St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-06-16
COMPLETELY WIPED OUT.
Nothing But Ash Heaps Left Where
Vancouver Once stood.
Further Details of the Great Calamity
1.-The Loss 100000.
The Vancouver Fire,

VICTORIA, 3. c.. June 15.-Last nights
reports OF the fire at Vancouver were in no
way exaggerated. Not half dozen houses
remain out of 500, and, worst of all, there
is large loss Of life. Ten bodies have
thus far been recovered, and a num-
per OF persons are missing and are supposed
to have persisted. One short hour did the
whole work. The property saved is insig-
nl1lcant. A ''clean sweep" defines the stu
alton. A thousand men are at work clean
ing up debris for the railroad company,
Twenty contracts for rebuilding have been
already let. Many men lost their all, but
are determined to start in again. All day
Sunday there had been steady wind from
the northwest, and the brush clearing fires
ON the Canadian Pacific railway lots were
tanned to such an extent as to fill
Vancouver with smoke. Shortly after D.
m. several persons began to consider the
situation Threatening, but the smoke was so
dense that they found it impossible to di-
rect their steps to the exact location of its
source. Soon stable near the Colonial
hotel was seen to be on fire. The winds by
this time had increased to a gale and famed
the flames to mass of fire. One of the
first buildings to go was MacCartneys drug
store. followed by the Office of the Vancou-
yer News. The flames shot across Abbott
street with astonishing rapidity, and almost
before people could realize it the whole of
the western portion OF the city was
IN A BLAZE.
The excitement was now intense. Water
street was filled with dense smoke and flv-
ing cinders, and people were hurrying with
what effects they could gather in their
haste to a place OF safety, the general
direction of their flight being east, though
many ran to the elevated ground owned bv
the Canadian Pacific Ralroad company.
Others again made for False creek. Those
who eHdeavored to save their goods were so
wrapped in their object as to appear heed
less of the danger they ran, and it was
found especially necessary to compel many
women to relnQuiSh their efforts to save
their lives. In some cases there was only
just time to place them on improvised RATS,
which were pushed out from the shore be-
yond the reach of the flames. which liter
ally 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 Ferguson's block were
engaged in conveying their goods to a
place of safety, but so rapid was the con-
fagration that before their horses were
ready the Transfers themselves were
obliged to
FLY FOR THEIR LIVES.
All hope of saving any considerable
amount of property was now abandoned.
and each contented himself with hastily
putting together what he could carry in his
hands without seriously impeding his speed,
and hurrying from the spot. But even
after leaving the houses the danger was not
over, for every road had become an avenue
of fire, the falling timbers and stumps on
each side of the road glowing with fire and
a. f< 49,
as the burning houses of the doomed city.
During the confusion which prevailed,
when rowdies and roughs saw that evelv-
one was leaving, they entered the saloons,
which had been left entirely unprotected,
and commenced drinking. Many a one was
seen staggering along the street with key
of beer on his shoulder, or carrying as
many bottles of liquor as he could appr0pri-
ate. Men were seen sitting completely
HEAIMED IN BY THE FIRE
and apparently oblivious of their sur
roundings, drinking liquor. They were,
of course, then already partially intoxi-
Gated. = large number of the fugtives
collected at the Hastings Mill eompany's
wharf, but large majority collected at
False Creek bridge. Nothing was to be
seen from either of the points but lurid
rolling bank of smoke hanging over the
ashes of the city, from which stragglers
could be seen occasionally fleeing. The
steamer Dunsmuir was at the wharf to re-
ceive people, and with several other steam
ers, conveyed large number over to
Moodyville. The dropping of the flames
was as sudden as their rise, and by p.
IN. some adventurous spirits had already
made their way along the roads to the
destroyed city. and before dark the work of
SEARCHING FOR BODIES
had begun. In short time incinerated re-
mains of several persons had been discov-
cred. Up to 10 o'clock Monday morning,
nine bodies, some ofwhich were burned be-
yond recognition, had been found. There
is some uncertainty about the exact number
already found, and in some eases hand
full OF charred bones were the only indica-
ton of human life being lost. One of the
searchers said he thought the number could
be truthfully estimated at twelve. The
general sentiment of the people appears to
be one of hopefulness and determination at
once to begin the reconstruction of the CITY.
Some have already got building material on
the ground.
TORONTO, Ont, June 15.-The mayor
transmitted to-day by telegraph $1,000 for
the relief of the sufferers by the Vancouver,
B. c., fire.