The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-01-14
A LOSS OF $l,5OO,OOO.
Big Business Block in the Heart OF De-
trOit Destroyed.

tToh beSsE0Stu.
fire started in the packing department Of
F. M. Ferry 4 Co.. mammoth buiidIn. on the
corner Of Lafayette and Brush streets, Detroit,
Mich, recently and soon envelopcd the whole
building, which was q mere she'll having but
one wall inside OF the outer walls. Drilvely
the fremen kept at their work. but all efforts
seemed futile. Buildings on the opposite side
OF Brush and Cragham streets caught number
oil times, but the department managed TO keep
the flames from totally destroying them.
Across the alley from +. NJ. Ferry & Co.'S
building, in the same squa'~, and !ncng on
Randolph street. where Whites Grand Theatre
and tho Wesson block, and small building
used as n restaurant. The flames lcaped across
the alley, and began to cat into the theatre.
First the roof caught, and iell in with terrible
crash, firing the whole interior Of the building,
after driving away the men who had been
working on Ferry block through the Windows
of the theatre. Crashing window glass was
the signal for increased fury OF the flames,
which seemed to laugh at the efforts OF the
fremen. An immense crowd blocked the
streets in every direction, and Mt times were
in the way Of the department.
Numerous narrow escapes occurred among
the fremen who worked close to the flames.
Whites theatre was seized by the fire, and
half an hour afterwaid the iircmen were COM
the buildings on the opposite side of Randolph
street, although still keeping numerous streams
of water playing on the burning building.
The men of No. fire company raised a
ladder in front of the theatre, to get Il better
chance at the flames. Finding the rapidly
advancing fire would prevent any effective
work at that point, the men were descending
the ladder, and had about reached the
ground when several feet Of the cornice
Ill IL, La I,. - Il
bend wis struck on the head and instantly
killed, and Fireman White was badly, bat not
fatally Injured. Soon alter the flames spread
10 the Wesaon block, on the corner oil Ran.
dolph and Cragham streets, and that building
was soon eEveloped in fire. Although the
buildings across Crasham street were threat
ened and caught once Or twice, the department
managed to keep the fire within tho square
| named.
During the worst Of the fire the wind had
been from the south, and the single building
on the corner of Lafayette and Randolph
streets was not seriously injured, but all the
rest Of the square was u total loss. The
burned district belonged to what is known ns
the Brush estate, having been TIE site of the
| old homestead.
F. NJ. Ferry & Co.'S building occupied hall
the square, being one Of the largest in the city.
Their seed business was probably the largest in
the United States, and 400 people are usually
employed, beside 400 more employed on their
immense farms outside the city.
Definite figures of losses cannot be given, bu!
the total will reach not less than 81 800, 900
| The stock alone in f. NJ Ferry & Co. S is es.
timated to have been worth 81 900, 600 to
81 200, 900, and their building was valued at
$250000. As to the origin of the lire, some
I of the employees hint at incendiarism, claiming
| that there were no fires in the pnrt of the
building first attacked by the flames, and that
some outside agency must have been respon.
sblc for the fire. Officers of the company are
completely at a loss to account for the origin
The insurance aggregates 100000, incud
ing the following risks, Orient of Hartford
American OF Boston, Mercantile and Prescol,
of Boston, $4,000 each; Connecticut o.
Hartford, Phoenix of Hartford, New IIamp
shire of Hartford, Springfield 5000 each
Rhode Island Underwriters, $500; Boylston
$l500.