Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-18
TWENTY SQUARES BURNED.
Fire in Muskegon, Mich, Causes . Loss Of
100000.

Mrskegon, Mich, was visited on Saturday
by confagration that destroyed over twenty
city blocks and caused loss estimated at
$500. 900. Harry Stevens, assistant postmaster,
and son Of Postmaster Stevens, very i'll
with pneumonia and the flames made it neces-
sary to remove him to a place Of safety. He
died amid the crash OF falling houses while
being removed. Two unknown children were
reported at the police Departmental having
persisted in the flames.
A MuskegOn dispatch says: The fire broke
out at 2:3O p. m. in Langwelrs livery barn on
Cay avenue The old frame structure was soon
in flames and flying sparks and burning shin
giles, carried by the strong north wind. almost at
once set fire to the roofs Of score Of old finder
boxes in the immediate vicinity. Soon all the dis
lance between Pine and Spring streets had been
traversed and then the fire settled down to q
southerly course and continued between Spring
and Pine streets to eat everything that lay in
its path.
The flames continued to work their way in
southerly direction, but did not cross over
Spring street. They leaped to the west side
OF Pine street, devoured the Kent block and
three adjoining stores, then the residence of
Fred. Drexilins at the corner of Pine street
and Muskegan avenue, and back of that de-
stroyed the Matthew Wilson house, but was
checked on that side Of the street, and people
Dreathed easier, Tor they saw that the solid
business part Of the city was out of danger
The fire, however, continued its way up Pine
and Spring streets, licking up the many stores
and dwellings, with terrible roaring that
nearly drove people frantic.
After leaving Mort. Watson's house the fire
jumped to the Pine street house. burned that
and IT, +. Cultivate 8 fine residence and con-
tinued 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 fire again jumped across Myrtle street
and took more stores and dwellings on the
west side Of Pine street, and also in one or two
blocks around the back to Terrace street. A
large number of smaller dwellings and build
ings were quickly burned, and then the fire at
tackled the Holland Church, the parsonage and
| the brick school house belonging to the
| same denomination. In the meantime the ire
continued to burn everything between Pine
and Spring Streets and was checked only at
| Isabella street, distance Of ten blocks. In
cluded in the houses burned on Terrace street
| are those of David Mclaughlin, L. A. Fleming,
Wesley +. Woods and John o Hara.
On Terrace street the buildings burned COW
cred a space of five blocks, and the whole num-
Der Of blocks burned is over twenty. The total
number of dwellings, burned is probably three
hundred and fifty. 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 considerably reducing
| further progress of the flames. The total loss
will not fall much below $500, 900, and the in
| surance will come up to $500, 900.