The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1912-01-13
A BAD BLAZE ON
TUESDAY NIGHT
THE OLD THOUlN BUILDING WAS
DESTROYED
ORIGIN OF THE FIRE UNKNOWN
The Firemen. Working Under Difficulty.
Kept Flames From the Adjoining
Buildings.

Crystal Falls was visited by fire last
Tuesday night and the ola Thouin
building, now owned and occupied by
joe Gress WAS burned almost 90 the
ground The origin of the lire is un-
known but il is supposed 10 have orig
mated in the baker shop which WAS
maintained in the back part Of the
building.
Night Watch Massie was the man
who discovered the fire aud he rang
the tire bell loud and for some time
before he got anyone around The
hour was 3 90 o clock IN. and every
one was sleeping soundly at the time.
In addition. the thermometer stood at
% degrees below zero at the Lockwood
and the occasion was net an inviting
one by any means.
When the hose were brought around
IT was found that the hydrants nearest
to the burning building were frozen
up SO connections had 70 be made 10
other hydrants Another draw back
was found in some Of the hose, them
selves. They were found 10 be so
frozen especially At the connections,
that water could not I've forced through
some OF them. Happily Paul Schook
had steam up in his heating plant and
enough hot water was drawn OF from
the boiler to thaw out the hose. Three
streams were played on the flames.
which by this time had broken ont
through the roof and illuminated the
sky, The water froze almost az quiek-
ly az il struck the building and the fre
lighters suffered greatly at their work
but they stuck persistently at il and
finally mastered the flames,
The office building OF Senator Nor
iarty was next east OF the Gress build
ng and the johnson boarding house
west There was u space OF about
four feet between the Moriarty build
ing and OF some ten feet between the
Gress and Johnson building so that the
firemen had an opportunity 70 connne
the flames to the place in which lhoy
1t was seen early in the fight that
the burning bnilding was doomed so
every effort was tnrned TO saving the
buildings Water was
played mp along the sides Of each and
il formed coating Of Ice That assisted
IN retarding the spread OF
the flames The roofs were all covered
with snow and ice which prevented the
sparks that t'oated about from setting
fire to any of the adjoining bindings.
Senator Moriarty was asleep IN his
room at the time that the fire started,
He had the doors closed IN the front OF
the building and IL was with difficulty
that the men were able Co wake him.
Tie had his valuables packed up ready
b move them If necessary bnt nothing
was removed from his building.
The boarders in the Johnson house
packed their trunks aud some OF them
moved some Of their belongings hut not
much was taken out OF that place
either.
The upper floor OF the Gress buiId-
ng WAS unocoupied excepting a couple
II small rooms used by the lunch peel
lire, He was asleep whsn the Ere
started and when awakened war so sx
,ited that he bolted out half clad and
would have frozen had someone not
AIKEN hold OF him and brought him
nto the livery stable where clothing
was scerued He lost $3.50 in money
besides considerable property.
Mr. Gress, the owner OF the bu,lt
ng. kept saloon In the lower part
About all OF his stock and fixtures was
total loss He had ~ 600 insurance
IN tle building and Ss0O on stock and
fixtures