Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-04-16
CRIMES AND CASUALTIES.
A MILLION DOLLAR FIRE.
One thousand Men Out OF Employment, and
400 Persons Homeless.

One of the most Observation-Disclosures OF
the wear visited Lacrosse, Wis, on the morn
ing of April 4. The fire broke out in John
Paul's mill aud swept southwark destroying
the mill and several thousand feet OF lumber
belonging To Mf. Paul. Thence IL swept 10
the yards and mill Of c. l.. Coleman, destroy
ing everything To the river bank and for two
blocks south. All the steamers were brought
into service, and all the power that could be
obtained from the mill pumps, the city water
works, and the local hydrants. The scene
about became thrilling. Thousands OF people
thronged the streets, the sidewalks and the
housetops 10 witness the greatest aud most
destructive conilagratiOn that ever broke out
In Lacrosse. The fire originated from a spark
from the mill stack or from the furnaces and
ia an instant the blaze grew into a roaring
coniagratiOn. In II minutes The mill was
doomed and in half an hour IL fell in ruins
with all lis splenid machinery There was no
staying the progress Of the flames, which Jump
ed To the or, AT piles Of lumber, and IN an hour
made "a seething sea of flames against the heat
OF which no fireman could stand The wind
was blowing fresh from the north.
At noon the situation had become appalling.
The flame, were still moving steadily south
west. All efforts To stop the flames at Cole
mans mill proved futile That immense
structure was soon a mass Of fire. The great
planning mill adjoining was also caught and all
the adjoining property was threatened. The
workmen and the fire department then turned
their attention toward Cass street, where q
lblft OF men were put 10 Work 10 tear Gown
the lumber piles that the flames might be
stopped there, All hope OF saving the mmc
diaie property was abandoned. A train OF
thirteen box ears belonging 10 the Milwaukee X
st. Paul road was threatened: eight Of them
were consumed.
At 1870 it was evident the fire was gaining
ON the men. At O'Clock II was evident that
the large factory OF Sergclke, kohlhaus a. Co
was doomed The blaze broke out in the store
house of the sash factory on Second street,
! L.. g..
in length The frame store house aud sheds
, burned with lightning rapiditN AMI people on
| the east side of Second strict began moving
out at | o'clock. TIE heat became 40 intense on
second street from Cas- street south that the
people were driven from that quarter The
names and smoke lcaped in all directions from
! the y inccnt larI fronting on second street
and tie scene wa not only awful IL appear
ancc but grand In magnitude and extent.
Thousands OF bundles of shingles, window
sash etc, were saved from Scgelkc. kolhaus
! x Co Warcrloms Al . O'Clock the work OF
tearing down the lumber office of Vincent was
commenced In tn hope az checking the rapid
| progress OF the approaching Haincs. The
! flame. gained control of the large warehouse
on I ass street OF Scgelke kulhau, X Co.. and
progressed rapidly de- pitc the work of the fire
| men and hundreds of citizens who worked very
hard and faithfully. II soon became evident
| that the building on Cass a well as those
! fronting on Second street were doomed By
/
| emptied o. the mammoth stock OF worked lum-
Der. The last few piles Of lumber on Cas-
! street adjoining the sash warehouse did not
take fire until nearly o'clock, so thoroughly
| had they been soaked with " tter The wind,
| too, since II O'Clock was very favorable. hay
| ing changed from directly southwark 10 east
| asa northeast A. the fire progressed people
| began moving from their houses. As far as Third
| street The fire kept raging on Ferry street
and Progressing rapidly Cocman's lumber
I In .lg tf lf p. 4
| The yard near the sheds, filed Wit hundre l.
| of cords Of fire wood owned by james Vincent,
caught at o'cloc, and burned rapidly, the
| wood making intense heat. Mitchell 5 Gle
ydtOr and ice houses now became IA danger.
| ana desperate worN was done o. save them.
| The department Of :; aria with teamer.
arrived at o'clo X The fire ~ this time
reached to Market street Dwellings were
| falling on all sides. The Sparta engine tapped
! hydrants and went h. work The fire al .
| O'Clock had swept over five blocks, rom JAY
! street 70 Ferry street. and the flames showed
| no signs Of stopping until they reached the
! river AZ the southern extremity of Second
| street. The Niuona tire department arrived
| at half past one aud went to work Ielc-
| grams were received from Portage stating the
company was on be va, from that ~ At
! O'Clock all buildings west of Third street
! were threatened and many OF them had al
! ready succumbcd 10 the flames.
On The island 700 men, with buckets and
several streams from steamers were at work 10
| save the lumber. The fire wa completely
under control by 2:30 o'clock. The depart
ments from Winona MINI. ami sparta. Wis,
! rendered excellent aid. Engines from 81.
! Paul an Minneapolis were ready 10 start by
/ special train, but ere telegraphcl to stop. \
| careful estimate Of IN. loss PAGES the total al
| between $4,000 and Sl0JOOOO. Of which. "a
| individual heavy losers &. l. Coleman is the
| greatest, his loss being 100000, with no insur
| ancc John Paul's individual loss Is SlaOOOO;
| insured
! blocks which included two Of the larges -,
! lumber yards in Wisconsin and com eighty
small houses. / ully 1000 men are thrown out
| Of employment and 400 persons rendered
! homeless. IL is hy far the most destructive
tire that ever visited Lacrosse, an but for a
! favorable wind the entire southern portion Of
the city would have been swept away.