The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-07
Blaze Starts on the Stage of
the Detroit Opera House
And Burns Out a Block in the
Heart Of the City.
LOSS NEAR A MILLION.
Ten-St0ry Fire Proof Building
Burns Like Tinder.
Julia Arthur Dramatic Com
pany Are Heavy Losers.

Detroit. Mich Oct Five large
buildings and two smaller ones with all
their contents were destroyed this
morning by a fire which swept through
a block situated in the center of the
business portion Of Detroit and bounded
by the Campus AartiUs, Woodward,
Gratiot and Monroe avenues.
The total loss is estimated at 100000
to 500, 600 The blaze started shortly
before o'clock on the stage of the De
troit Opera House
The origin of the fire is not Getermin-
ed It was not noticed until the flames
leaped out at the rear of the theater,
following a blowing out of a rear wall
by the explosion of a calcium tank-The
opera house faced the Campus Martius
and was obliquely across from the city
hall It's rear end was closely sur
rounded by the rear of other buildings
fronting respectively on Woodward,
Gratiot and Monroe avenues and the
original location of the fire was mac
cessible when the fremen first arrived.
Within few minutes. however, the
flames had communicated to the front
and the roof of the theater and the
fremen began a several hours fight
against the spread of the flames
The opera house burned at a terrific
rate, the interior being a solid mass of
flame Meanwhile, the ten story fire
proof structure, so called. occupied by
the Henry l. Leonard Furniture com
pany, got afire in the upper stories The
flames swept through its infiammable
contents from the rear to the GratiOt
avenue front, until within two hours
nothing remained but the steel frame
work of the building
The buildings next adjoining the
opera house were the large jewelry es-
tablishment of Wright, Kay & Co, and
the four story building fronting on
Campus Martius and Monroe avenue
occupied by the c. H. Mitchell Table
Supply company
The jewelry house was saved. al
though the building caught fire repeat
edly, but the Mitchell building was gut
ted and all its contents burned.
Aided by an increasing wind, the fire
swept along both on the Monroe ave
nue. and GratiOt avenue sides OF the
block
From NTitchelTs it communicated with
the large six story building adjoining,
occupied by c. H. Werner's crockery
house and by the Grand Union Tea
company, causing perhaps the hottest
blaze of the cOnhagratiOn, leaving
nothing remaining but the front walls
Meanwhile on the GratiOt avenue side,
the flames spread east from the Leon
ard building to a building occupied by
the Central Storage company and Vau-
CHAN & Tanner, which was also con-
> y
the latter building fell upon the roof of
a two story structure occupied by the
Partisan laundry, WFeczing it. and on
the Monroe avenue side a small shoe
store was crushed to fragments by the
fall of the east wall of the Werner
building At both these points was
where the progress of the flames was
checked.
The early hour and the rapid sweep
of the fire prevented saving any con-
tents of the buildings to speak of
Among the losses was that Of the
Julia Arthur Dramatic company which
was playing its first enga cement in A
Lady of Quality" All its handsome
costumes and stage settings were de-
stroyed. Miss Arthur was Frustrated
over this blow to her enterprise The
front portion of the theater building
was occupied by the Central Savings
bank and Kinnucan's tailoring estab-
IShment and the upper stories front by
various offices.
The Grand Trunk repair shops, To-
Gated on the dock a the foot of De
Quindre street, nearly three-fourths of
a mile distant caught fire from a blaz-
Ing brand and were destroyed with a
quantity of lumber and material
VIM. Moore. the janitOr of the opera
house building. and wife, who Were
sleeping on the fifth floor. narrowly es-
capped with their lives. Lieutenant John
Hopkins and Pipemen Archibald Ben
nett and John H. Welch suffered a ser
aOuS fall caused by the Jerking down
cending the front of the Mitchell build
ing Benefits spine is seriously in
5ured. 1t was $50 before the fire was
fully under control
The Detroit Opera House was owned
by the Clarke estate. It was quite fully
insured. c. J. Whitney. lessee and
manager loses about $4,000 partly in
sured. The Julia Arthur company's loss
is over $50 600. with $4,000 insurance
The Mitchell building was owned bv
George r. Barbour. Its value was 500
600, fully insured. The Mitchell stock
was worth $4,000 and was 80 per cent
insured. The Leonard building and
stock is estimated at $1,000 000. and was
fully insured. The other principal loss
es. most of which are fairly insured
are as follows:
Central Savings bank. O.OOO: Hush
Connolly, jeWeler. So 900: Vaughan &
Tanner. $50 coo; c. II. Werner. S45. 600:
IraugOtt-Schmidt estate. owner. of the
Werner building. $50. 900; Grand Union
Tea company. $25. 900; Partisan laundry,
$4,000; Central Storage company. $40
OO0; Grand Trunk repair shops, Sc 600:
Erossey's dye shop, 81. 500: opera house
musicians $1,000; ?. J. Kinnacan. tail
or $4,000; Dr. D. H. KressIer. 81 600.
Boston shoe store. building and stock
$500, and other minor losses by smoke
water, etc, $4,000.