Columbus, OH Metropolitan Opera House Fire, Jan 1892

BIG FIRE AT COLUMBUS.

LOSS HALF A MILLION -- METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE DESTROYED.

Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 26. -- A disastrous fire broke out at 7:40 o'clock this morning in the large block at the northwest corner of Rich and High Streets. Before noon the entire block, from Rich Street to Walnut, and from High to Wall, had been destroyed. The large pressed brick building on the corner was the first to go. The only part left standing was the front. The nex building to go was the Metropolitan Opera House. The fire caught in the portion of the building occupied by H. C. GODMAN'S leather store and in a short time the entire building, including the Opera House, was in ruins.
GODMAN'S shoe factory employed 204 persons, 132 of whom were girls. The factory occupied three floors. The girls went down the fire ladders and escapes with aprons over their heads.
Very soon after the fire began to pour out from the fourth floor of the Opera House block a woman with a babe in arms stepped out of a fourth-story window on to the fire escape. She gesticulated wildly for a moment, then turned and disappeared. Two officers rushed up the stairway, and in a few moments appeared with the woman and child. A mighty cheer went up from the crowd.
Among the firms burned out are:
ZWERNER'S drug store, loss $6,000, insurance, $3,000.
Gazette Printing Company, loss $10,000, insurance $10,000.
Bankrupt Shoe Store, recently established, total loss.
Daily Express, a German paper, the Hon. LEO HIRSCH, President, loss $5,000, insurance about $1,500.
Columbus Brick and Terra Cotta Company.
LUTCHENBACH & EILBERY, insurance office.
H. O. GODMAN & Co.'s shoe factory, loss $50,000.
BAKER'S photograph art gallery, loss $31,000.
HALLIDAY & HIGGINS'S shoe store, loss $7,000, covered.
ISAAC EBERLY, Metropolitan Opera House Building, loss $140,000, insurance $100,000.
Wholesale liquor house of STEINHAUSER, loss $12,000, no insurance.
STALEY & MORTON'S dry goods store, probably $150,000.
DICKSON & TALBOT, lessees of the Opera House, $1,500, fully insured.
SIEBERT & LILLEY, bookbinders, loss $40,000, insurance $20,000.
S. M. GUNDERSHIMER, clothier, complete loss.
SLOAN'S saloon, complete loss.
The total loss is estimated at $500,000, with insurance of $300,000. There was no loss of life, though there were many thrilling escapes. The weather was cold.
The Opera House was to have been opened by MODJESKA this evening, and the seating capacity of the house had been almost entirely sold. MARGARET MATHER was to have followed MODJESKA Thursday and Friday, with big sales.

The New York Times New York 1892-01-27
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!