The Grand River Times, July, 1851

7/2

Norton Mill Fire

   On Friday last, as the steamer Empire was making her downward trip, a spark from the smoke pipe alighted among the shavings and saw dust near the Store House of the Messrs. Norton’s, in his mill yard, and disdaining idleness amid materials subservient to its will, this mischievous offspring immediately set to work and consumed the Store House, together with a quantity of wood and lumber. Most of the valuables in the store were saved.—Two or three accidents of this kind may suggest to the proprietors of the Empire the necessity of screening her smoke pipe and thus effectually preventing a recurrence of such calamities.