The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1902-01-25
ARE LEFT IN RUINS.
Sudden Collapse of Four Detroit
Buildings.
Cause OF The Affair II Unknown
Five Business Firms Safer
Total Loss VIII Exceed
$2OO,OO0.

Detroit, Mich, Jan. 20.-Four build
ings, each four stories high. located
in the heart of the Wholesale district
of this city, collapsed at $3.50 O'Clock
Sunday night, without any apparent
cause, and all that now remains is y
smoldering heap of ruins. The build
ings were a part of the block bounded
by Jefferson avenue and Shelby and
Griswold streets, and were occupied
by five concerns, and their stocks are
total loss, which is estimated at $751;
600, exclusive of the loss on the build
ings, which amounts to $50,50e.
The Losers.
The buildings joined each other at
the corner of Jefferson avenue and
Shelby street. The first and second
floors of the building on the corner
were occupied by the MaGdocks Glove
company. manufacturers of gloves
were used by the Imperial Cap COM
pany, manufacturers of hats and caps.
The loss on the stock of the glove COM
pany was estimated by Mr.. Norman
Maddocks at $4,000. and he stated that
he believed the loss to the Imperial
company 20 be $4,000. Adjoining the
Maddocks Glove company's building
was the brokerage firm of +. b. Neu-
hoff & company, who carried large
stock of commission goods. Mr.. Neu-
hoff said his loss, like the others, was
total. and amounted to $4,000. with
about $1,000 insurance. In the same
building with this firm was located a
stock of commission goods. which he
carried for Hills Bros, of New York.
and which Mr.. Neuhoff said was valued
at $1,000.
The Michigan Produce company also
occupied part Of this building. and
its loss was estimated by Mr.. Neuhof.
at about $500.
The third and fourth buildings were
occupied by Crusoe Bros, limited,
wholesale grocers. j. +. Crusoe, pres
ident of the company, said ne was un-
able to give exact figures. but stated
that they carried about 100000 worth
of stock, which was fully insured.
Cnuse Unknown.
No one seems to know what caused
the collapse of the buildings. On
Sunday night that district is prac-
tically deserted and the few who
were in the vicinity say that the
buildings seemed to fall into a heap
without apparent cause, making
noise like the rumbling of distant
thunder. There are evidences of an
explosion about the ruin, but no one
n.
The walls of the rear part of the
Maddocks Glove company's building
are still standing to the height OF
two stories, but the roof Of this part
of the building lies turned bottom
side upward in the middle OF Shelby
street, and large iron smokestack
lies on the sidewalk on the opposite
side of the street, mashed against the
buildings there. as il driven by force.
Experts from the Detroit Gas COM
pany's Office made an examination of
the ruins, but said they were unable
to find evidences of a gas explosion.
No One Injured.
1t was fortunate that the wreck
occurred on Sunday night. Had it
happened during business hours the
loss of life would have been APP
palling, ms there were approximate
~ 200 persons employed by the va
rious firms. They would have been
caught in veritable death trap and
burned before they could have been
rescued. The buildings collapsed into
n heap and in short space of time
the inflammable material caught fire
from the furnaces used for heating
the buildings. There were no watch
men about the premises, consequent
Nv there will be no loss of life. No
one was injured, nor is there anyone
who can give a definite reason for