People's Pilot, Volume 5, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1895 — FIRE AT MENOMINT [ARTICLE]

FIRE AT MENOMINT

MUCH LUMBER BURNED IN MICHIGAN. One Million Dollars Will No More Than Cover the Loss —Three Lumber Yard* and a Match Factory Consumed — Other Fires of Yesterday. Menominee. Mich., Aug., I.—The most destructive fire this town has ever known commenced at 3:30 o’clock yesterday afternoon. It started in a pile of lath in the yard of A. Spies. As the bunches of lath burned their twine binders broke, and the bunches spreading open caused an intense heat. Two men employed In the yards, whose names could not be learned, were overcome by the flames and smoke and suffocated before they could be rescued. The fire department was promptly on the ground, but the lumber contiguous to the burning lath had caught tire, and although many streams of water were playing on the piles the flames made rapid progress, and in something less than an hour the extensive lumber district occupied by the mills of A. Spies, the Girardt Lumber Company and the Bay Shore Lumber Company was all a sheet of flame. A brisk notherly wind fanned the flames, and at one time it looked as if the whole length of Main street would be swept. Besides the excellent home department, prompt assistance came from Marinette, and relief was asked from Green Bay and Oshkosh. The mills of the companies named were saved, which is almost In the nature of a miracle, considering the huge piles of flaming lumber by which they were surrounded. Conservative estimates place the amount of lumber burned at 30,000,000 feet, valued at SIOO,OOO. Barns, offices, and other buildings and property destroyed will easily swell the total loss to $1,000,000. Each one of the companies will lose about 10,000,000 feet of lumber. A. Spies has no insurance, but the Bay Shore and Girard companies are Insured up to four-fifths of actual value.

For two or three hours the inhabitants of upper Main street, near the burning locality, were In a state bordering <4n panic. All the available drays and wagons of the town were procured to save household effects from threatened destruction. At 8 o'clock the danger of a further spread of the flames was averted. The match factory also burned. It had a large stock of blocks, all of which was swept away with no Insurance. The brave firemen fought the Are till after 11 o’clock, at which time full control was obtained and the frightened Inhabitants were permitted to retire with a surety that their homes were no longer In danger. Several of the firemen were severely Injured. Chief Kxatz had his nose broken by a falling pile of lumber. Forest Fires In Michigan. Gladstone. Mich., Aug. I.—There is still much fire in this vicinity and the wind remains in the north. Maywood, a plasure resort east of the city, was swept by fire yesterday afternoon and there is a rumor that Cook's station on the “Soo” line is surrotinded by fire and there is little hope of saving the fewe buildings and about 8,000 cords of wood belonging to the Cleveland 1 Cliffs Iron company. It Is believed that the danger to this city is passed. Small Flrrs In Indiana. \ Portland, Ind., Aug. I.—Three flre»< In town and two In the country make up yesterday's record for Portland and Jay County. The town fires, with .the exception of one which swept out a lot of stables, were small, but those in the country consumed large barns andsome stock. Ip one case twenty tons of hay were burned. The Creamery Package Manufacturing company’s plant caught once, hut was extinguished. Its principal office Is in Chicago. Eos* at Well*, Minn. Wells, Minn., Aug. I.—Three business blocks and a livery stable were burned early this mornlnng. The loss is $25,000, with an insurance of SII,OOO. Fireman Hayes was seriously Injured by falling glass and twenty-six horses were burn-< ed to death.