The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-05-18
MUSHROOMS BIG BLAZE.
ANAREA OF TWENTY BL OCKs
A MASS OF RUINS.

The Total Number of Dwellings Burned
35o-The Loss 100000 and the In
surancs $3oo,ooo-Two Children
Perish in the Flames-The Postmas-
ter's Sick Son Dies While Being Re-
moved.
MUsKEGoN, MICH, May 17.-Neyer in
the history of Muskegon, not excepting the
severe confagration of 1874, has there been
such a calamitous visitation of the fire
fend as that which swooped down on this
city Yesterday. The fire broke out at 2:3O
o'clock in the afternoon in Langwell's livery
barn, on Bay avenue. The old frame
structure was soon in flames, and flying
sparks and burning shingles, carried by
strong north wind, almost at once set fire to
the roofs of a score of old tinder boxes in
the immediate vicinity.
SWEPT SOUTHWARK.
Soon all the distance between Pine and
Spring streets had been traversed and then
the fire settled down to a sQutherly course
and continued between Spring and Pine
streets to eat everything that lay in its path.
The flames continued to work their way in a
southerly direction, but did not cross over
Spring street. They leape5 to the west side of
Pine street, devoured the Kent block and
three adjoining stores, then the residence of
Fred Drexilians at the corner of Pine street
and Muskegon avenue, and back of that
destroyed Matthew Wilson's house, but were
checked on that side of the street, and the
people breathed easier, for they saw that
the solid business part Of the city was out
of danger.
RoARED LIKE A MIGHTY FURNACE.
The fire, however, continued its way up
Pine and Spring streets, ioking up many
stores and dwellings with a terrible roaring
that nearly drove the people frantic. After
leaving Mort Watson's house the fire
jumped to the Pine street house, burned
that and G. F. Outhwaite's fine residence
and continued its course on the west side of
Pine street, destroying every store on that
side of the street and also three houses on
Walton street, but here the fire was again
checked from spreading westerly.
THE COURT HOUSE ABLA1E.
The court house, built in 1859, three
story brick building, was seen to be on fire
The sheriff Immediately took possession of
the prisoners, twelve in number, and con-
veyed them to the city hall lookup. There
was a stampede and the papers were quickly
hustled into the large hre-proof vaults. All
the papers are supposed to be safe. Judge
Dickerman lost about half of his fine library
and others also lost good deal in personal
way. All that remains of the large court
house is the bare walls.
PINE STREET AGAIN INVADED.
The fire again jumped across Myrtle
street and took more stores and dwellings
on the west side Of Pine street and also one
or two blocks around back to Terrace
street. A large number of smaller dwell
ings and buildings quickly burned, and
then the fire struck the Holland church,
the parsonage and the brick school house
belonging to the same denomination. In
the meantime the fire continued to burn
everything between Pine street and Spring
street, and was only checked at Isabella
street, distance of ten blocks.
TWENTY BLOCKS OF RUINS.
On Terrace street the buildings burned
covered space five blocks, and the whole
number of blocks burned is over twenty.
The total number Of dwellings burned prob
ably is $50. By O'Clock the fire had
reached the southern district Of the city,
where there was more space between the
houses, and the firemen succeeded In con-
sderably reducing the further progress of
the flames. The total loss will not fall much
below $50G,00 and an INSURANCE man
last night estimated that the insurance viii
come up to $500, 200.
THREE LIVES LOST
Sau AnclQenp connected Win the nr0
was the death of Harry Stevens, assistant
postmaster and a son of Postmaster Stevens.
he was very Ill with pneumonia, and the
names made it necessary to remove him to
apace of safety. He died amid the crash of
falling houses while being removed.
Two unknown children are reported at
the police department as having perished in
the flames.
FLAMES AMONG DRUGS.
>, MEMPHIS, May 1.-THE stock of Van
Vleet & Co., wholesale druggists. was
damaged to the extent of $50, 900 by fire to-
night.