Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-07-26
FIRES WILD RAGE.
Thirty Blocks at Bay City,
Mich. in Ashes.
EIGHT HUNDRED HOUSES BURNED.

The Loss Estimated at S1,ooO,OOO-
Flames Defy the Efforts of the Firemen
Planned by a Brisk Wind They Have
Their Devastating Win-One Bedrid-
den Woman Burned to Death-Frantic
Efforts of the Sufferers to Save Their
Belongings-Some of the Losses De-
tailed.
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 81 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.
Sick Woman Loses Her Life.
But the flames continued to spread in
spite of the efforts of the firemen and at
b O'Clock last night more then 500 build
ings had been destroyed, while the con-
Migration was still sweeping toward the
eastern limits of the city. Most of the
buildings destroyed were the dwellings of
poor people. Many rumors are afloat as
to the number of persons who have
persisted, but so far only one fatality is
positively known. A woman was sick in
an. = 2 l,..l n L
reached her. The entire loss will reach up
wards of 81, Ooo,8 but nothing as to the
insurance can he learned at this writing.
The Work of the Flames.
The fire covered the territory from the
river on Thir'y-third street to Mccormick,
north to Thirty-first, east to Marsac north
to Thirtieth, east to Broadway, north to
Fremont, east to Stanton, north a 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 on Har-
rison street from Thirty-third to Thirtieth,
four blocks. We're 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
Zee to places of safety.
Saving Their Household Goods.
The sun looked like a 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 venture 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