The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-07
Part of Chicago stock Yards District
swept by Fire. one Life Lost and
Several People Hurt.
DISASTER in SOUTH DAKOTA
GIRLS DORMITORY AND A WCMAN
AND SIX GIRLS BURNED.
Illinois Town Partly Destroyed and
Three Canadian villages Wiped Ont
Fire in Indiana-The Drought.

DETROIT, Mich, Oct Z O'Clock a. m.--
A destructive fire is raging in the business
district of the city. 1t started in the rear
Of the Detroit Opera House or in c. II.
Michaels warehouse, which closely adjoins
it on the rear The flames burst out at 12:4O
a. M, enveloping ali the rear part of the
big building At the same moment there
were several loud explosions. supposedly
from infiammable goods stored in the ware.
house. Within fifteen minutes the entire in
terror of the opera house was roaring
furnace of flame and the building at Ills
O'Clock was practically destroyed
While the fire apparatus was preparing
to throw water the flames spread to the
upper stories of a ten-story building facing
on Gratoit avenue. occupied by the H.
Leonard furniture establishment and Mar
wins music house. In less than half
hour the ten-story building was enveloped
in flames and it will be a total loss. The
opera house faced q small triangular park
opposite the City Hall. Flames have COM
municated in places to the row of buildings
along the east side of Woodward avenue
between the theater and Gratiot avenue.
The fremen are endeavoring to save ali
these, and the wind, fortunately, is in the
opposite direction.
BY las great flames were belching from
the roof and front of the four-story building
occupied by the c.. H. Michel Table Sup
rlx, Cso,1oran1, xybicl, adioinad tba onara
house on the east, at the corner of Monroe
avenue and the Campus Martius. While
some fremen were ascending ladder at
the front of the Michel building, two Of
them fell and were seriously injured.
At 2 o'clock nothing remained of the
Leonard building, on Gratoit avenue, but
the steel framework and portions of the
walls The Wright, Kay G. Company es-
tablshment, which contains the most valu-
able stock of Jewelry in the State seems
likely to be saved A building occupied by
the C. w Marvin Music Company, at Graz
toit avenue and Farmer street, east of the
Leonard building, is in imminent danger,
and the fate of dozen other buildings was
problematical at clock.
1t was learned later that the blaze orig
mated on the stage of the opera house.
simultaneously with the breaking out Of
the fire there were several loud explosions,
presumably the bursting of stage lighting
apparatus The flames quickly enveloped
the rear of the theater and made a furnace
of the interior. The opera house, with all
it's contents, including the handsome
scenery, costumes and equipments Of the
Julia Arthur Company, were destroyed in
short order. The rear of the ten-story
building occupied by the II. Leonard Furn-
iture Company caught fire and nothing
of the structure or contents remain
hut the steel frame The four-story build
ing of the Michael Table Supply Company,
east of the theater, was gutted and par
TALLY destroyed and several other buildings
were slightly damaged
At 2:3O the fire had been confined practi-
calIy to the above buildings. The losses
have not yet been approximated, but it is
believed they will reach the vicinity OF
$25OOOO.
All the new scenery and costumes of the
Julia Arthur company which was playing
the first weeks production of "A Lady Of
Quality" was destroyed. Manager Lewis.
of the company, says its loss is $4,000. in
sured for half that amount and that the
stage settings will be difficult to reproduce.
Several buildings in the vicinity and some
several blocks distant caught fire repeated
ly. but without serious results in most
cases