The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-05-10
Portage Lake News.
Fire Destroyed Three
Houses at Hancock
Saturday,
started From a Rubbish Fire
nepartments Did GOOD work
a, Important before Judge Hub
beIi-Twin City Notes.


Fire destroyed three houses and dam
soed two Others on Dakota and Han
cock. Saturday afternoon. Two OF the
three burned belonged TO u. Weeben, the
third TO Mrs. Lynch, and the two
nsrtially d estroyed to Thomas Ingram
and stephen Ney. One OF the Weeben
houses. occupied by j. e. Taylor, faced
on Dakota street and the other four were
IN row facing Hancock street, the whole
forming two sides OF the square, and 1t
was inside the block al d among somerub-
h;sb that the fire started. The wind was
from behind the houses. 80 that when the
6remen arrived the rears OF the four
bonses nearest the corner were afire.
Bebind the houses and all close together
were barns, sheds and outhouses and the
small box factory owned by Jerry Lynch,
which, with the fences and wood piles,
made the departments work all the
more difficult and dangerous.
The first water was gotten on the fire
from two lines OF hose laid by the West
Hancock firemen. They approached the
fire from the west end and it was their
work that from the first saved the re-
naming two houses in the block. The
downtown department laid two lines Of
hose from the hydrant at s. M. Bates
corner and they we're directed toward the
fire from Hancock street and also from
time to time wet down the houses direct
" across the street. The fire by this
time had grown to such proportions with
five houses burning that no one expected
but that it would sweep across the street
when nothing short OF the Hancock mine
would nave stayed the flames. A call
had been sent just btfore this to the
Houghton department.
The Hancock men had out all their
hose and it looked TO be an impossibility
to confne the fire to the south side OF the
street. The flames t times would sweep
half way across the street and the men
at the ends of the four lines,of hose would
be hidden by the dense smoke. Several
times did roofs on tn south side OF Han
cock street catch fire. Oneach house was
a man with garden hose putting out
the incipient blazes and keeping things
wetted down, and the es cape OF the whole
neighborhood maybe laid to the fact
that almost every house had this garden
hose TO use.
The firemen worked Saturday in hot
ter place than is ordinarily their lot at a
fire, and it was their bravery in sticking
to their position in the flame and smoke
in the street that finally won out iron
the destroying element. The Houghtor
department arrived promptly after being
summoned and jumped into the block
from behind, However, at the time the
arrived the local department bad settled
the question of the fire spreading. Th'
Quincy department also arrived on the
scene in time to do excellent service II
staying the flames and when the three de
partments got the seven streams on TIT
block the fire was quickly drowned out
The poor pressure was noticeable in TIT
two lines from the hydrant at Bates cor
ner. This is due to there being but
three.inch pipe leading from the Qninc'
street main to it. 1t Is sufficient Tor bu
for one good stream. The pressure wa
all right on all the other lines.
1t was remarkable how quickly afte
the fire was first discovered that J
spread among the outhouses and fastene
on the residences. The usual manner i
which house catches fire is from the II
side when, from want OF draft the sprea
is not so fast. Then, too, an interior fir
can be much more easily fought and cor
fined to the house in which it started.
is different thing when tiremen lind sue
a state OF affairs as was presented Satul
day, when five houses were blazing,
having caught on the outside. Under tn
circumstances the boys did remarkabl
well. Had there been more hose right
the start, 80 that a stream could bay
been spared from the front OF the fire {
flank thu v eeben houses might have bee
kept from being more than badly dan
aged, but as it was the place to go
was right in front and prevent gener'
conHagration.
The corner house owned by y. Weebt
had just been remodeled and was Il
only two-story one OF those burned.
was occupied by the owner downstai
and by Peter Goodreau upstairs; the la
ter had moved in the first oil the wee
Mr. Weeben had $500 insurance. II
house behind. facing on Dakota stree
also owned by MIR. Weeben, was not
sured. The house next the corner al
facing on Hancock street was owned
Mrs. Lynch and occupied by her al
William Craze; 5000 insurance was ca
ried. The next house is owned by Tho'
as Ingram and occupied by Dennis Lyme
There is no insurance. but only the re