The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-09-09
WORST IN HER HISTORY
OwOssO Loses $I75,OOO by
Saturday Nights Fire.
Has Nearly 400 Citizens Sudden
ly Thrown out of Work.
WOODARD FURNITURE WORKS
COMPLETELY DESTROYED.
nUELLER BROS BREWERY, A
100000 WRECK.
GROVE & PAYNE COMPLETELY
BURNED OUT.
OLD LAND MARKS TO BE SEEN
NO MORE.
WOODARD FURNITURE WORKS
COMPLETELY DESTROYED.
nUELLER BROS BREWERY, A
100000 WRECK.
GROVE & PAYNE COMPLETELY
BURNED OUT.
OLD LAND MARKS TO BE SEEN
NO MORE.
Narrow Escape for the Whole Business
Portion of the City.

fNaiioW GSSdpS ioi tHC WuoiS DuSiuSSS
Portion of the City.
For over score of years thoughtful citi-
zens have scarcely been able to pass the
WOodard furniture factory without thinking
of the day to come when 1t was almost In.
evitable that the building would go up
in flames, and 1t is safe to say that the pro-
prietor scarcely ever laid himself to rest at
night without wondering If that were to be
the night when the building would go.
But fortune had singularly favored the old
land mark end no serious blaze was ever
discovered until last Saturday night when
the fire burst out with all the pent up energy
of nearly fifty years of waiting, and as If
maddened at being baked so long, quickly
burst out. In every part of the great old
wooden building, sending its flames and
cinders heavenward and spreading danger
and destruction In every direction with
heat so intense and fury so fierce that no
power under human control could stop it,
The fire was discovered about half past
nine O'Clock, and at the first clang of the
furniture factory bell, now to be heard no
more, every citizen knew that the time so
long feared and dreaded had come In reali-
ty. Quick as the alarm was given, how
ever, it was not quick enough to head off
the flames which seemed almost instantly
to shoot high in the air and to spread over
tho anfira or lo;I
every available hydrant, some lengths only
to be burnt and quickly rendered useless by
the heat. The Silsby engine was got out
and was soon throwing two streams. The
Corunna fire department noby responding
again to Owosso's call for help, made the
run with their fire engine In fourteen
minutes and quickly added two more
streams. But inside of half hour from
the first alarm the familiar outlines of the
old building had vanished forever.
Explosion followed explosion as the fire
licked up different supplies of finishing oils
and varnishes, or the frightful heat burst
steam pipes. Heavy planers and other
hi"ShihOo hiOhh uOhiChe w uuOmCht CidDuCu
through the floors which In turn, together
with roof and walls, followed them down
to the seething white debris below.
In about three quarters of an hour the
magnificent great five.story brick structure
adjoining the old part was just as far gone,
its walls falling with heavy roars into the
building, into the river or into the street.
The bridge caught fire and Its side walks
were badly burned. ALI efforts to save the
fine brick building proved as puny and In.
effectual as they had In the case of the old
er wooden part and the whole fell in ruins
while the flames licked up the dry kilns
with their contents of seasoned oak in the
rear.
No sooner had the fire got we'll under way
In the Woodland Furniture Works than 1
became apparant that nothing short of {
miracle would save Grove & Payne's anC
the brewery, and In fact in very shOr
time both establishments were doomed
BY this time too, 1t looked as though tn,
whole business portion of the city north ant
east of the factory would be wiped out, tn,
burning brands were so large and the wine
was SO strong. The brewery went as thougl
| by clock work, while the corrugated shee
iron sides Of Grove & Payne's agriculture
implement store warped and twisted an,
fairly squirmed In front of the fierce hea
with the wooden frame beneath 1t bursting
into flames on every hand. So quickly wa
most nothing was saved, In spite of th
fact that much of the stock was mounte
on wheels.
The efforts by this time had becom
heroic to save the adjoining property. Th
barn north OF Grove & Payne's, the wago
shop north Of that, the rear of the Evan
property, occupied by Er. Jopling, and @
the Barrie property next to the latter an
even brick building in the rear Of th
building occupied by Convis & Carmod
were all on fire and that much was dt
stroyed. The Exchange hotel barn, tn
back end of which Is close TO these build
ings, was on fire number of times. III
hotel also caught FIRE several times. Tb
postoffice was in imminent danger but ii
work of the men at the nozzes began
tell, and after most stubborn and exhaus
ing fight the fiery storm was checked an
It became apparent that unless It broke OF
anew In other places its destruction wi
tContinued on Page Two.l