St. Paul daily globe., 1891-05-18
MUSHROOMS GREAT Loss.
Property Destroyed to the Extent
of Over Half a Million.

MUSBEGoN, Mich, May T.-Light
from the smouldering ruins of yester-
days nre Illuminated the heavens for
miles around, until the early hours of
this morning. Firemen continued to
battle the flames till daylight,
when they were practically extin-
guished. Men, women and children
continued to search in the neighbor-
hood of their recent happy homes for
what might have escaped fire and water.
People whose homes were saved stood
in their doors and welcomed rich
and poor alike, providing quar-
ters until others could be Sc
cured. There was open-hearted
sympathy on every hand. and all the
homeless ones were provided with shell
ter. In few cases homeless people
slept out of doors in tents. AS yet there
is no general movement looking to the
raising of funds for the distressed, but
that will be done tomorrow as soon as
the excitement subsidies somewhat.
There is room for much charitable
work, as many of the poor families are
destitute.
Muskegon's water system held out
well, but the high winds from the
north baffied all efforts of the firemen,
and the buildings caught and fell like
chaff before the wind. All the stores
except eight were of frame and two
stories high. None of the safes have
been opened, so it is not known
whether valuable papers are saved.
The most costly building burned was
the stone court house. 1t WAS of brick
and stone, and contained the jail. sher-
ifs residence, the Offices of the treas
urer. clerk. judge of probate, register.
and the rooms of the circuit court. 1t
was valued at $4,000 and insured for
$4,000. The large vaults, containing
all the important documents, are sup
posed to have stood the ordeal.
A call has been issued, and the board
of supervisors will meet next Tuesday
morning to arrange for the immediate
erection of new court house. and ar
range also for temporary quarters for
the county officers. The Daily Chroni-
Gle has started relief fund for the deS-
titute, and sums forwarded that paper
will be acknowledged and turned over
to relief committee, to be expended
among the destitute.
One thing over which all people re-
joice is that no human lives were lost.
A large number OF horses. cows, ETC.,
which were in barns could not be saved.
Several explosions occurred in burning
buildings, but no one was injured, al
though several firemen had their hands
and faces so seriously Scorched that
they had to be removed.
The latest estimates place the loss at
nearly three-GuarterS of a million dol
lars, with insurance for only about
one-third that amount. Forum ately
the fire did not reach the district of the
city occupied by the large business
blocks and manufactures. but many of
those burned out were poor people who
have lost their all.
The section burned is about three
fourths of mile long and two blocks
wide and contained twenty blocks. In
this entire territory not building was
saved. The city is poorly provided
with means for fighting fire, and but
for timely change in the direction
of the wind at the mercy of the
flames. A striking illustration of
his was the $4,000 court house. On its
top was cupola, and it was there that
the fire was started by flying spark
while yet the fire was two blocks away.
No attempt was made to save 1t, and
one would have been useless, as the
water pressure was not sufficient
to throw stream to the top
story. The insurance upon the
building and furniture amounts to $780,
0G0 in the following companies: Home,
Continental, Phoenix, Liverpool and
London, German, Providence, Wash
ingtOn, Orient and Guardian
Rents have much increased since yes
terday, and tonight there is not a va
cant house in the city. Fully 1,5e0 peO-
pie have been rendered homeless by
the ire, and hundreds are temporarily
billeted upon more fortunate citizens,
who iii humanity have turned their
homes into barracks.