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The State Street Fire

The State Street Fire image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
April
Year
1888
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

While the flames were still smouldering last Friday morning the Argüs was out with a f uil account of the fire It seems hardly necessary to say more this week,yet a few worda inay besaid. The fire, disastrous as it was to many, who have the sympathy of the community, furnished to the mere spectator the usual mingling of the beautif ui and bad, the ludicrous and sad. Or rather it was an unusual mingling, for In the narrow streets of a large city tbere is no chance for a fire to cast much beauty upon the scène. In this case the brilliant llames, the black smoke, and the snow-white steam clouds wlnch rolled upward to the dark blue sky, the large ilakes and sparks as they flew like birds of fire, or the feathery spray of a fountain, across the streets and caught in the tops and tips of the budding trees in the campus, or feil in showers over the crowds who were gathered there, while the tiny white flames chased each other from the foot to the tops of the telegraph poles and danced along the wires at the tops tripping into the tree tops on the street and folio wing their "Oivn sweet will" like a faiiy dance, making a beautiful picture, as did the lighted tree tops, along the streets contrasting with the darkness below. Every house and window on the huls surrounding the city was illumiuated far and near. But the roaring, splashing, crackling, crashing, as one roof or pillar after another tumbled into the hungry maw of the fire below was dreadful as it was exciting. Amoug the ludicrous inciderts was that of a manjcarrying pufify pillows]and feather bed, who was bravely marcliing acioss the street, when a hose buist close to his feet. With a Comanchee yell and whoop he sprang some six feet up in the air, eatchingadrenching bath at the same time. Another man with a head board to a bed lyiug on his head and arms stretched to hold ït there, cut the same caper. Of these two "deponent further saith not." Another cime teariug down stairs, half dreised, suspenders flying. with his trunk behind him bumpity-bump, exclaimed, "Golly its hot up there, Ijust woke up!" A lady, for there were many among the spectators, spied a hándsome cutglass and silver butter disti on top of au old trunk near the campus fence, and took it up saying as she handed it to a man inside the fence who was watchiug his own goods. "this may be stolen or brokenout here,Jit had better be onyour side of the fence."" Yes'm the butter dishbelongs to the lady who owus the trunk aud she asked me to watch it!" He no doubt thought at first a thief bad picked it up whicb probably added to his excitement. No doubt there were many things carried off. Fine cigars, books of all sorts, from the most elegant down to the primer, vvould be too much temptation for some to withstand- to say uothing of stationery and groceries. The block will probably be handsomely rebuilt and then we will say "hew did we ever get -along with those old rookeries." J. iï. Hall had one of the narrowest escapes from death, which come to men without injuring them. Wlien the second Hoor in Warner's grocery store went down. Mr. Hall with a hose was on that rtoor pounng water into the seething ilames. He feil with the Hoor aud wonderfully escapee' injury by beating a hasty retreat from amidst the roaring flames. The letters in a U. S. mail box on the outer edge of the sidewalk were destroved, so hot was the flre. Sheehan & Co's. books and papers in their safe were found to be uninjured, wheu the safe was rescued from the hot bed of coals on which it rested. The lireruen deserve credit for their excellent work. The lire had attained so great headway when it was discovered and the nearest hySrant not being iu order, it would have been impossible for any tire company in the state to have sooner extenguished the flames.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News