Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 65, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 May 1900 — MILLIONS IN ASHES. [ARTICLE]

MILLIONS IN ASHES.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE BREAKS OUT IN HULL, CANADA. Loss of $20,000,000 Flames Sweep Across River and Wipe Ont Industrial District of Ottawa— Many Casualties Reported. One of the most disastrous fires in the history of Canada broke out at Hull at 11 o’clock Thursday morning. The loss at 10 o’clock Thursday night was estimated at upward of $18,000,000. Hull is a place of 10,000 people, on tlie Quebec side of tile Ottawa river. * Fanned by a furious gale of wind from the northwest, which continued with unabated violence all day and far into the, night, the flames swept everything before them, wiping out tlie whole city, crossed large sections of territory, ran through the vast lumber yards, filled with piles of pine lumber, and into the Ottawa-Chau-diere district, In a half hour's time from the outbreak the flames were beyond tlie control of both tlie lire departments of Hull and Ottawa, and within an' incredible space of time had swept a pathway a through Hull, leaped across tlie narrow part of the river at tlie ('haudiere, fails, and had gained a footing among the lumber piles on the Ottawa side. From thence it-cut a wide swath through the whole of the western portion of Ottawa, through Roejiestervillo, and into tlje suburb of fliiitonburg. The pathway of the flames was about five miles in length. .Most of the buildings which were burned at the outset were wooden, and the flames, forced by the high wind, licked them up like shavings. Household effects. that were earned into the streets, and such as were placed upon carts for removal, were consumed in many instances where they stood. The whole industrial district of Ottawa has been completely wiped out. This includes the groat factories of E. B. Eddy, consisting of woodworking, match, pulp, and paper factories, valued at $1,500,000. The large lumber mills of Booth, Bronson. the Hull Lumber Company.-Gilmour & Ilttgeson. and others, together with the flour mills of Ale Kay, were also destroyed. As a result 7,000 operators are thrown out of employment and 20.000 persons rendered homeless ill both cities. About 100,000,000 feet of mauufactured pine lumber lias been consumed. Practically the-whole of the eity of Hull is blotted out. and had the wind been blowing from a westerly direction, nothing could have savi'il Ottawa from like destruction. . The fire originated, it is said, from *a defective chimney, but not an h,our had elapsed after it had gained a foothold on the Ottawa side when flames were seen to break out 'in/piree different places in that city over an extent of two miles from the river side. Another suspicious circumstance was 1 he outbreak of tlie fire at Gilmour's lumber mills, two miles down the river on tlie Hull side and to windward of tlie main fire. This was undoubtedly the work of an incendiary Other coincidental fires in Ottawa which during the day broke out in unexpected places, were also, it is thpuglu, tlie work of fire bugs. 2" 'Die Ottawa Electric Company’s principal power house was burned early in the day and the street car service was put out of business. Tlie Parliament buildings were at one time threatened by the burning timbers wliieli floated down the river and several times set the bushes in the escarpment aflame. Ail business in tlie city was suspended and the House of Commons met for a few minutes, then' adjourned. Many serious accidents happened, but so far as reported been only three fatalities, one being that of Chief Benoit, of the Hull fire brigade, who was so seriously burned I hat he died, but witli such a large and rapMly spreadingfire the death list must lie larger. The Canadian Pacific Railway depot and much rolling stock standing in the yards was wiped up by the flames. The iron traffic bridge, which is tlie only one at present between Ottawa and Hull, is also gone and travel can now only bo made»by ferry.

A conservative estimate of the total loss so far sustaim'd by the two cities is placed at from $15,<)()0,(M)() to $20,000,000, of which the loss in lumber alone will amount to over $10,000,000.