, 1870-08-23
Erent tCopflagrntlon III the New Dos
trs1nIoN-l.nrEe Number OF Lives
Lost-Htl1&onx OF Feet OF Lumber
Burned-Fnrnls Entirely t:tstted.


lsurncd-FnrnlS Entirely t:t.tted.
4 despatch from Ottawa. dated Oh Thurs-
day, says the fires that ragged in tho bush
during the past three weeks. had approached
III the vicinity OF that city. Several settle
ments have beeu destroyed, and the inhabi-
tants driven from their homes. i number Of
lives were reported to have heon lost. and
by hiding in the ereeks and rivers. About 80
persons arrived in Ottawa on Thurs lay.
burned and otherwise personally injured.
Fires are in eorne spots to the extent Of f0rtg
or tifsr miles long By twelve or fifteen vide.
running vest to tho cast. parallel to the city,
mostly on the other or north side Of the river.
TEoee frots are nov almost everywhere
joined, making two or three dense conhss7s-
tious Of the most dreadful character ever
known in the Lower yalleF Of the Ottawa. In
waiting the immediate scenes. every one
found be could not sc. more thaa aeven miles
c;tv. flames one and half miles from the
suburbs of Hull, containing &ll the saw mills
and thirty million feet Of saved lumber, we're
plainly visible, on the smoke being blown
edgcvise away. In some places the lanes
wefe quite one hundred feet high, aud every
where thi1ty-five feet high. and seemed one
aenee sheet Of dame. Everything this fire
ha- encountered has heen utterly destroyed.
| Crpr*, etock and houses are now meu1cea. and
The lumbar At Hull, and il that takes fire,
there is no hope Of aaEing ottswa fsotn utter
| destruction. The City Council 1net, and the
| the intention oi spsrine no expense in
| checking the flames and thus .are Hall
All the Ghaudie1e mills arc stopped. and the
| men aud fire brigade sent out 70 the fire, hut
did co.hing to check it. The spare engines
| OF the city arc being repsired and msde raa:sy.
Many families are packing their most valuable
articles for escare. In the west the flames
arc one mile from l:ochesterss brewery, in
the euburLs. and xdvsuciag at tta rate Of
one mile An hour. In the eonth flames are
| IN hour, having burned aleno-t everF fence.
| farm -Eouee. crop, and stuck in their way. The
| vo:st Io.ses bAve beea in this direction. East
tie entire tr1h, ~ far ~ cau be ascertsiued,
Is on tire. Tho actual losses ascettainei Are
s 5,G,1, 600 feet ot saved luualer At Cnetee7,
ground. Everything has been burned down.
although lives maF have becu eared By
the person. taking the timber rafta
md tloaticg down the stream. Iron
side sillase-;to the north erery
fatuEe and sneltipE works are totally de-
mahy narrow escapes recorded here. Many
Are injured: come seriously. Lofa in this
village, S5O. .00O. Bridges and the Gatinesn
road running northeast near the city are de-
| a,rosej. and every house and shants betweeu
that and the mines IL totally destfuyed. The
]
people hare not been found, aud are supposed
10 be dead or hiding. At Temp1etou, fnrthe,
east, III the village vas burned down in n
Incredibly abort space Of time Here, and si
Gatineau Point. several hundred persons -
ee enblcd near the waters edge, their onl.
mesns OF escape; ferries were hastily organ,
| ixed and people taken Acroes al the time
and ett11 continue crossing to this eide
Bells Corners Village, niue miles west ou.tle
proposed Canada Central Railroad VA
en- iIely burned, except two churches
and ore ktoue house At Down, man!
people were burned seriously Ill the work
men on the rai3road were driven in. Soms
'ott al they Possessed, From thence 70 tht
ne1: clearing everything WAS burned down
At Balls Corners Station the station and cat,
we're destroyed. On Richmond ro11, coming
i into Ottawa, past Bella Corners, there il
. ecsrrt!y houee, fence. or crop Tor seTel
| miles. Hundreds escaped during the nigh
bs escaping TO the rivct and standing up II
their necks in the watet, Occasionally wettiuf
their heads- Here there we're awful scenes
Scores Of torfes and cattle are described q
having been d1iysn mad By the emoke. c1ndess
and heat, and plunged into the flames. Ih'
list OF farmers totally ruined, SO far AZ asces
tsiued, comprise SOME eighteen or tEen
ts Of the moat wealthy IN the district. Ih
PsckenhAm stage driver could not SEQ th
road on account OF the smoke. He dFov'
alead for the sand hills, but hefore he coult
get there fire broke out half 4 mile aheAd
but luckily burned in auother direction Oh th1
. I road.