Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-10-14
BUSINESS BLOCK BURNED
A ScVen-hundred-t Thousand Dollar Fire
in Detroit, Mich, Last Week.
SEVEN BUILDINGS ARE IN RUINS
The Opera House One of the
Destroyed Properties.
SEVERAL PERSONS SERIOUSLY INJURED

Detroit, Mich, Oct 7.-Fivs large
buildings and two smaller ones with
all their conbnts were destroyed this
morning by fire which swept through
block situRed in the centre OF the
business portion Of Detroit and bounded
ny the Campus Martius and Woodward,
Gratiot and Monroe avenues. The total
loss is estimated at from 5000, OOO to
100000.
The blazy stated shortly before l
o'clock on the stage OF the Detroit
Opera House. Th, origin OF the fire
has not been determined. The fire was
not noticed until the flames leapsd out
at the rear Of the theatre, following
blowing out Of rear wall by the OK
plosion OF a calcium light The Opera
House faced the CAMPUS Martius, and
was obliquoly across rom the City
Hall. Its rear end WIS closely sur
foundcd by the rear of oher buildings
fronting. respectively, OF Woodward,
Gratiot and Monroe ayenses and the
original location Of the fin was mac
| ceHsible when the Hremen first ar
rived. Within a few minutes. however,
| the flames hail communicated to the
| front aud roof of the theatre, and the
firemen began fight against TIT spread
OF the flames.
The Opera House burned at errific
rate, tho interior being solid mass of
flames. Meanwhile tho 10 story fire,
proof structure, SO called, occupied by
tho Henry II. Leonard Furniture Co.,
got afire in the upper stories. Tps
flames swept through Tia intiammah,
contents from the rear TO the Gratiot
avenue front, until within two hours
nothing remained but tho steel frame
work of the building. The buildings
next adjoining the Opera House ware
the large Jewelry establishment Of
Wright, Kay IL Co. and the four story
building occupied by tho C. H. Michel
Table Supply Co. by strenuous efforts
the iewelry house was saved, although
the building caught fire repeatedly,
but the Michel Building was Quilted
and all its contents wore burned.
From Michel's the fire communicated
with the large six-story building All.
joining, occupied by g. II. Werner's
cruckery house and the Grand Union
Tea Co.. leaving nothing remaining at
3 O'Clock but tho front walls. Mean
while, on Gratiot avenue, the flames
spread east from the Leonard Building
to building occupied by the Central
SlordRe 20 anu Vaughan ~ Tanner.
which also was CONSUMED With its con-
tents a side wall uf the latter build
ing fell upon the roof Of two. story
structure occupied by the Partisan
laundry, which WAS badly wrecked and
pai tly consumed. Gu the Monroe
avenue side small chloe store was
crushed To fragments by tbs falling east
wall of the Werner Building. AT both
these points the progress of the flames
was checked.
The Grand Trunk repair shops, located
on the uock at the foot OF Dequindre
street, nearly three.quarters of a mile
distant, caught fire from blazing
nrand, aud was destroyed with a
quantity of lumber and material
William Moore, ianitor at the Opera
House, and wife, who were sleeping on
the fifth floor, narrowly escaped with
their lives. Lieut.. John W. Hopkins,
Archibald Bennett ami John II. Which
suffered serious fall, caused by the
jerking down of ladder on which they
we're ascending tho front of the Michel
/ Building. Benefits spine Id seriously
( injured.
1t was 5. 80 o'clocl, before tho fire was
fully under control