Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1891-05-19
DREARY DISSOLUTION
PATHETIC DEATH OF HENRY STEVENS
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MusKEeos. Mich. May Is Fourteen
squares IA the heart of this city. in
Guiding much of the best business aud
residence property. covering from
thirty ave To forty acres OF ground.
we're devastated Saturday afternoon By
IRE which ceased only because moth
ing remained In its path stores. resi-
denees and public buildings were
swept away like chaff. and when
st last the eonfagration ended
property valued At over half = million
dollars had vanished and hundreds of
people were homeless. A strong wind
Was blowing aud the flames spread
with such appalling rapidity that many
people barely escaped with their lives
Citizens whose houses were not de-
stroyed promptly came 10 the relief OF
the unfortunates. and all found shelter.
Fire started at $50 o'clock in the
street, from some unknown cause, and.
aided by a strong wind. swept away
ten blocks up,Pine street, one OF the
chief business streets Of the city
Then. by sudden shift in the wind.
che flames were driven toward Ter
race avenue. one of the finest residence
streets IN the city, where they de-
stroyed many houses BY O'Clock fire
had reached the southern district OF
the city. where there was more
space between the houses and
the fremen succeeded in con-
siderably reducing the progress
of the flames As the high build
ings burned there was great danger
from flying firebrands and the firemen
were obliged to continually shift their
positions The Grand Rapids engines
were put to work as soon as they ar
rived
The total number of dwellings burned
was BIS. The total loss is S625, 600 The
total insurance is about s275, 900. Many
of the burned places have no insurance.
Hundreds of families are thrust upon
their friends for accommodations
Pine street business houses for ten
blocks were entirely wiped out. Among
the more valuable structures were the
Pine Street house. the Philabourn
block. Eckerman's drug store. Matthew
Wilson's residence, Sedgwick's whole
sale store, McMichaers shoe store,
the Lankawell hotel. The resi-
dences of 5. E. Outhwaite. I. A. Miller,
Peter p. Steketee, Alex. Van Zanten,
Mr. Fleming. James Hutchinson, DIR.
Van Derlaan, K. Mueller. j. X. Brown,
Justice Williams, Reynolds. Danforth
* Behrcn's planning mill and the Ger
man Evangelical church were de-
stroyed. Judge Dickerman lost near
" his entire law library in the court
house Brittou Bros lost their ma
chine shop and half dozen houses.
There was no insurance on them. FREE
quent reports from exploding boilers
were heard Dynamite was used in
some instances TO remove buildings.
Other streets which suffered severely
were Terrace, East Concord, East Hart
ford, East Diana, East Delaware, East
Ionia, West Ionia, Apple and Spring
streets, and East Muskegon and East
Webster avenues
The so, 900 courthouse burned. Pris-
oners in the county Jail, which occu-
pied the basement of the courthouse.
were liberated Several cows and
horses were burned. A largo portion
of the dwellings burned were owned by
mechanics, upon whom the loss will
fall with special weight. They were
generally all insured for about one-half
the value of their houses.
The courthouse will be Immediately
rebuilt All the books of record are
la the vaults and the probabilities
are that they are safe Building
will commence this morning. and
Il Is believed that within six
months almost all the houses will
be replaced. The Morning News has
opened subscription fund, which has
already grown 10 goodly proportions
The fire was under control at Q
o'clock. A number of business men
who were uninsured are penni-
less. but will start again with
assistance already offered. The fire
Is the most destructive known in north
ern Michigan since 1871. when the same
territory in this city was burned over
and the city of Peshtigo was destroyed,
shortly after the burning of Chicago.
Among the sad incidents connected
with the fire was the death of Harry
stevens. assistant postmaster. the son
of Postmaster Stevens. He was very
ill with pneumonia. and the flames
made it necessary 70 remove him 20 a
place of safety. aud he died while be-
ing carried through the streets