Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-08
THE DETROIT FIRE.
Loss About s14O,0OO--Heavy blow to
Dramatic Company.

large buildings and two smaller ones,
with all their contents, were destroyed
this morning by a fire which swept
through q block situated in the centre
OF the business portion Of Detroit. and
bounded by the Campus Martius and
woodward. Gratiot. and Monroe ave-
nues The total loss is estimated at
500 600 to 100000.
The blaze started shortly before /
o'clock on the stage of the Detroit opera
House. The origin of the fire Is not de-
termined. 1t was not noticed until the
flames leaped out of the rear OF the
theatre, following a blowing out of a
rear wall by the explosion OF calcium
light. The opera-house faced the Cam
pus Martius and was obliquely across
from the City Hall. Its rear end was
closely surrounded by the rear OF other
buildings fronting. respectively, on Wood
ward, Gratiot, and Monroe avenues. and
the original location OF the fire was In
accessible when the flremen first arrived.
Within a few minutes, however the
flames had communicated to the front
and roof of the theatre, and the hremen
began a several hours fight against the
spread Of the flames.
OPERA-HOUSE BURNED QUICKLY.
The opera-house burned at ter
rife rate tho interior being solid mass
of flames. Meanwhile, the ten-story
building occupied by the Henry L Leon
ard Furniture Company got afire In the
upper stories. Though II was supposed
TO be fireproof, the flames swept through
it's infiammable contents from the rear
to the Gratiot avenue front until within
two hours nothing remained but the
steel framework OF the building. The
tla n
were the large jewelry establishment
of Wright. Kay & Co., and the four
story building fronting on the Campus
Martius and Monroe avenue. occupied
by the c. III. Michel Table Supply Com
pany BY strenuous efforts the 1ewelry-
house was saved, although the building
caught fire repeatedly, but the Michen
building was gutted and all It's contents
burned.
At 8 o'clock IL was supposed that the
fire would probably be controlled within
it's then limits but, aided by an IN
creasing northwest wind. IL swept along
both on the Monroe-avenue and Gratlot'
avenue sides of the block. From Mich
ellis 1t communicated with the large
six-story building adjoining. occupied by
c. II. Werner's crockery-house, and by
the Grand Union Tea Company causing,
perhaps, the hottest blaze of the confla-
grafton, and leaving nothing remaining al
o'clock but the front walls.
on the Gratiot-avenue side the flames
spread east from the Leonard building to
a building occupied by the Central
Storage Company and Vaughan & Tan
ner, which was also consumed, with It's
contents. A side wall Of the latter build
ing fell upon the roof of two-story
structure occupied by the Partisan Laun-
dry. which was badly wrecked and partly
consumed On the Monroe-ayenue side
a small shoe-store was crushed to frag-
ments by the fan of the east wall OF the
Werner building. At both these points
was where the progress of the flames
| was checked.
JULIA ARTHUR'S HEAVY LOSS.
The early morning hour and the RAPID
| sweep of the fires prevented the saving OF
any contents to speak Of. Among the
losses was that Of the Julia Arthur Ora
matte Company, which was playing its
! first engagement I'm "A Lady OF Quality.
| All OF its handsome costumes ana stage
settings were destroyed. Miss Arthur
was prostrated over this serious blow 70
| her enterprise The front portion Of the
| theatre building was occupied by the
Central Savings Bank and Kinnucan
front by various Offices
The Grand Trunk repair shop. located
| on the dock, at the foot Of Dequindre
street. nearly three quarters OF a mile
| distant. caught fire from a blazing brand,
and was destroyed, with quantity oil
| lumber and material. Several other hres
| started in addition to numerous small
| ones near the scene Of the big ire, but
none resulted I'm great damage.
William Moore, janitor OF the opera
| House building, and wife, who were sleep
| ing on the nth floor. narrowly escaped
| with their lives. Lieutenant John w
| Hopkins and Pipeman Archibald Bennett
and John II. Welch suffered serious
| fall, caused by the jerking down or lad
| der on which they were ascending the
| front of the Michel building. Bennett
| spine is seriously injured. 1t was 6;S'
| o'clock before the fire was fully under con-
| tro!.
| LOSSES AND INSURANCE.
The Detroit Opera-House was owned by
| the Clark estate. Its value Is estimated
at $4,000 IT was quite fully insured. c
T. whitney. lessee OF the building anC
manager. loses about $4,000, partially In
sured. The Julia Arthur Company's los
| Is over $4,000 with $4,000 insurance. In
| Michel building was owned Dy george III
| Barbour It's value was $4,000 FUZZY IN
| sured The Michel stock was worth So
| GOO. and was 90 per cent. insured. Tn
f! Leonard buildlng-stock and building-i
estimated AT 10000, and was fully In
| sured. The principal other losses, most o
| which are fairly insured, are as follows
| Central Savings Bank. $1,000; Hugh Con
molly jeweller $4,000 Vaughan & Tanner
$4,000; C. II. Werner, $4,000; Traugot
Schmidt estate, owner Of Werner build
ing. $50 900; Grand Union Tea Company
$4,000; Partisan Laundry, $4,000: Centra
| Storage Company. $4,000; Grand Trunl
repair shops. $4,000; Brossys dye shops
| 81 500; opera-house musicians, $1,000; othe
minor losses. 5000