Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-07-18
Rebuilding of the Burnt
District Commenced.

Wednesday afternoon, July 18th,
1888. will be long remembered by the
citizens of Alpena. Then it was that
the fire fend swooped down on the
Third ward, gathered large portion
of the residences in his frey grasp,
and in one short hour had brought
sorrow and restitution to from one
thousand to fifteen hundred persons /;
had turned over two hundred families
out of their comfortable homes, and
left in place thereof, heaps of ashes,
destitute families, and hideous ruin.
On the banks of the mill pond,
about one mile and half from the
mouth of the river, on the north side,
is small ravine, some ten feet deep.
In this ravine the edgings and other
refuse from the lumber mill of III. r.
Morse are burned. Some twenty rods
from the ravine, and toward the bust
ness part Of the city, is an immense
pile of sawdust, under which was a
large amount of slabs, edgings, etc.
This pile is from six to ten feet deep,
and several hundred feet long. The
sawdust is piled there for the purpose
of burning it in the winter time, and
that has been the practice for years.
The pile burns all winter, often CIV
ing the citizens disagreeable dose of
smoke, which would envelope the
greater part of the city. This saw
dust pile was not set on fire by Mr..
Morse, last Wednesday. 1t was his
intention to burn it next winter
1t was to Mr.. Morse's interest, and for
the protection of his mill, lumber,
etc, that the pile should not be on
fire during the summer season.
During Wednesday afternoon last,
gale of wind was blowing from the
northwest, travelling at times at We
locity of &c miles per hour, by the L.
S. register. The wind travelled d.
rectly from the ravine where the slabs
were burning, towards the big saw
dust heap, and then over the central
portion Of the Third ward. Between
the ravine and the sawdust pile there
is road covered with sawdust, de.
posted by the mill carts, and it seems
to us, from a personal examination af-
ter the fire, that sparks from the
burning slabs in the ravine must have
set Gre to the sawdust on the road
and then Travelled to the sawdust
heap. The sawdust heap Is bounded
on the city side by the railroad, aud
near by were the pump-house, the
round-house, the turntable and the
water tank A large fire commenced
The fire department was sent, and, in
addition, the steam fire engines, as
the fire was beyond reach of the wa
ter works. The round-house caugh,
fire and was burned down; a residence
occupied by man named Brown, and
the. Morse boarding house, a short dis.
lance nearer the city, also caught OF
fire and were consumed, together with
a long shed reaching nearly to the
big barn of Mr.. Morse. From thi'
point the settled part of the city, OF
the north side of the river, commences
About this time the residence of r
Leavesley, on Fletcher street, neal
the pulp factory, caught on fire, bu
was soon controlled by the fire de
partment. The next fire after th'
boarding house caught, was inside The
residence of John Watson, 619 Wal
nut street. No sign of fire was to b'
seen outside the building. 1t was dis
tant about one block from the board
! ing house. A block distant from tn,
Watson residence was the house o
Louis Dorwel, OIL Long Lake avenue
and a pile of ashes mark where !
stood. A little nearer the CITY, Oh
| Pine street, was small new house
unoccupied. IL was the third hous'
burned after the boarding house wa
on fire. Fire was now breaking on
ip numerous places, and although tn,