Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-08-27
Tremendous Conaagration,
Great fires around Ottdard- Lires lOst-MilltOnI
Of feet Of Lumber Burned-Farms Destroyed
People Naked and Homeless.

Great fires around Ottdlrd- Lires l0st-HiUiOns
Of feet Of Lumber Burned-Farms Destroyed
People Naked and Homeless.
A dispatch from Ottawa, the Canadian
capitol, dated August 18th, says /: The |
fires that have ragged in the bush during |
the past three weeks approached the set
Elements in the vicinity Of this city last |
night, almost wholly destroying them,
driving the inhabitants from their homes,
and in the majority of cases almost with
out clothing. Several lives were report
ed to have been lost, aud about 100 per.
sons missing they are probably hiding
in the creeks aud rivers. About thirty
persons arrived in this city to-'lay, burned
and otherwise personally injured. Fires
are in some spots TO the txt,nt OF forty
or fifty miles long by twelve or fifteen
wide, running west to the east parallel of
this city, mostly on the other or north
side of the river.
Those spots are now almost every
VIII, r, joined, making Nv" or three dense
contlagraiions of the most dreadful char.
acter ever known in tue lower valley of
the Ottawa. III visiting the immediate
scenes this afternoon, every one found he
| COultl HOb Gtt iilOlt iIihh NNNNh
from this city in any direction, North
OF the city, flames one and half miles
from the suburbs OF Hull, containing all
the saw MILLS and aO,Oo0,000 feet of
sawed lumber, were plainly visible, nh
the smoke being blown edgewisr away,
In some places the flames were quite lu0
feet high, and everywhere thirty-tive feet
high, aud seemed one dens, sheet of
flame Everything this fire has encuun-
tered has been utterly destroyed. Crops,
stock aud houses are now menaced, and
the lumber at Hull, and if that takes
fire, there is 10 hope OF saving Ottawa
from utter destruction.
The City Council met to-day, aud the
Aldermen proceeded every point with
the intention ut sparing no expense III
checking the flames and thus SAY" Hull.
All the Chaudlere mills are stopped, and
the men aud fire brigade sent "nL 10 the
fire, but did nothing 10 check 1t. The
spare engines OF the ci,y are being re-
paired and made ready Many families
are packing their most vaiuahie articles
tor escape. In the west the t1lmcs are
in the suburbs, and advancing AZ lEr rate
of one mile an hour. In The south
flames are advancing on the city at the
rate of two miles an hour, having burned
almost every fence, farm house, crop. aud
stock IN their way, The worst losses
have been in this direction. East,
the entire bush, as far as can be ascer
tanned, is on fire. The actual losses as
certained tonight are 100000 feet OF
sawed lumber at Chelsea. Everything
has been burned down, although lives
may have been saved by the persons
taking the timber RATS and floating down
the stream. lrouside village. TO the
north, every house and smelling works
: are totally destroyed. No lives are lost
although there are many narrow escapes
,, rec )rd,d here. Many are injured, sum'
erinusly. Loss in tins village, $4,000
Bridges and the Gatineau road running
: northeast near the city is destroyed, anG
every house and shanty between that
and the mines is totally destroyed. Th,
loss OF life is not known, but a number
of people have not been found, and ar,
q supposed to be dead or hiding. A
o Templeton, further east, all the village
8 was burned down III an incredibly shor
1 space OF time. Here, and at Catineal
!. Point, several hundred persons assembled
a near the waters edge, their only mean
OF escape ferries were hastily organixr'
r. and people taken across all the time, ant
;. still CONTINUE crossing to this side. Bell
}, Corners Village, nine miles west on III
proposed Canada Central Railroad, wa
IS entirely burned. except two ohurche
Y and one stone house. Al Down, man
g pc )ple were burned seriously; all III
l. workmen OH the railroad were driven IL
N Some lost all they possessed. Fror
thence TO the next clearing eyerythin
IS was burned down. At Bells Corner
" Station, the station and cars were d'
a stroyed. On the Richmond road, con
le ing into Ottawa, past Bells Corner
p there is scarcely house, fence, or Gro
" tor seven miles. Hundreds escap
" during the night by escaping TO Il
|. river and standing up to their necks
= the water, occasionally wetting the
m heads. Here there were awful scene
Scores of horses and cattle are describs
a as having been driven mad by the amok
AZ cinders, and heat, and plunged into Il
flames. The list OF farmers total
n, ruined, so tar as ascertained, compri
nj some eighteen or twenty OF the mo
nm wealthy III the district. The Packenha
stage driver could not see the road I
no accoun, of the smoke. IL drove ahe'
&c. for III. sand hills, but before he cou
ru get there fire broke out halt mi
ahead, but luckily burned in another
of rection of the road.
N. Sli,lsville is almost wholly destroye
Id A farmer there, being burned ally
as Near that place, also, Frederick Richar
nd son and Mrs, Harten are known 10 ha
been killed, 4''s...,
,io : There are other deaths, but not >
Of known.
ho The important village OF BnckinghS
is said TO be wholly destroyed. A scc
ION of other villages aud settlements fartt
by back are reported TO be almost burn
He to cinder, but the details are not obla
ce. able.
or AT Templeton an old man and won
i've ave reported to be dead. Coming, Y
nd, Hull me fire spread SO rapid that ne
All ~ all places heard from have been !,