The Detroit times., 1916-02-19
Blaze of Unknown ORR
gin Destroys Central
Part of ID. u. S.
STUDENTS FLEE
IN Gym" SUITS
Plans for Rebuilding
Are Already Under
Way

several students OF the Detroit
University school, Elmwood- ave. and
Lafnedar. and a team OF basketball
payers from the Deaf Mute insti-
rue oi Flint we're driven from the
gymnasium of the school to the
street, clad 1nly In their gym"
Fdts, Friday lfternoon, when a dis.
t,ontinued ON Page EIeveuD.
dS'Io''7' hr' swept the central part
ot the tullding and completely de-
Siroyed The gymnasium, engine
:ot ~, general Offices and several
class rooms The loss Is estimated
at $4,000 ana is fully covered by
insurance Ta~ origin OF the nre is
undetermined
AZ $3.50 O'Clock several students
detected the Cdor OF WOOD smoke
coming from the basement of the
building and notified the engineer.
a. W. Flowers, OF No 695 Clinton.
ST., who was n the upper floors.
The smoke, they said. came from
the lunch room, next TO the boiler
room. Several other boys ran TO
The g. mnasium and notified the bas-
kctball players 10 get out while the
JdnitUr went 10 the barn OF Ladder
Co. No 9, al F.lmwood and Fort-st.
east.
In the short time IL required for
The ladder company TO get two
blocks 40 The school the flames had
gained such headVay tina, a second
alarm was turned IN. which brought
tho apparatus from the downtown
district under the direction OF Fire
Chief McGraw. When the com
paries responding 10 the second
)daim arrived the central portion of
tire building was veritable furnace.
Chief McGraw then called for ad-
ditional apparatus by sounding
third alarm.
Miss a. G. Rave'ler. secretary OF
the school, ran 10 the office with
several students pnth snatched rec
ords and hook, from the ,aesk when
he 1ames licked their way into the
room. She then rtn to case in the
hallway and saved many silver cups
and valuable athletic trophies and
carried them 10 a Leighboring house.
when che tried TO make Q third trip
INTO the burning building flremen
and policemen stopped her. They
declared she was going directly into
the burning Office in her anXiety TO
save records
Frederick Edwards Scarle. princi-
pal OF the schuol. had just alighted
from Jefferson.ave cas- at Elm.
wood when the htst alarm of
the hrc WAS termed in. lie ran
quickly to tho dcrniitory of the
blsldiug and directed tie work Of
several students WHO were rescuing
their personal effects
The IRE occurred during the mid.
winter vacation period, and most OF
tic boarding students had gone
hone Tor the holidays About 10 OF
d hem We're IN the dormitcry wnen
the FIRE broke out. Most Of their
effects were saved
Great clouds NJ thick acrid smoke
hillowed from the building and were
driven before stn wind over JEFF
fersun.aYe.. and tine river. Several
hundred children in the parochial
school OF our Lady Of Help church.
directly across the street from the
ID l.. :. became alarmed at the
thick. black tmoke. hut their fears
were dispelled through he efforts
OF the sisters. who commanded the
children TO march ont quietly.
Famed by a strong wind from the
north the flames ate through the
roof ami were blazing away 80 feet
into the air when the Gremen ar
rived. Streams from nine engines
played ON all sides Of the fire and
prevented 1t from spreading. The
chll wind froze the water the in
slant it struck the building, and the
6remen had TO work In shifts on ac-
count OF the cold Ice formed on
the lines of htse and on the FIRE
mems coats and helmets, and seri-
DUSTY impcdcd their work.
At o'clock The walls in the rear
OF the central portion If the build
ing caved in with crash that oould
be heard for blocks. Several min
utes before tho crash ths chief or
dered The mea away from the rear
walls until thoy fell. After the col
lapse Of the walls the men renewed
The hattie at the rear. and In that
way got a, the base OF the flames.
~ Z O'Clock vhcn the "all out or
der was giv5- The iiremen, they
their ic,ecoated lines from a