The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-07-29

Thirty Blocks at Bay City In Ashes
Loss 81, 900, 900.

LOss 81 ,OOO,OOO.
BAY CITY, Mich. July 26.-Yesterday
afternoon fire broke out in the lumber
manufacturing establishment of Miller g.
Turner, on the west side of Water street,
at the foot Of Twenty-ninth. A brisk
west wind sent the flames across Water
street to the east side. which is PRINCIPALLY
built up with stores, hotels and restau-
rants, most Of which are of wood. With
In an hour Miller & Turner's entire plant
had been consumed. The fire had also
traversed eastward three blocks cutting a
swath two blocks wide. At this point
the path of the confiagration broadened
and block after block was swept over with
terrible rapidity. Flint, Saginaw and
Detroit were telegraphed to for assistance
and Saginaw and Flint responded, each
sending an engine and quantities of hose.
The Work of the Flames.
The fire covered the territory from the
river on Thirty-third street to Mccormick,
north to Thirty-frst, east to Marsac, north
to Thirtieth, east to Broadway, north to
Fremont, east to Stanton, north block
and a half and west to the river, thirty
blocks in all. A strong wind from the
southwest prevailed. In fifteen minutes
the entire row of frame buildings OH Har-
rison street from Thirty-third to Thirtieth,
four blocks, were ablaze Fire companies
no sooner laid hose on Harrison street be-
fore they were obliged to run for their
lives, leaving the hose exposed to the heat
and flames.
Had to Flee for Safety.
Long charred and burning boards were
lifted up bodily by the wind, carried to a
height of 200 feet, whirled around like
feathers and lodged where another fire
sprang up immediately From Harrison
street the fire worked back to Polk, then
to Taylor, then to Webster, to McCor-
mack and Marsac streets, sweeping every
thing before it. The latter streets were
occupied by residents. some of them the
poorer classes, and they were obliged to
hee to places OF safety.
Saving Their Household Goods.
The sun looked like huge ball of fire
through the black clouds of smoke and
was often hidden entirely from view.
Telephone wires were burned down and
communication with the lower part of the
city was cut off. Messengers were sent
out and every available dray, van, or
other vehicle was forced into service, car
rying household goods to vacant premises
out of range of the devouring element.
The wind increased and howled as the
flames leaped from one building to an
other. "Where will it end?" asked all,
and no one ventured an answer. The
course was right to sweep the whole city.
Women ran shrieking through smoke and
fire and half-suffocated children chung to
their mothers skirts.
Help from Saginaw and Flint.
nf cd
Sick and feeble women in some of the
houses were carried out, some of them by
friends, others by strangers and not few
fell in the street overcome by the heat. At
4 o'clock the wind and fire were at their
highest, and at just that time the Sag
nav and Flint fire companies arrived.
They were placed in position for battle,
but it was impossible for them to check
the ravages of the devouring elements.
The heat was so intense that the fire
backed up against the wind on Thirty
third street and set fire to buildings on
thatstreet. The fire departments seemed
entirely helpless, and the only hope was
that with the going down of the sun the
wind would cease. 1t was 6 p. m. before
the fire was under control.
Miles q Turner lose their sawmill and
all the lumber on the docks. The mill
had band saw, two edgers and stave
mill; one gang, one trimmer, one circular.
1t was worth $50, 900 and was insured. The
lumber was worth as much more and was
insured. The lumber was insured at the
end of each week, as fast as manufactured.
The lumber belonged to Joseph Turner
and 5. D. Fischer and was being sawed
under contract.
A List of Nineteen Losses.
The following is list of the stores on
Harrison street destroyed, the loss in each
case being total: Gosler's livery stable;
ID. McDonald's blacksmith shop; the Lux
ton house; Carroll house; Burt Smalley's
saloon; Sydney Doyle's cigar factory;
Charles Adams confectionery; Gus Bot
toms boot ana shoe store; Lambert &
Kempter's barber shop; Richardson g.
Nash's grocery store; Slower g. Larkin's
hardware store; GARDINER & Laird, fur
niture; Richard Gambler, grocery; John
McCarty, saloon; Alvin Martin, harness
shop; Eugene Reynolds, boot and shoe
store; DR.. G. Beebe, drug store; White
House hotel; Albert Miller's unoccupied
store
Some Other Losses Noted.
A. M miller & 20. ran lumDer yaru
along Thirty-second street east from Polk.
IT contained 5000. 600 feet of lumber, every
BOARD of which was destroyed; loss, $780,
900; insurance, 5000.
On Broadway, which was given to busi-
ness houses, John Sebeck's grocery, John
Schrader's meat market and Desham's
grocery were burned. The goods were re-
moved and the loss is on the buildings
alone. Among the better class of dwell
ings destroyed was Albert Miller's, valued
at $4,000, partially insured; G. A. Hewitt,
$1,000; l.. l.. Moore, $500; ID. ID. Clark's
and DR.. Hovey's, each $4,000; Albert Rey.
nolds', 100; Jenkins (Cleveland), 81, 500.
How to Trap Snails.
Snails are particularly fond Of bran.
II little is spread on the ground in the
neighborhood of the place where they
have been ravaging plants, and covered
over with few cabbage leaves or tiles,