The Detroit times., 1910-04-20
HUNTER & HUNTER
STORE DESTROYED
BY FIRE
Total Loss in Fierce Flames Which
Break Out in Early Evening
Over $400,000-Traver- Bird
Co. Losers Heavily, Too.
Janitor of Burned Building Makes
Heroic Rescue of Ten Employees
From Upper Floors.

Just as the ranks of the home'goiEg
crowds were beginning 10 thin out III
the downtown streets, Tuesday eve
ming after The usual rush. Il hre OF
such fierceness that IL brough; many
Cf those who had started on mel:
homeward Journey scurryins DtCE
lrck. out III the basement OF Hunte
& Hunters department stove. Nos.
l17-1Sl Woodward-ave. For moi
than four hours the fire ragged, until
il had burned Itself out. leaving the
interior OF the seven-story building a
charred and blackened mass.
The total loss. including damage 70
neighhnling property. will reach S+Oc.-
-ea6- faiffe-weiF covered INSURANCE.
Thomas Hunter head OF Hunter x
Hunter estimates his loss at 5000.
on which there Is 100000 insurance.
OF the building. which is owned bv
the Fowler estate, but the walls fe-
main. anu the loss will be in the
neiPhborhood OF 100000. with $4,000
insurance
The Traver Bird Co. clothiers, and
r II. Fyfe 4 Co. shoe merchants,
whose stores flank the burned struc-
tire az the south and north respec-
and water estimated at $4,000 and
$4,000. we'll insured Employees or
Fyfe & Go. saved much of the stock
in the basement by removing II 10
shelves. and kept the basemcn; com
p+rativcly free from water by letting
II ont through sewer traps almos' IS
fast as II poured in.
II was only BY strenuous work that
H.. 4 Ia.
flames nom spreading beyond ;hc
Hunter a. Hunter establishment. Sew
eral times. the flames threatened to
leap beyond their narrow confines
but well-directed streams held them
al bay.
Fire is Spectacular.
The fire was one OF the most spect
SECULAR in the city history. Less than
a half hour after ii was discovered, tho
flames burst through the roof and shot
high in the air, at the same tme
bursting forth from every window IN
each OF the several floors.
When the blaze was discovered by
passerby. about 6:l0 o'clock, the
avenue vas compai atively deserted
At that lime only small volume Of
smoke was to be seen pouring from
the topmost windows. but presently
he windows lighted up on every floor
SIS the flames climbed up the stairway
and the new elevator shafts OH the
north side OF the building, and the
flare. together with the changing or
the fire engines. caused an immense
-rowd TO gather within few minutes.
Five minutes after the alarm was
civen the street. which was almost
Empty before, was choked with spec
tators, and the policemen first on the
scene experienced no little difficulty
In keeping them within bounds. After
reinforceinents arrived and ropes were
Dut up, the police handled the situation
very ably
The early arrivals witnessed re-
markable demonstration Of bravery on
the part of John Moiles, No. 43i ST
Aubin-ave Waterman In the store,
though the identity of the hero was
rot known to the crowd at the time
With the flames raging in the base
ment beneath his feet and rapidly
spreading to the floors above. and the
smoke filing the store, Moiles ran
TIE elevator on :he south side OF the
building up TO the fifth floor, where
10 employees mostly young girls. were
still at work. ana took them down in
safety. Those watching on the out
side saw the elvatol go up aud Won
cered what man had the hardihood to
take sucn risk. They waited with
hated breath until they saw the car
descend and breathed sigh OF RELIEF
when 1t reached the main floor III
safety.
Street Cars Tied Up.
Early in the progress Of the fire,
street car traffic on Woodward-ave.
was suspended as one line OF hose
after another was laid across the