1884 - A Serious Blaze in Detroit

Detroit, Mich., Sept. 18. Fire broke out yesterday afternoon in Thomas Moore’s planing-mill on High street. Delbridge, Brooks & Fisher’s planning-mill was also ignited, and the flames soon leaped across Grand River avenue, setting fire to Reed’s block of stores, Crapo’s lumber yard and Engel’s brick block. A dozen or more persons were passing along Grand avenue when the flames leaped across there. Before they could get out of the way several had their necks and faces painfully blistered. About seven o’clock this evening, as a great crowd was viewing the ruins, a barrel of gasoline exploded. George Barry, aged eight, and William Coleman, aged sixteen, were badly but not dangerously burned. Total loss about $60,000.