The Detroit times., 1911-11-15
FLAMES LICK UP PROPERTY |
ON JEFFERSOM-AVE. WORTH
QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS
Fire Starts in n-Fisher~
Wells Millinery House, But
Other Firms Lose Heavily.
THREE FIREMEN INJURED.
Spectacular Blaze Witnessed By
Thousands On Way Home
From Work.
THREE FIREMEN INJURED.
HEAVIEST SUFFERERS.

HEAVIEST SUFFERERS.
oarton-FI Ischer-WiIIs Co., Nos.
15a16o Jefferson-ave., $4,000.
John 7. Woodhouse 4 Co.,
Nos. 154-165 Jefferson-ave., $751;
900.
NJ. A. LaFond q CO., No. 162
Jefferson-ave., SIS, 900.
Newland Hat Co., Nos. 162-168
Jefferson-ave., $35, 900.
While eight firms sustained losses
In fire which caused heavy damage
In the block on the south side OF JEFF
terson-ave.. between Griswold-st. and
Woodward-ave., shortly after 5 o'clock
Tuesday night, the foregoing suffered
the most. The others, whose stocks
were damaged to a less extent than
$1,000 In each instance, were as fol-
lows: d. K. Kellogg & Co., No. 10
Jefferson-ave.; Henry r. Beck Co..
Nos. 17O-172 Jefferson-aye.: A. Rush
e. Son, Nos. 45-49 WoodYard-ave., and
F. p. Reynolds q Son, Nos. 40-42 Girls
wold-st. The total loss, is estimated
at close to a quarter million.
The fire started on the fourth floor
OF the building, occupied by the Gar
toni n-F1sher-Wills Millinery Co., and is
thought to have been caused by a gas
burner In one OF the machines hay-
ing been left burning.
The 90 girls and men employed In
the room had left at o'clock and the
building was practically empty when
the blaze was discovered by Special
Officer Russell, watchman for the firm.
The flames were blazing fierce1y when
first detected and were being famed
to greater fury by a strong draft which
came up the elevator shaft within a
few feet OF the spot where the fire
originated. The flremen. responding
to a first. second and third alarm, were
greatly handicapped by the snow
storm, which made the handling OF
hose dificult. Twenty-Five companies
and the two fire boats fought the fire
! for three hours before getting ii under
control The firemen found II stub
born opponent, time and again being
Fdriven back by binding smoke and
flame. Two companies had narrow
escape from being caught In an ava
lanche OF burning timbers when the
fifth floor of the millinery store caved
| in.
Three firemen were slightly hurt.
Frank Gallagher, senior pipeman or
engine company No. l, was overcome
by smoke while playing stream or
water on the fourth floor from a stair
way. Part OF the stairs below him
had burned away and his fellow-work-
ers had difficulty in getting him out
| into the open. He was taken away to
fire headquarters in an auto. Ii was
| found that he was not In serious
condition Herman Gadde, OF ladder
company No. 3, was cut by dropping
glass, and John DuncansUu, ladder
company No. ,. was also cut by glass
In saving himself from slipping from
the roof.
| Il was most spectacular fire, and
was watched by thousands on their
way home from work. The building
Of the millinery company was roar
! ing furnace for more than an hour,
and the falling OF floors added to the
excitement The fremen poured tons
and tons OF water on the flames, bur
II seemed like so much oil for time.
The first department. however, took
Irecaution TO prevent the fire from
spreading Men, with lines or hose,
we're placed In the Woodhouse build
ing. adjoining. and they succeeded In
keeping back the flames when they
burst through from the millinery
store. The Woodhouse stock, how
ever. was ruined by water as were
the stocks of firms in the adjoining
buildings. Most OF the sufferers were
burned out a few years ago, when nre
visited the store of Edwin s. George
Fur Co, at Woodward and JEFFERSON
aves. All the losses are said to be
pretty we'll covered by insurance.
Fire Chief Broderick and Fire Com
missioners Moore. McGraw and Moran
are profuse in their praise OF the man
ner I'm which the firemen did their
work.
Forty policemen were required 10
keep the crowd back from the nose
lines.
Street car traffic was seriously ar
fected by the fire. cars on nearly all
lines being held up, and many late
suppers being the result.
Manager Heath. OF the Woo -
firm. provided big supply of ssnd-
wiches and coffee for the flremen and
employees OF the store. The latter
we're in the building when the fire
broke out and remained TO remove
the more valuable articles TO a place
of safety.
NEW CORPORATIONS.
,,>-stNn Mich Nov. 1b-The fol-