Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-12-10

flames from spreading. Shortly after
the mill was all ablaze, something in
side the building exploded with loud
report. One fragment fell in the river
near the bridge. The explosion is
said to have been caused by a barrel
of oil. For about three hours il was
uncertain whether the lumber piles
between the track and river would be
saved, but about seven o'clock the
firemen, by hard work, had got the
flames under control, and by that
time, the mill was in ashes. Between
the mill and track were some ten piles
Of lumber. These got thoroughly on
fire, and, as it is impossible to get
water at the flames in the inside Of q
lumber pile, there was nothing TO be
done but to let them burn, and con-
fine the fire to them. This work kept
the firemen constantly at work all
Saturday and up to one o'clock Sun
day morning. At nine o'clock Satur-
day night the lumber piles between
the track and mill were brightly
burning, and four streams of water
were needed to prevent the fire from
spreading to other piles. The fire
boys had about twenty hours steady
work. Most of the time it was rain
ing but the rain seemed to have no
effect on the flames. The fire depart.
ment did noble work at that fire, and
deserve the hearty thanks of the citi-
zens for their endeavors to prevent a
general conhagaration. In addition
to the ten piles of lumber, some other
piles further up the river got on fire.
One was ruined and the other got bad
ly scorched. A large number of
pickets were also burned.
When the fire had got done its
work, there was hardly fragment of
the wood work of the mill left, and
the place where it stood was almost
covered with iron bolts, pullcys, shafts,
log carriages, wagon tires, car wheels,
spikes, carrier chains and other pieces
of mill machinery. Some nineteen
circular saws. badly burned and twist.
ed out of shape, were scattered at
various places. Some of the big iron
wheels had their arms melted off,
The big fly wheel was broken and
blistered. The gang frame had been
bent over, making a mournful wreck.
1t was destruction complete. The
fire ended when it could find nothing
else to burn.
How the fire caught is a mystery.
The mill had been closed up for some
time. There was no fire used in it, or
any lamps, and as it was raining all
Friday night, the fire could not have
been caused by sparks from an ad-
joining building. The fire must
have started inside and the entire mill
seemed to be ablaze when the alarm
was given.
The mill is in the heart Of the city,
and about it is piled several million
feet of lumber, and it is something of
o wonder that the fire was confined to
such small space. The fire brigade
have good reason to be proud of their
work there.
The mill was worth at least SAC, 900,
and OH it an insurance Of $4,000
had been effected, Of which ST, 800
were in companies of which B. F..
Luce & Son are agents; $4,000 in
companies represented by Seage g.
Kelley, and $4,000 in companies
represented by j. D. Holmes. The
loss on lumber is placed at $500,
and is fully covered by the insurance.
About $4,000 or $4,000 feet Of the
lumber burned or damaged, was own
ed by johnson Il Collins.
After the fire was over large nun.
bers Of the citizens visited the scene,
and it was well worth seeing. The
spectator could see what fire can do
when it gets real mad. They could
see where it had bit into the iron.
gnawing off fragments, as if enraged
because it could get nothing else to
destroy. There was only one thing
it seemed to fear. and that was those
six streams of water that the fremon
were prescribing for it,
The Butterfield mill was ono of the
first mills ever erected in Alpena, If
not the first. In 1859, Messrs. Smith
& Chamberlain built the first steam
saw mill in Alpena, and it was in
running operation by August of that
year. 1t occupied the place where
the Butterfed & Cradle mill stood.
That first mill was burned down in
the spring Of 1864, but was rebuilt
the same year, and the writer worked
in the mill in June of that year-Geo.
N. Fletcher then owning it. The mill
stood until last Saturday morning
when it cremated at the age of lit
tie over 20 years. The Minor Lum-
Der mill was erected in 1860. In