The Detroit times., 1909-12-10

"'SH'SeH SdSn Register 10. SO,OCO
A. A. Gray CO. .............. 10000
Total Observation-Disclosures. $3.50, 900
Fire, supposed TO have originated In
a chimney at the rear OF the ground
floor, just above the boiler room,
cleaned out the four-story brick build
ing at Nos. 12l-l27 Champlain-st., with
loss OF 100000 early Friday morn
inG.
The building. formerly the plant OF
the American Can Co, was sold re-
Gently TO a. J. Detlaff tor SIS, 900, The
first and fourth floors were occupied by
Detlafs polishing plating and auto
mobile parts finishing plant The A. A.
Gray Co.. furniture dealers, had
their factory on the third floor, and the
Michigan Cash Register Co had 500.
600 worth Of intricate machinery and
valuable stock on the second floor.
The whole interior OF the building
was burned out, resulting in almost
total loss to the different firms The
walls are standing. but are partly
burned away. and greatly weakened
by falling floors.
ditions. which chilled the firenen 10
the marrow. and kept them sheathed
In icicles while they worked desper.
ately against the fire. the blaze would
have been one OF the hardest they
have had to fight for some time. II
had spread to the first three floors
before any alarm was turned in Pa.
trolman Schmeltz, Of the central
or Iii
the rear of the place at 1905 a. m.
and noticed nothing wrong. BY the
time he reached the station. the first
alarm was turned in. The Waterman
at Dodge Bros auto plant had noticed
a glare, but thought it was the re-
Election from bonfire in the alley.
Suddenly he saw a blaze on the third
floor OF the Detlaff building and turn
ed In an alarm from Dodge Bros pri-
vate box. Engine No. 80, the auto
fire company, was on the spot In few
moments. and promptly turned In an
other alarm from the regular box.
Battalion Chief McGraw. on his ar.
rival. turned In second alarm" and
within a half hour. the third alarm,
calling out all available fire compan'
les, was turned in. But the blaze had
too great a start. and the fireman
had all they could do TO keep 1t from
spreading.
At the outset the fire fighters swarm.
ed into the building. out were quickly
driven back by the sitting smoke.
Several OF the hremen were helpless
when they reached the fresh air, but
quickly revived and returned to luty.
At 4:30 O'Clock, the machinery on
the second floor crashed downward
with a roar like an explosion, and the
whole building rocked
Policemen rusher into the house at
No. III Champain-st., adjoining the
factory on the west, and ordered the
eight occupants of the place into the
street for fear the walls would fall.
The place Is occupied by Mrs. Victoria
Pekas and sub-leased to number or
tenants They dressed hurriedly and
fed TO the street. In the home CT
Mrs. Emma Whitman, No. 121 Cham
plain-sct., adjoianing the factory on
the east. n similar order was given.
but Mrs. Whitman and six other oc-
cupants of the house. refused to va
cate
Let em fall said Mrs whitman.
IT'S too cold outdoors. When they
start to fall. I'll grab nv dog and
canary bird and get out in time"
st. Mary's home. just In the rear
OF the blazing building. was the scene
OF some excitement when the fire
was at It's height. but the inmates
stayed inside, prepared to fee at the
first sign of the fire spreading.
Detaff, the owner OF the building,
supplies several big auto companies
with parts for their machines. Only
Thursday night. he landed a big con
-lIact-frcm the Huppmobile Co
There were thousands OF small
parts for autos in there" said bet.
1aff's superintendent.
Mr.. Detiaf;. who appeared on the
scene shortly before 9 o'clock, figured
that his loss would be about $50. 600 on
the building and $4,000 on machinery
and stock. Luckily. nearly all of the
invaluable patterns for the auto parts
are in the moulding plant, and were
not stored in the burned building.
The superintendent of the Michigan
Cash Register Co. stated that his firm
had recently installed several thou.
sands OF dollars worth OF new machin.
cry. He estimated the loss of his con.
Germ at 100000 on machinery and
stock.
The A. a. Gray Cos loss is placed at
about $4,000. They had n quantity OF
finished furniture and stock I'm process
of construction on the third floor.
Nearly 200 mattresses stored there are
a total loss. and furnished fuel to the
flames
The loss In each case is fairly we'll
covered by insurance.
The burned building has n history.
and once figured IN remarkable legal
battle. IL was built by the Clark Can
Co. which sold out TO the trust. II in
turn sold to Detlah.
When the building was erected a
woman, who owned small cottage.
built close against the west wall
claimed several feet Of land. on which
the wall was built. She refused TO sell
the strip, and the whole west wall had
to be torn down and moved over, 1t is
said. ------------
-