The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-05-24
SWEPT. BY FLAMES
The City of Saginaw. Mich. DevaS-
tated by a Confagration.
Three Hundred Buildings Destroyed.
Among Them Some OF the Finest
Residences in the City Loss
Estimated at @1,bOO.000 -
Hundreds of Families
Homeless.

SAGINAW, Mich, May 90 Saginaw
was visited Saturday afternoon by the
worst baptism of fire it ever expert
enced. 1t was first discovered in the
mill plant of Sample &,Camp, on what
is known as the middle ground, south
of the Bristol street bridge, just before
o'clock and, owing to the strong
southeast gale prevailing, it spread
rapidly, setting fire to and destroying
700, 900 feet Of lumber on the mill docks
owned by Brown and Ryan, valued at
$4,000. The Bristol street bridge next
caught and a portion of it was de-
stroyed. Thence the flames leaped 10
the East side just below Bristol street
and north of the city hall, where were
located large number of buildings, In
cluding hose house No and Wink.
ler's ice houses. All the residences on
Tilden street and on both sides of
Washington avenue down to Holden
street were quickly licked up.
Then the sparks were carried across
the old bayou into the premises of the
George f. Cross Lumber Company, the
planning mill, lumber in the yard and q
dozen tenement houses melting like
snow, Next came the Allington-C Curtis
Manufacturing Company's extensive
plant and Passolt's old soap factory,
all of which were wiped out Here the
fire struck Jefferson avenue and in an
hour some of the finest residences in
the city were in ashes, the sweep, being
clean, north to Emerson street where
the fire continued eastward, south OF
and along Emerson street out toward
the city limits. 1t cut wide swath on
Owen, Howard, Sheridan and Warren
avenues, and other streets east Vim.
cents orphan home succumbed early,
but the inmates were removed TO places
of safety. The patients were all re.
moved from st. Mary's hospital, which
was in extreme danger for time, but
which was saved.
The loss of the Allington-Curtis com.
pany will approximate $4,000; that OF
the Cross Lumber Company, eos, 900,
and Il. Germain's planning mill, factory
and twelve million feet OF lumber,
$500 A large number Of fine resi-.
dences were destroyed, over forty hav.
ing been destroyed that cost from IS, ,OOC
to $50 900 each.
The body of George Turner, father-in.
law Of Charles Holland, one of the
leading citizens, was found burned tc
crisp. He was so years old and became
lost in the confusion a block away from
his home.
Fully 1000 men employed in factories
burned are thrown out of employment
and hundreds of families are homeless,
as about 300 buildings were burned
The extent of territory which was
burned is about twenty-five squares,
and includes large portions of the sixth
and seventh wards. This territory was
swept nearly clean of every building.
Besides this, Edward Germans big fac
tory, employing 800 men, and one on
two factories Outside OF this district |
were destroyed. The wind was blow.
ing gale in northeasterly direction. |
The sparks were blown TO almost in. |
credible distances and new fires started |
up in a dozen places at once. For .
long time the iremen fought without
making any apparent headway, and Il |
became necessary TO send for aid TO Bay
City and Flint. The fire departments
of these places arrived by special train
and did grand work with the local de.
partment. The citizens also did much |
to prevent the spread of the flames by
forming good bucket brigades ON
houses that were threatened at dis.
tance. The battle was kept up vigor-
ously and by s o'clock the fire was un.
der control.
Close estimates place the total loss al |
81 500, 900, with an insurance of less |
than half that amount.