About 3 o'clock this morning the fire department was called out in an unusual way to fight a fierce and peculiar fire, in the Old Pangborn House.  The blaze had made great headway before the arrival of the department, but by a hard fight the flames were controlled. The building was so badly damaged, however, that it will be torn down.

    The fire first started in the extension on the south end of the building.  It seemed to start in a pantry, from which it spread to the dining room, then to the upper story, running along under the rest of the building, where two bedrooms were practically destroyed. Instead of calling up the department by pulling box No. 6, which was near by at hand and a key for which was said to be in the office of the Pangborn House, a man from the hotel went to the water works and told the engineer to blow No. 6. This was done, but the department had not been called, and received no alarm till they heard the mocking bird whistle. They were out soon enough then, and called up the water works, thus first learning the location of the fire

   They were quickly on the spot, and by a hot fight succeeded in getting the flames under control, not,however, 'till kitchen, pantry, dining room and some of the bedrooms were a total wreck.

    When the flames thus started were controlled, C. W. Ashton discovered a light in the south west corner of the floor of the main building, well removed from the other fire. He called to Chief Rennie, and together they kicked in a door, and found, on a small set of stairs another small blaze, which was readily extinguished.

    Mrs. Pangborn, who was proprietor of the hotel, could not tell today just what her loss will be, but she says she has an itemized account of her belongings. The contents of the building were insured for $2,300, of which E. W. Hastings held $1,300 and W. H. Eckler $1,000. Mrs Pangborn says she things the fire started in kitchen.

   She says that 14 bedrooms on the second floor are completely demolished, and some on the third are in an equally bad condition.

   The fireman say that it was impossible that this blaze could have started from the main fire. The entire interior of the annex and a good share of the main part of the building are pretty thoroughly wrecked by fire and water.

    Hon. Perry Hannah who owns the building says he will tear down what is left of the structure. This will destroy an old landmark

    The south wing of the building, which was destroyed this morning, was built fifty years ago this year(1851), This was the first building erected in connection with what was known as the 'new' mill, built a little west of the present mill of J. F. Ott & Co., It was used as the boarding house for the mill men, and in 1867 the large three story front was added to the building. A small wing extending west from the south wing was built later.

    After Hannah, Lay & Co. sold their mill interests here, the building was used for some years as a hotelunder the management of Wm. Fowle, now a resident of Grand Rapids, and who formerly had charge of the boarding house for Hannah, Lay & Co. It was then known as the Bay House.

After this ELisha Pangborn took it, changed the name to the Pangborn House and was proprietor till his death, since which time it has been used as a boarding house and hotel by Mrs. Pangborn. 

Notes: There was such strong pressure on the mains that the chief had to ask for part of it to be shut off, as it was almost impossible to handle the nozzles. One did get away and created havoc for a few minutes at one time.

Jake Furtsch fell into a cistern during the progress of the blaze and had to be fished out.  Everyone was dressed and out of the hotel when the fire department arrived. *the end*