The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-09-11
ONLY ASHES REM AIN.
A GREAT FIRE VISITS CLEVELAND.
sixty Acres Burned Over, Causing u Loss
Roughly Estimated at $4,000, 900
Compelled Ia Call for Aid from
Other cities.
mAMFs IN THE ponnsr CRY.


sparks from tug set fire early In tho
evening, TO u pile Of shayIngs from
which tho flames spread until Pory &
Co.'s extensive lumber yard was In
blaze, The fire continued 10 extend,
detylng all efforts OF the iiremen. The
lumber yards OF Potter, Blrdsall q Co, and
O. q, King Il Co, were also consumed the
Variety iron works Stanlcy's candle
factory and part OF shorwln, Williams 70
Co + yarnsh works burned and tho conla.
grafton threatened 10 become still more
extensive. About ten acres OF lumber and
frame uIdIngs we're ailamo at ono time,
ard huge clouds OF smoke thckly studded
with blazing clnders, were blown by tho
changing wind for miles, causing intense
excitement lest tho myriOds Of sparks
should kndlc llros In. every direction and
perhaps lay waste q large part OF tho city.
| At $40 tho fro was confined 10
an Mea Of two hundred feet square, and In
tho midst Of this the flames were sayagely
burning and sending out myrlads OF sparks
and llghlOd pine torches Slowly the fro
gained on tho bremen, sparks being carried
over thclr heads by the wind. These sparks
would SGT fro TO small spot In tho center
OF u pile OF lumber, and, because OF Us
height and tho ilerconels OF tho flame,
nothing could be done until the flame
reached the end OF the pile, when q stream
would he directed that way. The lanes
or alleys were so narrow that II was lm-
possible to got stream 10 play on any but
tho edges OF tho different sections OF tho
lumber
The spot where tho ilre started was built
up OF green lumber put In from the Mchl-
| gan pine woods, and though II would not bo
expected 10 bum well tho heat was so In
tense that tho lanes were soon beyond tho
power oil tho department TO control. by eight
o'clock II was IN alleys 3 and 4, and % tho
area Of burning wood became larger tho
men were forced TO spread out and less
effective work could be done. Al this time
some Of tho liromon were IN tho alleys al
most completely surrounded by fro, and 10
keep thom from burning, tho stream OF
water was directed against them. Nearly
very man was thus wet down and only
thus could they secure comfort AT $3.50
o'clock Carter street became lmpassabe
The owners OF tho Variety iron works
had been on tho root OF their large brick
building for half an hour throwing water
and guarding H., In tho hope that tho fire
might bo kept within bounds Thoy sue
ceeded In putting out tho flames In several
places which had caught from sparks I'm.
I'll the region OF their building became red
hot they were successful In their object,
but at eight clock tho lumber In the yard
Of Q. q, King caught from tho east end OF
the wood In Perry a. Co.'S yard and
soon tho i,0000OO feet In that yard
were In partial blaze The heat along
that side OF Central way soon be-
came too intense for comfort, and despite
tho brisk west wind which had sprung up
the flames crept up In the southorly dlrec'
ton, and very quickly reached the street.
The VOrloty Iron works now caught on tho
roof but these flames were subduod after u
short fight At the same time tho wooden
building n good'sl2od shod belonging 10
Woods, Perry n Co., west OF this had also
caught on tho front side from tho heat of
the burning lumber just opposite, and At.
tontlon was directed 10 that Tho fire.
men were called back 10 tho Iron works
building, and at nlnc o'clock both these
buildings were burning, and tho 0re was
under such headw0y that tho engines which
could be kept In the street were unable TO
cope with IL Much cause OF delay was
found In tho water II was dirty and tho
engines would got cloggod, In this manner
one Of tho engines which had boen throw
Ing stream on tho southwest sld0 OF tho
yard near tho railroad was forced 10 suS-
pond work for u time for repairs
AT nine o'clock tho shops and buildings
from Scranton avenue 10 Woods, Porry "
Co, Il planning mill on Carter street were on
fire, and II looked ~ though nothing could
save them, Ono tiny spark, famed In u
minute into lonplng flames, undId years Of
toll. The fro started In the midst OF lun-
hor and on oil ados therH
was plenty OF tho same dry fuel
Tho flame, shot u hundred foot
Into tho mir md myrlads Of sparks lowered
and llonle mid tho gurc and smoke Tho
awful gr penetrated TO tho flrthormost
parts OF pN city, and the community turned
out ain, 80 IN mltsOo 10 witness the spocto-
Gle. lnoy collected on tho houso'topa
choked MI tho thoroughforcs leading 10 tho
fats and covered tho brows Of the hills.
The lalgo safe In Woods, Porry u Co.'S
ofliCo was rolled out by tho combined
strength Of twenty men and taken up tho
sidewalk TO tho bridge Tho olllcc OF tho
Cleveland Board OF Lumber Dealers,
between Woods, Perry n Co Nnd Potter ~
Blrdsnl, was likewise cleaned out, and by
tho tlmo tho flames reached these throo
Offices there was nothing OF valuo In them
10 burn, Tho structures themselves wWo
reduced 10 ashes In IN Incredibly short
space Of time.
TIiE VERY LATEST REPORT.
CIByELANp, o., Sept 3, II a. mn--rhc
burned district covers sixty acres Every
yestlgo Of property bounded by tho Cuya-
hOga river, tho railroad tracks and Scran.
ton avenue Ia In ashes. Tho fro Is now
under complete control although tho burn.
lng lumber piles mako tho hoat lntonse II
will bo several days before tho fro onn bo
totally oxtingulshcd Tho total loss
win not be for from SabOOOOO, on
witch there Ia On insurance Of 5000, ,000
The fro was tho largest ever known In tho
history Of the city. Not only did private
property suffer- but two thousand feet OF
wharyes were destroyed Tho railroad
companies and telegraph limos aro also suf-
rerers, Tho utmost diligence was used by |
the fro department TO check tho flames, but |
II wns seen from tho start that tho work |
In this behalf was useless, There were
nent and engines from Elyrla,
Akron, Columbus and Delaware, playing |
On tho flames, with two hundred aud iifty |
skilled iromon and two thousand amateurs
engaged In tho task Of saving property A
dozen Of tho most extensive and flourish.
lng business plants were either wlpod
wholly out of existence or soriouely
crippled, and ffty acres OF lumber was do
stroyed, Upward OF fifteen hundred mon
were thrown out OF employment Tho lake,
moro than anything else, saved the business
DDftlon of the CITY, When tho fro crosael
the river short distance west OF Seneca
street u south or southwest wind would
hayo made II impossible to check the sweep
Of Tho flames, and at Quo tino the chances
favored clean awath to tho lake. AT this
season " Tho ycor however, the heating Of
thu ground during the d,y Invariably causes