The Portland daily press., 1896-03-02
A HALIFAX BLAZE,
Whose Roaring Reached Half a
Mile.

A Night of Terror in the Canadian City
Loss Will Aggregate Million-The De-
tails.
Halifax, March Fire broke out
shortly after midnight in Gordon and
Keith's wholesale and retail house fur
nishing establishment, one of the largest
in Canada, and the building was in
flames in less than fifteen minutes. The
entire place was threatened with destruc-
ton. involving great loss and number
of wooden buildings on both sides were
in danger of burning. Gordon and
Keith's fronts on two streets, harrington
and Granville, and the main building is
handsome brick structure of five stor-
les. A wooden building adjoining is also
occupied by the firm.
At IL. 45. the furniture building was
roaring furnace and the blaze was COM
municating to other houses. At that
hour, tn whole square bounded by Bar
r]ngton, Sackville Granville and Blow
ers streets was Threatened and it looked
as though few of the stores or dwellings
would escape unless the flames were got
under control very rapidly.
ny one clock all the 1remen in Hall
lax were working on the fire and were
succeeding fairly we'll in preventing the
flames from doing serious damage to the
buildings not within the immediate
REACH OF THE FIRE.
Those next door to Go rdon and Keith's
on both streets caught fire but the fire
department devoted their attention to
saving them. The loss of Gordon and
Keith could not have been moro complete
Everything in the establishment was
eaten up in less than an hour after the
outbreak. The firms loss will probably
be over 100000. The insurance is small
The fire died down hut at one o'clock it
again burst out fercely, spreading rapid
ly to adjoining buildings. The roar of
the burning buildings could be heard
mile away and people crowded to the
scene from all directions. 1t was evident
by 100 that the loss would be
normous. at least half million dollars,
and perhaps we'll on towards the full
million.
At 1. 45 all the electric lights in the city
went out on account OF the wires being
cut Gordon an d Keith's building wall
was trembling but the firemen were de-
voting all their attention to other proper
ty The stores Immediately south Of Cor
don and Keith's are occupied by A. ].
Boutilier, confectioner, and M. j. Con-
roy, dry goods aud millinery. On the
north are Mrs. A. O'Connor, millinery,
and Mrs. MoEohron, millinery. On
Granville street are James Crosskill and
Sons, bottling house and Music hall.
The other buildings are occupied by Mrs.
Sarah Naville aud Mrs. lands. All
these buildings except the Orpheus were
burning most of the time. While the
efforts of the fremen kept the fire in
these quarters it was impossible to meet
with much success while
The FLAMES RACED
SO flercely in the furniture building and
prevented them from fighting the fire IN
the other buildings. Orpheus hall was
also injured some, but the full extent of
damage could not he estimated while the
fire lasted. Several small buildings in
the rear of those mentioned on Barring
ton and Granville streets were wiped out.
The Church of England. directly oppo-
site the fire, was red hot and it's contents
were moved out because of the danger to
the building. Eleven other building in
the burning block were also emptied of
their stocks and the same course was fol-
lowed by tenants on the lower side of
Granville street where houses occupied as
dwellings were in danger OF catching.
Streams of water were turned on all the
endangered porperty and the firemen had
all they could do to prevent the heat
from firing score of structures. Half
an hours desperate work resulted in the
firemen largely reducing the danger of
further destruction and while four or
i've of the buildings nearest to Gordon
and keith's were practically wrecked by
the flames and water they we're not en-
tirely destroyed. The buildings farther
away were more or less damaged and the
stocks In the store damaged by water
and smoke and by hurried removal. The
damage to Orpheus hall is supposed to be
slight as the flames did not reach it at
all.
A number Of people occupying the up
per portions of buildings on Darlington
street as dwellings suffered considerable
loss.
AT 2.15,. the fire was confinsd to the
building in which it originated. The
Darlington street section of Gordon and
Keith's was
A MASS OF RUINS,
the walls having fallen out and at the
Granville street side nothing remained
but the frame of brick at the front and
on one side, with fire playing around the
little woodwork left.
The Nova Scotia Printing company's
building on the corner of Granville and
Sackville streets, one of the largest build
Ing establishments in the eastern pro-
Vince, was in some danger but the
flames did not extend that far and the
loss there, IL any, will be slight. The
IL IN ho hrJilc