Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 88, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 July 1898 — ONE LIFE IS LOST. [ARTICLE]

ONE LIFE IS LOST.

Fire Deitrnji a Summer Hotel at St. Joaeph, Mich.—Gueati Eacape— One Body Found. St. Joseph, Mich., July 11.—In the ruins of the Hotel St. Joseph, destroyed Saturday night by fire, searchers Late Sunday afternoon found a charred body. It was that of T. A. Balding, a yardman, who had perished in. the flames. Until the discovery it had been thought that all occupants of the building escaped. No one else, however, is believed to have met death. The fire was discovered near the chimney in the kitchen at the north end of the hotel at 12:30 o’clock. Aided by a strong north wind, the fire soon leaped from the chimney to the second story and roof, and in a short time the entire north end was burning. With no fire protection, it was seen at once that the hotel, which was the pride of this city, and one of the most modern summer hotels in southwestern Michigan, was doomed. The night force, which acted vefry coolly under such circumstances, notified the 40 guests,'and without an accident all made their escape into the open yard, half-clad. Later they were provided for at the Hotel Whitcomb and the Lakeview. By two o’clock the entire building was in ashes, the nearby buildings, the life saving station and the government south pier were afire, but the tug Andy soon had the fire under control and in a short time extinguished it. All furniture was lost. Part of the baggage of the guests was saved. It is reported that SI,OOO worth of jewelry was lost, but the safe, said to contain $2,000, was saved. The Hotel St. Joseph, formerly known as Plank’s tavern, was on the north side of the river. It was 80 by 420 feet in size, of wooden construction, and was completed July 5, 1889. It was a threestory and basement structure, was built bj r a stock company and cost $150,000.