Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1886-06-18
A TERRIBLE FIRE.
A City of Five Thousand Inhabitants
in British Columbia To-
tally Destroyed /.
Fire From Surrounding Forests is
.. Swept into the City by
-" High Winds.
The People Scarcely Have Sufficient
Time to Escape With
."- Their Lives.
The Charred Remains Of Twelve
Bodies Found = Incidents
Of the Fire.
Vancouver Destroyed.

PORTLAND, ORE, June 15-A Victoria,
B. c., special says: All day Sunday
there had been steady wind from the
northwest and the brush clearing fires
on the Canadian Pacific railway lots were
famed to such an extent as to fill the ter
minal town of Vancouver with smoke. No
| body, however, had any idea of danger.
Shortly after p. m. several persons began
to consider the situation threatening, bnt
the smoke was so dense that they found it
| impossible to direct their steps to the exact
location OF its source. Soon stable near
the Colonial hotel was seen to be on fire.
The alarm was given, but so skeptical were
the people that they paid no attention to it
for some time. Winds by this time had in
| creased to a gale, and famed the flames to
mass Of raging fire. One Of the first
buildings to go was MacCartney's drug
store, followed by the Office Of the Van
| couver News. The flames shot across
| Abbott street with astonishing rapidity
and almost before the people could realize
it the whole of the western portion of the
| city was blaze. The excitement was
now intense. Water street was filled with
dense smoke and flying cinders and the
peoplewere hurrying with what effects they
could gather in their haste to place of safe
ty, the general direction Of their fight being
east, though many ran to the elevated
ground owned by the Canadian Pacific
railway company. Others again made for
False creek. Those who endeavored to
save their goods were so wrapped in their
object as to appear needless Of the danger
and 1t was found necessary to compel many
women to relinquish their efforts in order
to save their lives. In some cases there
was only just time to place them on impro-
vlsed RATS which were pushed out from
the shore beyond reach of the flames, which
literally seemed to fill the air. Even. after
leaving the houses the danger was not over,
for every road had become an avenue Of
fire. Falling timbers and stumps on each
side OF roads were glowing with fire, and
proving as serious menace to the fugi-
tives as the burning houses Of the doomed
city. During the confusion which pre-
vailed rowdies and rOughs entered saloons,
which had been left entirely unprotected,
and commenced drinking. Men were seen
oACCAH CoApAcIc1y uciuLlcu III DY lle nr0
and apparently oblivious of their surround
ings, drinking liquor. A large number of
fugitives collected at the Hasting Mill
company's wharf, but large majority col
lected at the False creek bridge. Nothing
was to be seen from either of these points
but the lurid rolling bank Of smoke hang
ing over the city, from which stragglers
could be seen occasionally fleeing. The
steamer Dunsmuir was at the wharf to re-
ceive the people, and with several other
steamers conveyed large number over to
Moodyville. The dropping of the flames
was as sudden as their rise, and by D. m.
some adventurous spirits had already made
their way along the roads to the destroyed
city and before dark the work Of searching
for the bodies had begun. In a short time
the incinerated remains of several persons
had been discovered. Up to 10 o'clock
Monday morning nine bodies. some Of
which were burned beyond recognition,
had been found. There is some uncertainty
about the exact number already found, as
| IN some cases handful of charred bones
was the only indication Of hgman life be-
ing lost. One of the searchers said ne
| thought the number could be truthfulIy
estimated at twelve. The general senti-
ment appears to be one of hOpefulness and
determination at once to begin the recon-
structiOn Of the city. Some have already
got building material On the ground.