The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-12-27
OLD M {. DEPOT
FLAME-SWEPT;;
new One OPENED
Fire in Building About to be
Abandoned Causes Loss of
100000
QUICK TRANSFER MADE
TO OTHER STRUCTURE
Valuable Papers Destroyed in
Blaze, Cause of Which Is Not
Determined

Fire, which wrecked the old Michi-
gan Central station at the loot OF
Third-st., Friday afternoon. forced the
premature opening OF the new sta
ton, more than a week before the date
scheduled.
The flames were discovered about 2
O'Clock in the store room on the third
floor, west of the tower. They spread
rapidly eastward The automobile fire
engines were unable 10 develop suiii-
cient pressure To give the firemen ade-
Quate streams, ana by the time the
fire tug Battle had begun operations,
the body of the station was atire. The
slate roof also hampered the tiremen
by providing solid cap, under which
the flames ragged BY three o'clock
the tower was a pillar OF fire. The
big clock gave way and fell with a
crash. In half hour the top OF the
tower had caved in, and there We're
great holes IN the roof on either side.
BY o'clock, the FIRE was under con.
troll. The southeast wing was saved.
though it was badly damaged by wa
ter. and the sheds ON the extreme west
were uninjured ~ fire.
ticket Office had been conveyed TO q
safe In the Wayne hotel. valuable pa
pers had been thrown into the various
safes In the station, and the baggage
had been carried out and placed in
safety. Postmaster Nagel was on hand
TO superintend the removing OF the
mail
The last passenger train to steam
! in was the Western express which ar
rived from New York while the fire
was in progress. The passengers were
dropped ut the extreme west end OF
the sheds The rext train, the Vol
VERNE, at $3.50, stopped az the new
station. and later came down TO the
western train she'd TO pick mp the
passengers that waited there
As soon as it was seen that the hre
would be serious, Michigan Central oil
ficials arranged ior the immediate use
of the new station. They informed
the y. L. r. that car service was
needed. -A-plug hneImas- established
on the station loop, and before evening
the regular station service. station 10
Michigan to Woodv ard TO Congress 10
Griswold to Michigan 10 station. was
established.
Luckily, the sta zion was so far com
pleted that It could be put In use
without Inconvenience. The employees
OF the various departments were all
engaged i'm their new quarters. Satur
day morning
The cause Of the fire is not definite
" known Defective wiring was blam'
cd at first, but there are reasons FOR
believing that this was not the true
cause.
There is no possibility that the
wiring could have been responsible,
said NJ. r. Reading. Saturday morning.
II worked under q T. Taylor. chieI
electrician of the rosAr for seven
years. and | am familiar with all the
wiring OF The old station The wires
were protected by fuses which wouih
have blown out the moment heavier
/ charge than could he carried was iali
/ on the line IL is not possible that
the lines were over loaded The state
m4nt that the wiring was defective IS
slur on q very skillful and able man
I The loss on building and contents is
estimated at $500 0C0 II rs covered
by insurance. \ great many records
were destroyed. of which those OF the
legal department were perhaps the
most important
A great crowd Witnessed the fre
bur the police established lines
block distant and Kept the people un
der control.