, 1886-06-17
= Vancouver. &. 5 C0nfagration,


We CLEAN from The Oreqoaiaa the
following account Of the he-disastroua
fire at Vancouver last Sunday:
All day there had been a very
steady wind from the northwest and
brush clearing fires ON the Canadian
Pacific railway lots were famed to
such an extent as to I'LL the town
with smoke. Nobody had, however,
any Idea of danger Shortly after i
p. III. several persons began to con
slider the situation Il threatening one.
but the smoke was so dense that they
found it impossible 10 direct their
steps to the exact location Of the
source Soon q stable near the Col
onial hotel was seen 10 Ire on fire.
The alarm WAS given, bat so skeptI
cal were the people that they paid no
attention to 1t for some time.
The wind had by this time in
creased to 4 gale, and famed the
flames to 4 mass OF raging fire. The
flames spread with astonishing rapid
itv. aud almost before the people
could realize it the whole of the west
ern portion of the city was in a blaze.
The excitement was now intense
Water street was filed with dense
smoke and flying cinders, and people
were hurrying with what effects they
could gather in their haste to place
of safety, the general direction OF
flight bCiug to the east. though
many ran to the elevated ground
owned by the Canadian Pacific rail
road company. Others again made
for False creek. Those who eudeav-
ored to save goods were so wrapped
in their object as to appear needless
of the danger they ran. and it was
found especially necessary to compel
many women to relinquish their eff
forts to save their effects. In some
cases here was only juast~.tme- to
place them on improvlsed RATS,
which were pushed from the shore
bevond the reach OF the flames, which
literally seemed to fill the air.
In less time than it takes TO describe
| it the fire had reached Carroll street
Some merchants in this vicinity and
in the Ferguson block engaged teams
to convey their goods to Il place ot
safety, but so rapid was the confag,
ration that before the horses were
ready tie teamsters themselves were
obliged to fly for their lives.
All hope of saving any considerable
amount of property was now aband
oned, and each contented himself
with hastily putting together what
he could carry in MS hands without
seriously impeding his speed and
hurried from the spot; but even after
leaving the houses the danger was
not over, for every road had become
an avenue of fire, the fallen timbers
and stumps on each side of the road
glowing with fire, proving as serious
a menace to the fugitives as the burn
ing houses of the doomed city
During the confusion that pre-
vailed, when the rowdies and rOughs
saw that every one was leaving, they
entered the saloons, which had beer
left entirely unprotected, and com
menced drinking Many one was
seen staggering along the street will
a keg of beer on his shoulders, ol
packing as many bottles of liquor as
he could appropriate.
The dropping of the flames was u:
sudden as their rise, and by 6 o'clocl
some adventurous spirits had already
made their way along the roads o
the destroyed city, and before darl
the work of searching for the bodie!
of those overtaken by the fiery eIe-
ment had begun In il short time
the incinerated remains of severa
persons had been discovered.
Up to 10 o'clock Monday morning
nine bodies, some of which were be-
yond recognition had beed found.
There Is some uncertainty abOu
the exact number of thosei already
found, as in some cases a hapdful U
charred bones We're the only Indlca
Tfe sehheral hgrl9 athf59fsE tf9 RsiHEN II ieTtt Is pco
pie appears to be one of hopefulnes
and "A determination at once to begiI
reconstruction of the city. Som,
have already got building materia
} on the ground.