The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-12-02
FIRE CAUSES Loss
OF 100000 ON
WOODWARD
David Wallace e. Sons, L. B. ing
& Co. and the Gregory, Mayer s.
Thom 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 II
necessary for two of the three firms
involved to suspend business for a
brief period. The concerns effected
are David Wallace & Sons. grocers
at No. 105 Woodward-ave., l.. B. King
q Co, chinaware, No. 103 Woodward
and the Gregory, Mayer & Thorn Co.,
Woodw;-rd-ave. and Congress-st. The
loss is covered by insurance.
The Wallace and King stores were
so flooded with water, Friday morn
ing, that II was impossible TO do busi'
ness. David Wallace announced
however. that the firm probably would
be in shape to receive orders by Sat
urday. King & 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 a
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
q 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 & Thorn building
The fire started on the fourth floor
OF the middle store, occupied by Wal
lace Sons, in the vicinity Of a wood
en- partition that divides this floor In
two, the front portion being occupied
by King d Co. as a stock room and
the rear portion by Wallace & Sons
for the storing of fruit and liquors.
Just how the fire started is mys-
terry. 1t cannot be blamed to defective
wiring. for there We're 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 slightly, and 1t is just possible,
though not probable. that spark may
have blown in from outside. The
sawdust in which much Of the fruit
WAS packed Furnished excellent fuel
for the blaze. whatever The origin.
1t 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 the lad
seriously or not when he rushed up
to the patrolman al 11:40 to report
the fire, but decided to take a chance
and turn in the alarm. The names
had gained good Roadway when the
first companies arrived aid a second
alarm was promptly turned In. Late
wayfarers fiocked to the scene, at
tracted by the glare, and were re-
warded by a spectacular display when
a section OF the roof fell in shortly
after midnight.
The firemen managed to- keep the
flames confined 10 the fourth floor and
the roof, but It was hard fight. Once,
when they thought the fire was prac-
tically out, it broke out again with
greater fury than ever and the fire.
men then discovered for the first time
that the roof was a double one, ana
that the flames had been raging be-
tween the two parts of II all the
while.
Shortly after the fire started an ex-
plosion of gas blew out the windows
I'm the front part OF the floor and sent
a shower OF glass down on the firemen
working n the street. A large piece
OF glass struck Ray Bagg, fireman,
on the nose and nearly severed the
organ. Bagg also was badly cut about
the face and head. He was taken to
st. Mary's hospital after DR.. Benz.
Brodie. the department surgeon, had
dressed his wounds Another fireman.
Robert Downey was also painfully cut.
Both are Connected with Engine com
pany No. =.
The fact that tie floors I'm the build
ing occupied by Gregory, Mayer d
Tnom Co. are lower than those In the
adjoining buildings explains the heavy
water loss sustained by the station
cry firm. The two buildings are con-
nected on the upper floors and the
water poured through the doorways
from the Wallace building into the
stock rooms and other departments
Of the Gregory, Mayer & Thorn co.
as over cataract. The latter con-
Germ had It's printing Office on the
third floor OF the Wallace building,
directly underneath the fire. and here
the damage was greatest az far as
Gregory, Mayer & Thorn are con
cerned. The company was able to DO
business Friday morning, but work IN
the printing and bindery departments
will be greatly hampered for a few