods, hut
! COllu not, on account III tHt hthl, anu thcIb-
fore they were burned where they were. AT
an early hour In the evening, the State
Printing Office was destroyed.
No one branch of business suffers SO cX-
tremely as the boot and shoe aud hide and
leather trades. The loss here must exceed
greatly the one sustained by the dry goods
%jobbers.
In the early hours Of the morning plumber.
ing became general, and firms who had re-
moved their stocks to places of supposed Sc
curity out of doors, were the victims OF these
predatory ~rascals. Arrests by police became
50 numerous that it was found impossible to
accommodate all the prisoners, and they
were therefore discharged from custody, af-
ter making restitution of the stolen proper
". Contrary to previous reports, all the
dwellings on Kingston street are safe. The
same is fortunately the case on Lincoln
street.
All residences of the Fort Hill Section, So
called, including Gridley, High and Broad
streets, have been destroyed, rendering hun
dreds OF families homeless and destitute.
On Washington street the fire waSchecked
by five o'clock this morning. In a southeriy
direction it had not reached beyond Summer
street. The buildings on the southerly side
Of the latter street remain standing, and
west of them, untouched with the flames,
with the exception of the three nearest
Chaunccy street. These were burned ont,
J. llIilllEI lut nnAlN llllilbCAA DG1A1htliSN hhA
there was no further danger in this direc-
ton.
On Washington street, the building OF the
American Watch Company, OF the north
c~usterly corner of Washington and summer
streets, has been completely Quilted, but the
walls remained. North Of this, on Washing
ton street, on the same side, all were de-
stroyed, as far as the TruaSrrfot building,
though portions Of the walls Of some Of the
buildin rs were left. Both Washington and
Summer streets are filled with bricks, NOR
tar, and huge stones, to the depth OF several
feet.
A portion of the front Of Trinity Church is
standing alone, to mark the location of the
late beautiful edilce.
Before five O'Clock, the fire found its way
across Water street, and caught upon the
wiudow.casings and roof finish Of simmons
Block, in which was the Boston Car Spring
Company's Office, and the Hide and Leather
Bank. and before an hour was passed, the
whole building was cnwrapped. AT a quar-
ter to six the building on the opposite cor
ncr OF Congress street, where was the shaw
NUT Bank and ". L. Lawrence y Co.'S store,
caught, and in ten minutes all hope OF say
ing il was gone, NorthWafa, toward we
~Post'otaee ana stale ktteot Xxx. NV
names anu on hoHoS y. o.'fr 49, ~
: Water WeFe snu' o. lo'sEelt 49, ,,as =
; NJ NJ w All stnre fcII with a crash which sent
~. go,nes Tor boavanv-ord :
spsths, uast = go tnrte dirantIr n~nnosito an
2 y nor.ho~ir co~nor ~ Federal md Mil
Z tne M 49, r. nsraer tnrrerd EIGc
= strSgSs, anu geSau IS ~, 49, hn northons
sna Rao." $3.50 a. ''mp[oJl " ~ az Ma nrfcr
9 T ~ NV ~ 4 n''t rh,ngs win everr
I mos "a = ia ro tnliirr where thSS
. Wv n,tlri4 y. i, bsIf an holr
II MIS- ~ :" -. v.ru
STATE beEonsnIe, Nohsl'Sa, at'u my
d. 1 streets, NtA 1pNElfNs ehlHlts nAIfi Ut q A6
Eierchahalse "as Gonce'meu' pn "ue'l,
and as lar as furniture was concerned, on
foot, for everybody was moving Mn",elcl
was portable. large parry Q! men Mgie
engaged in tearing Gown slRus IN the llclnltS
Of MIX, broao ana Milky streets an" aFouhu
Liberty square nooz
@ The buildings totally destroyed on Devon
shire street, between Milk water streets
:, were the Home Insurance Company EaslefI