Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-05-18
FIGHTING THE FLAMES.
Michigan Visited by tho Most Disay.
trous Jonilagraiion in Her
Whole History.
Millions OF Feet or Valuable Lumber
Destroycd-The Lake Turned Into
Sea OF Roaring Flames.
Fierce Forest Fires Raging Human
Efforts Exhausted Rain Alone
Can Stay the Demon.
A SRA or rLAMEs.

DETROIT, MICH, May IT, A special
nom 0scoda, Mich, dated last night,
says; AT . o'clock this afternoon fire
was discovered In Il. II. Thompson Il
Co.'s mill, The Dire was In the lum-
Der docks In close proximity 20 the
steamer Oscoda and her tow, which
were loading mt the time. The flames
spread quickly.
Al p. M the fire had been checked,
but not before 5000, 00O feet OF lumber
at an average value OF about $50 per
1000 had been destroyed.
The loss on the docks Ia between
$50 900 and 100000, and falls on eight
different owners.
AT the time the fire on the Thomp.
son dock had been cotton under con-
troll, fire broke out In the docks
of the Ausable Lumber COM
ppny, one,quarter OF mile
distant. On these docks are
about l5,000,000 feet Of lumber, and
at o'clock there is apparently no
chance to save any OF the lumber or
the mill with the present protection.
The mill Ii valued At 800, 900.
The lighthouse Ia now burning, and
but short distance across the bayou
are the docks Of j. 10, Potts Salt
and Lumber company, con-
tanning about 10000, 900 more feet
Of lumber. The chancea are against
saving any OF this. The river IL lined
with lumber from It's mouth 10 the
main portion Of the Ausahlo docks and
there are grave approximations 90 TO the
safety OF the village. Two engines
frnNn A inanu "A n tItn
more from Bay City will start soon.
This IL without doubt the most disas-
trous fire that ever visited Michigan.
LATER-Jhe fire on the lumber docks
Of the Ausablo Lumber company and
OF Thomp son IL Co. were partially
under control at II o'clock. Az S
o'clock the wind which had been
blowing gale from the south veerod
10 the west and greatly lessened the
danger TO j, E. Potts q Co.'s
dock, The only fire. protection
the Ausable company has IL "A hand
engine. However, IL Ia thought that
the flames can be controlled unIIl tho
arrival OF help from Alpena. That the
winds continue To blow from the west
Is the one hope OF pafety. Bay City
has refused TO furnish help. Two mill
lion feet of lumber were thrown
into the river from the Ausablo
company's docks, and as IL
passed the burning piles II caught fire
and was carried out into the lake,
which Is covered with Ppots OF flames.
This burning mass drifting
about for time greatly endAn.
gered the docks In Oscoda, but the
change OF the winds stopped all dam
ger In this direction, SO far, about
1000 600 feet OF lumber have
burned on the Ausable
company's docks. The fire has not
yet been put out, but a seething mass
OF flames, covering several acres, lights
up the surrounding country. So far NJ
known there was no Insurance on the
lumber destroyed, aud none II report
ed on the Ausable company's docks.
| The machinery has been all removed
from the Ausable Salt and Lumber
oompany's mill. IL Is thought the
loss may be larger than II appears to-
night, but nothing definite can yet be
| stated