Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-08-04
BAY CITY'S BIG BLAZE.
FORTY BLOCKS WERE BURNED.
Losses Estimated at Over a Million DOL
lars-Aid VIII BE Needed for Many Poor
Families-But One Life Lost.
Food for the Homeless.

/
Bay City, Mich, special: The great
conhagration which swept over forty
| blocks of business and residence prop
erty in the south end of the city yester-
| day afternoon completed the work of
destruction at midnight when the flames
had reached the eastern limits OF the
city. At that hour few houses were
still burning, but the wind had gone
down and the local fire department, as
sisted by re-enforcements from West
Bay City, Saginaw and lint, had the
| cophagration under control.
| After the adjournment OF the Common
| Council last evening number OF
wealthy citizens subscribed several
hundred dollars for the temporary relief
| of families whose homes had been de-
stroyed. A committee was appointed
to purchase and distribute provisions.
They Immediately set to work, and,
after purchasing the stock Of several
restaurants, proceeded to the camp OF
| the homeless with couple of dray-loads
Of provisions. Eatables were appor-
toned among the sufferers, and at mid
night, in the glare of flames which
lighted the armament, nearly one thou
sand people partook of the first food
hey had tasted since they ate their
aoQnday meal.
The Scene Oh the commons, where the
! people were huddled guarding the few
| personal effects they had saved. was one
of desolation. Such bedding as had
| been preserved was arranged on the sod
| and allotted to women who had infants
| to care for. To the northward, extend
| ing over half a mile and from two to five
blocks wide, lay a waste OF burning en-
bers where less than twelve hours be-
! fore bad stood hundreds OF happy
| homes.
At the break of day the scene
| changed to one of activity. The men
| left the groups and proceeded to the
ruins in vain attempt t. recover prop
erty overlooked by the flames, while
women and children busted themselves
asserting furniture and securing their
personal effects from the general mass.
| Never did fire do cleaner work than
this one which swept through the city
yesterday. Within the burned locality
not a house is left standing, while
every tree is stripped of foliage and
left bare. Many trees were blown over
by the fierce wind that prevailed while
| the conflagration was at its height, and
which carried the fire brands far to the
east, igniting the woods and the
prairies in many places.
Estimating the Losses.
It will require several days to ascer-
| tain precisely how many buildings were
consumed. The total loss is somewhere
around $1,000,O 900. This afternoon the
most conservative estimate places the
number of houses burned at $50, while
many persons acquainted with the dis
trict declare that fully 500 were de-
stroyed. The loss at Miller & Turner's
e. 4.
| These figures include 10000, 900 feet OF
lumber owned by Joseph Turner and
Spencer, of Fisher. The lumber was
insured for $4,000 and represents a
loss of about $150,000. Albert Miller,
senior member of the firm, loses every
| thing. His fine residence, situated
| on Thirtieth street, lay directly in
| the path of the fire and was reduced
| to ashes within an hour after the con-
fagration broke out. Slower & Larkins,
hardware merchants, suffer to the ex-
tent of $4,000 with $4,000 insurance.
Trisk & Forcia lose a geeeral stock
| valued at $500 A. B. Gould had a
small hotel and five dwellings burned,
all valued at $1,000. George Turner,
s., Boards, j. Kelly, Thomas Reilly, p.
NJ. Whipple, +. H. Mason, Arthur Bar
ker, James Larkin, A. Gosler, Charles
|
| Clarke, Duncan McGregor, Jesse NJ
Miller, William Wright, Samuel Gus
sons, Andrew Miller, Mrs. Crompton.
William Willis, X. Mclaughlin, James
Stevenson, Mrs. Charles Randall, c.. IL.
! Tuttle, A. j. Stanley, Calqin Hewitt, and
! Mrs. Southworth all lose houses running
| In value from 81 900 to SIS, 900. Nearly all
of these parties are insured. The Baptist
Church which was burned was a modest
structure worth $4,000, with light insu-
rance. The Methodist Church was VAL
ued at $5,000 insured for $4,000. A. NJ.
Miller 4 Co., lumber dealers, place their
loss at 100000, with an insurance of
$40, 900. The firm of Miller & Turner
lose on mill, salt blocks, docks, etc.,
100000. They claim to be fully pro-
tected. There were at least $50 houses
destroyed belonging to other parties,
each of which, with their furnishings,
represented 81 900. The majority of the
latter belonged to Polish families, and
as far as can be learned the most OF
them were not insured. Hundreds of
| families whose homes are not destroyed
suffer losses by reason OF removing their
! furniture IN anticipation of being burned
out.
AS always happens on such occasions,
| thieves and burglars were about, ready
| to ply their nefarious calling when op-
portunity offered. Five pillagers were
arrested by the police, and now lie in
the city lookup. So far as is positively
known, no lives were lost. Several per-
sons were seriously burned, but none
fatally.
Relief Needed for the Poor.
A mass meeting OF citizens has been
called, and means will be devised for
affording permanent relief to the home
less. Mayor Linon; of Saginaw, has
offered aid in behalf Of his municipality.
The first fatality resulting from the
fire has just come to light. 1t was
learned that Jesse Nj. Miller, an old
and respected citizen, was missing. A
search among the debris of his dwelling
resulted in the finding of his teeth and
a few charred bones. Lying close by
the remains were several gold coins. It
is supposed that he arrived at his home
to find it in flames, and, rushing inside
10 rescue his gold, he was overcome by
heat and smoke. Searching parties are
going about at present among the ruins,
but IL is not believed that any more per-
sons have perished.