The Detroit times., 1912-10-18
FIRE SERIOUSLY DAMAGES
ST. ALOYSIUS CHURCH
(contInued from Flr.t P.Eel.

quest OF the priest, who, they had
learned. was still in the building.
Choking and gasping. the officers
forced their way TO the altar, and
then, returning for air. went back.
Then they were informed that Turing
their first sally, FIR. Van Dyke, unin-
jured, had made his way to his home,
adjoining the church on the north.
Investigation showed that the fire
mad started from some unknown
cause, in the chemical room of the
Carpenter Chemical Co., manufactur-
ers of liquid court plaster, the order
of which combined with the sitting
smoke, TO make ii next TO impossible
to stay in either of the smoke-filled
buildings for more than a few min
utter at a time.
Offices in the Tolsma estates build
sodth, and fronting on both Washing
ton-blvd. and Safest. II was in this
building that DR.. George A. Fritch
had his Office. the corner one, at the
time that IL was alleged that Maybell
Millman visited him.
Water Does Much Damage.
The chemical room of the Car.
fenter company was only scared by
the blaze, but tone of water was
poured into the place, and flooded
down into the premises OF the Fam
Gus Shoe Repair Co, at No. 48 State.
ST.; the Crook Electric Co., No. So
State-st., the Quality Cigar store, No.
20 State-st., and into the cleaning
shop of Otto z. Rast on Washington
blvd, next to the church. The tailor
shop of Brewer & Harlow, on the
second floor of the building. was also
flooded with water and filled with
smoke, and the repaid shop Of Bal
lantine, the tailor, whose main store
AT Washington-blvd. and State-st., in
the basement, was unscathed, was
also flooded with water and magaged
ny smoke. The shop is on the third
ficor, not directly over the chemica,
repair works, which abuts beyond the
tailor shop.
The windows OF the chemical shop,
however, are only a few feet remov-
ed from windows near the altar Of
the church. and II was here that the
hames leaped across.
II was impossible to get anything
like exact estimates on the damage,
none OF the shop or store owners be-
ing able to place their loss, and the
interior OF the church, flooded a foot
deep with water, and with the costly
recorations water soaked and begrim-
ed by smoke, presenting a sorrp spec
table.
II is roughly estimated, however,
shat the total loss will reach about
$4,000, Of which $4,000 will be re-
quired to repair and redecorate the
church.
Less than 10 minutes before the
alarm from the hoodoo box No. 13
came. in, with the Church as the
sequel. an alarm was turned in from
the Michigan Central depot, calling
out al, available apparatus in the
downtown district, whic sped, shrek
ing up to the depot, to find taxicab
slightly damaged by gasoline flare.
While at that alarm, the call to
Pox No. 1S came in, and the apparat.
us was rushed to the church fire.
st. Aloysius' church was originally
built for the Westminster Presbyter.
ian congregation, in January, 1861,
and used by the Presbyterians unt'l
1873, when Bishop Borgess., Roman
bishop of Detroit, purchased
Il for $4,000 and ST. Aloysius' con-
gregation was founded. The parish
priests house adjoining, cost $4,000
About $4,000 was spent by Bishoo
Borgess. in remodeling and improve
ments to church and rectory. The
Rev. Ernest Van Dyke has been pas
tor OF the church since its organiza-
tfon in 1872