The Detroit times., 1910-12-02
FIRE CAUSES Loss
OF 100000 ON
WOODWARD:
David Wallace & Sons, L. B. Ring
& Co. and the Gregory, Mayer 6
Them Co., Victims of Flames
late Thursday Night.
Two Firemen Painfully Injured by
Shower of Glass When Explosion
Skaters Windows.

Fire, smoke and water caused a
total loss OF between $4,000 and $780,
900. late Thursday night, and made It
necessary for two of the three firms
involved TO suspend business for a
brief period The concerns effected
at No. los Woodwardave.. l.. B. King
* Co. chinaware, No. 1903 Woodward,
and the Gregory, Mayer & Thorn Co..
WoodwGrd-ave and Congress-st. The
loss is covered by insurance.
The Wallace and King stores were
so flooded with water. Friday morn
ing. that il was impossible to do bust
ness. David Wallace announced,
however. that the firm probably would
be In shape TO receive orders by Sat
'urday. King a. Co. Will reopen for
business Saturday or Monday. Greg
DRY. Mayer & Thorn are perhaps the
hardest hit, as large part OF their
stock, including vast quantities of
paper OF various sorts and sizes, used
in their book-binding business, Is
complete loss from the water
The losses. as nearly as can be es-
timated are as follows: Gregory,
Mayer e. Thorn Co, $4,000; David
Wallace & Sons, $4,000; l.. b. King
d. Co, $4,000 or upwards. II Is
thought that $4,000 will cover the dam
age TO the buildings. That occupied
by the Wallace and King firms Is
owned by Howard Meredith. The
(, Walter Bull estate owns the Gregory,
Mayer a Thorn building.
The fire started on the fourth floor
Of the middle store, occupied by Wal
lace Sons. in the vicinity of wood
en- partition that divides this floor In
two, the front portion being occupied
10y King a. Co. as a stock room and
the rear portion by Wallace & Sons
for the storing OF fruit and liquors.
just how the fie started Is mys-
terry. Ii cannot be blamed to defective
wiring, for there were no wires on
this floor. No light OF any kind was
left burning here when the store was
closed for the night. employees say.
The two windows in the rear were
open slighlly and Il Is just possible,
though not probable. that spark may
have blown in from outside. The
sawdust In which much OF the lfrait
was packed Furnished excellent fuel
for the blaze. whatever The origin.
II was George Harris, a messenger
boy in the employ OF the Western
Union, just back OF the damaged
buildings. who first saw smoke issuing
from the upper windows of the Wal
lace store and gave the alarm.
Young Harris is known TO nearly all
the downtown policemen and has
been ''pinched" on numerous occas-
ions for various offenses. Patrolman
John Kean, the officer ON the beat.
didn't know whether to take to lad
seriously OF not when he rushed up
TO the patrolman at 1l:4O TO report
the fire, but decided TO take chance
and turn i'm the alarm. The flames
had gained good Roadway when the
first companies arrived and second
alarm was promptly turned in. Late
wayfarers fiocked to the scene, at,
tracted by the glare. and were re-
warded by spectacular display when
a section OF the roof fell In shortly
after midnight
The firemen managed to keep the
flames confined TO the fourth floor and
the roof but II was hard fight. once,
when they thought the fire was prac-
ticallv out IL broke out again with
greater fury than ever and the nre-
men then discovered for the first time
that the roof was double one, ana
that the flames had been raging De
tween the two parts OF 1t all the
while.