Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-05-21
BIG FIRE At SAGINAW
Burned Assa Over Q Mils lsNa
and Four Squares W,dA
LAsse LanhsS s7an0 "a llaay -.
se0s assA0sacs nsssseSs1--ooo
HAAaliO 0oneas0 e. HnHnnn

SAGINAW. Mich. Nay 0.-aagiasu
wss visited this aftsrnoca by the vcese
taptism a IRE IL ever expsrsAncsd II
Vas hrst discovered IL the mall plant a
Sample 4 Camp. oa What 10 kncwn -
the Middleground. south u the Brissol
street bridge. !use bcfore Z e'clock. and.
owing to the strong southeast gale pro.
vaiiing. II spread rapidly. setting fre 10
and destroying 10000 feet a iumbes
on the mill docks owned hy hroxn 4
Ryan. valued at $500 The Br,ssna
street bridge next caught and portion
~ II was destroyed. Theno~ the f.smes
leaped to the east side. Just below Bris-
tol street anu north - the city hall.
where were located large number of
buildings including hose house No 6. J.
=. Winklers ice houses. oil the resi
dences on filden street and or both
sides II Washington avenue down 90
Holden street were qsicki, licked up.
Then the sparks were carried across
the old bayou into the premises os the
George L. Cross Lumber company. the
planning mill. lumber in the yard and
dozen tenement houses melting like
snow.
Whole Blocks Destroyed.
Next came the Arlington Curtis
Manufacturing compsnys extensive
plan, and Pa-solts odd soap factory. ell
of which were wiped out Here the fire
struck Jefferson avenue and IN an hour
some of the finest Residences M The city
were an the ashes. the sweep being clean
north Ia Emerson street, where the fire
fls.a - . II.
Emerson street out toward the city
llmits- II cut wide swath on Owen,
Howard. Sheridan and Warren avenues.
and other streets east 81 Vincent's
Orphan home succumbed early. tut the
inmates were removed 10 places of
safety. The patients wer. at removed
from ST Msrys hospital. which was in
extreme danger for time. but which
was saved.
The loss ~ the Abingdon Curtis com.
pany will approximate $4,000, that q
the Cross Lumber company s3S.00O and
r.. 6ermains planning inill factory and
l2.o0.oOo feet ~ lumber. k3sso.00. The
area covered toy the fire was a mile and
half in length and from two 90 four
blocks IN width. A large number 81 fine
residences were destroyed. over forty
having been burned that co<t from
5000 To Gb.0o0 each. IL 10 estimated
that over 30 families are homeless 20
night, and many II them saved nothing
but the clothing on their bscka
One Man Bus1e<.
John Clarke. AN cmploye ~ McCieli.
an's file factory. WAS found burned to q
crisp in front u his reeldenoe on Owen
street One fireman named McNally
was severely injured and many people
I were burned and bruised. A dozen are
reported missing. but when the excite
mcni is over they may turn up all right.
IL IN impossible tonight 20 attempt a.
enumerate individual loe~ce. hut close
estimates place the total loee AT ei SO
Up with an insurance of lees than
half that amount
Among the residences destroyed were
those - =. II. keicham which was
worth 10000 and contained ecn.0D
worth ~ hne paintings. Frank Plumb.
Dr. Helen Brooks. George Grant. Henry
Passoli. Judge l.. C. Holden and fully
20 other houses
Burncst Thvv~ HouvN
For three long hours the element
licked up cottage homes snd more ele.
giant residences. lumber piles and manu-.
featuring plants with relish.
The cloud. email M first gradually
spread until II east its shadow under
which hundreds rest tonight. rich and
and poor alike being homeless. ard most
all being obliged 10 accept shelter
from friendly Deighiors The lo~e is
difficult to estimate. but will reach some
where IN the neighhorboori - 81 f.pOn
The extent al territory which was
burned ~ about twenty five squares. and
includes large portions - the SIXTH and
seventh wards This territory Was swept
nearly clean - cver, hulld,ng. he
sIdes this Ldvard ccrma,ne . hie factory
employing sp men. and one or two fac.
tories outtide - this district we're d.
s;royed. The wind was blowing = gale
In a northcas;cfly direction. The spa Il 9
we're hlovn 10 almost Ircrcjibie die
tancc& and new tros started up IN
1ozen places at once Fr q
long time the fremco fought without
making any apparent headwsy. and IL
became necessary 81 send a., aid In ka,
City and Flint The fire departments
90 these p,scee arrived hy ryeciai srsir
and did good work with the
local department The cifizens
aiso did much To prevent
the spread - the flames by we'll 90.
ganized bucket Irigsdes CO housee that
we're threatened ~ distance. The
hattie wac kept NJ vieorousl, and ~
them until the famcs ~-emed to t>
under control. though number Il
buildings are still burning
Tuil, 100 men employed IN the Fac.
tories burned are thrown out ~ en- tloy.
men, and hundresls - families srv
homeless.
sovue ~ the 1sps.ra
The heaviest lnases are - foliows
Brown Ryan lur,i.er. - Oco. partly ia
sureei. J y Winklcr. ice houses and
harms. tl5ocn. irsursnc. ssvg. FrHns
Judge. b,s'ei. s3'.on. Juag. Holden. resi
dence and hsrn. tl2op. prnt
pumb. residence. - rp. Mrs
~. Spin1ler. two hrasee e51o
Geo-re y Cro@s Lumber company sac.
4 or. Abingdon. Curtis Manufacturing
c~,fnpang. t1lags. y German. pianins
mil factor, and i20pofco fest ~ lun
l~r sss0Co. =. u. ke,chuu,. hopse an
isarn. 6gfr0. insurance tinpO
Kiriy Blsseiy. residence and fsr
rifu-e. Gyp. W r. Cvy~s
residence. ssno; v. Skinner. r--id~nee
5000. Hurncs J,,bn~on. r~s,ti~nre
t4rso. ". ~ prrs-es. sis 6~eiisnws
tlGpp. Simp@or A Emery. Nv. dwell
4 a. a a. f..ff~