Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-07-30
BAY ciTY's FATE.


BAY CITY, Mich, July e6--Fire
played sad havoc here Monday. 1t
started in the sawmill of Miller &
Turner at . o'clock in the afternoon.
At the time the fire broke out the wind
was blowing gale from the south
west, and in less than thirty minutes
the entire mill was one mass of flames
The fire department responded prompt
ly, but was powerless to com
bat against the flames, which
spread rapidly, leaping across
Water street to the hardware store of
Slower e Larlsin and the grocery of
Richardson &c Nash. From there it
spread in every direction, wiping out
dwelling house after dwelling house
before the inmates could remove their
wearing apparel. The streets were
filed all afternoon with men, women
and children carrying articles from
burning houses.
Over 800 dwelling houses, sawmills,
etc, have been consumed. The Sagi
nav fire department sent what hose
and engines it could spare, and fought
the fire on the south with good effect.
At o'clock D. m. the fire had reached
Broadway and looked as if it would go
across to Fraser. The wind had abated
little and the firemen's work began
to tell One hundred families are
without homes and are being sheltered
by friends
The east side of Water street where
the fire crossed was built up with
stores, hotels and residences. Nearly
all the buildings were built of wood
and burned like tinder. The wind in
creased as the flames progressed and
in an hour the fire had consumed Miller
g. Turner's entire plant, comprising a
sawmill salt blocks, dry-kilns and a
| large quantity of lumber.
The flames had also travelled three
blocks to the eastward, cutting a swath
two blocks wide. At this point the
path of the contlagration broadened
and block after block was swept over
with astonishing rapidity. At o'clock
about thirty blocks had been burned
over, while twenty more were sup
plying fresh fuel to the devouriug ele-
ment.
When the chief of the fire department
first realized the extent of the danger
he telegraphed to Saginaw, Flint and
Detroit for assistance. Saginaw and
Flint responded, each sending an
enging and quantity of hose. Nearly
all of Bay City's apparatus came to
the scene of the disaster and lent
such assistance as lay in the
power of the fremen. But with
hundreds of streams playing on the
fire the flames pursued their course,
licking up house after house, until at s
o'clock upward of 800 dwellings had
been destroyed and the conf1agration
was still sweeping toward the eastern
limits of the city. While the ma.
jority of buildings burned belonged to
working people, many fine residences
have been consumed. Two churches,
four hotels and about forty stores of al
varieties are included among the
structures which have contributed fuel
to the flames.
At 9p. IN. many rumors were afloa
concerning people who have perished
So far as is positively known only ont
death has occurred, that of a woman
whose name was Mrs. Mason. She lay
sick in one of the houses which wa.
destroyed. Before assistance coulc
reach her the dwelling was a seethinl
mass of fire, and the poor creature hat
to be left to her fate. 1t is ais,
reported that her two children wer
burned to death, but the story lack
confirmation. Miller g. Turner, OIL
whose premises the fire started, los
about S150,OOO, mostly covered by in
surance.
| The burned territory presents seen
. n
river, and from TwentyNinth to ThiI
ty-Second is sea of molten fire. Her
, and there are chimneys standin
, specter-l like in the midst of the dyin
embers. Acres of slabs are burnin
brightly and illuminate the scene.
the public park are 900 men, wome
, and children who have been deprive
: of their homes by the devouring ele
= ment. At special meeting of tn
3 common council steps were taken 70
D the immediate relief of the 200 familie
j who have been burned out
ESQ a. m.-By midnight the fir
= was under control, but at this hou
e it is still burning. Owing to the late
:, ness of the hour and the great conf
G sion and excitement consequent upo
|
t ly the amount of the damage causet
e 1t is, however, estimated anywhel
from $1,000, 0)O to $1,000, ,0Oo
S Some of the heaviest losers are
!. Reynolds, shoe store, $1,000; G. c. Be
q be, drugs, $1,000; Gardner & Lair
l. furniture and stoves, $4,000; Slower
IS Larlin, hardware, $4,000; Miller
u Turner, mill and lumber, $3.50, 900; Mi
ler's lumber yard, $4,000; Brlske
n Forcia, general store, Sl5, 900; A. b. Goul
g hotel and five houses, $1,000 The
IS are hundreds of losses unobtainab
II which will amount to from $500 to SIS, OF
l. apiece. 1t is estimated that ut lea
100000 feet of lumber has bee
i burned, two churches, twenty-five
% thirty stores and contents and betwee
IL 400 and 500 homes are in ruins.
a Murdered His Wife and Daughter.
d NASHVILLE, Tenn, July 26 -