The Portland daily press., 1886-01-02
BIG CONFEDERATION.
Ferry & Co.'s Mammoth Seed Estab-
lishment Burned,
Besides Other Fine Buildings in De-
troit, Michigan.
Loss over 81 500, ,ooo-one Fireman
Killed.

DETROIT, Jan. 1.-Shortly after this
morning. smoke was observed coming from
F. NJ. Ferry & Co.'s mammoth building ON
Brush street. between Croghan and Lafayette
streets. The alarm was quickly turned in,
and second and third alarms followed in
quick succession, there being promise of a
big conhagration in the heart of the business
part of the city. The fire department turned
out in force, and soon surrounded the burn
ing building with hose. The flames had
started in the packing department on the
corner of Lafayette and Brush streets, and
soon enveloped the whole building, which
was mere shell, having but one solid wall
inside of the outer walls. Bravely and in
telligently the fremen kept at their work,
but all their efforts seemed futile Buildings
on the opposite side of Brush and Croghan
streets caught q number Of times, but the
department managed to keep the flames from
totally destroying them.
Across the alley from F. NJ. Ferry & Co.'s
building, in the same square, and facing Ran
dolph street, are Whites Grand Theatre and
the Wesson block also small building used
as a restaurant The flames leaped across
this alley and began to eat into the theatre.
First the roof caught, and it soon fell in
with terrible crash, firing the whole inter-
men who had been working on the Ferry
block through the windows Of the theatre
The fury of the flames increased, and they
seemed to scorn the efforts of the firemen.
BY 10 O'Clock the Ferry block was mass of
flames, and the walls had commenced to fall.
creating something of a panic among the
throng of idle spectators. Numerous mar
row escapes occurred among the firemen, who
worked close to the flames, wrapped in re-
peatedly soaked garments, which the intense
heat rapidly dried.
By 1880 O'clock, Whites Theatre had been
seized by the fire, and by II o'clock the fire.
men were compelled to turn their attention
more to saving the buildings ON the opposite
side OF Randolph street, although still keep
ing numerous streams of water playing on
the burning building. At IL O'Clock the men
Of No. 3 fire company raised a ladder in front
of the theatre, to get better chance at the
flames, but finding that the rapidly advanc-
ing ire would prevent any effective work at
that point, the men were descending the lad
der and had about reached the ground, when
several feet of the cornice fell on the ladder
wagon, Capt. Richard Filbin was struck on
the head and instantly killed, and Fireman
White was badly but not fatally injured.
Soon Wesson block, on the corner of Ran
dolph and Croghan streets, caught fire and
was soon enveloped in flames. Although the
buildings across Croghan street were threat
ened and caught once or twice, the depart
nent managed to keep it within the square
named ana by II CLOCK IL was fully under
control
Tonight the flames are still raging fiercely
but have been confined within the walls of
the buildings already mentioned. During
the worst of the fire the wind had been from
the south and the single building on the cor
ner Of Lafayette and Randolph streets was
not seriously injured, but all the rest of the
square was total loss
The burned district belonged to what is
known as the Brush estate, having been the |
site of the old homestead d. NJ. Ferry &
Co. IS building occupied half of the square,
being one of the largest in the city. Their |
seed business was probably the largest in the |
United States In the building burned to-
day 400 people are usually employed, beside |
400 more employed on their immense farms
outside the city.
Definite figures Of the losses cannot be
given but the total will reach not less than |
81, 100000 The stock alone in D. NJ. Ferry |
4 Co.'S is estimated to have been worth from |
81, 100000 to 81, $50, 900, and their building is
valued at $250,000. AS to the origin of the |
fire there are no well-devised theories Some |
Of the employees hint at incendiarism, claim |
ing that there were no fires in the part of |
Ihs building attacked by the flames aud that |
some outside agency must have been respon- |
,ible for the fire. The insurance aggregates |
S46O,000.