, 1897-10-18
WINDSOR IS IN ASHES
A NOVA SCOTIA TOWN DEVASTAT-
ED AND 5000 PEOPLE
HOMELESS.
Three Million Dollars Worth OF Proper
ty Destroyed In the Conf1agraion-
The Good People OF the Surround
ing Country and Villages Come 10
the Rescue OF the Distressed.

ing Country and Villages Come TO
the Rescue OF the Distressed.
Halifax. N. S.. Oct. 17.-Historic
Windsor. one of the most beautiful
towns in the providence, was devastas-
ed by fire this morning. For six hours,
beginning shortly before 3 a. m. the fire.
tanned by a violent northwest gale,
ragged SO fiercely that the local fire de-
partment was absolutely helpless to cope
with it, and within half an hour after
its discovery the mayor began to call
for outside assistance.
Long before noon the town had been
eaten up almost completely, the area
covered by the flames being nearly a
mile square. OF the four hundred or
more buildings occupying the section,
barely half a dozen scorched structures
remain. Among the buildings that es-
capped were the Windsor cotton factory,
Kings college. the Anglican church. the
Edgehill school for girls and the Buffrin
hotel.
The latter is the only hotel lett stand
ing. No Nova Scotia town has ever been
Visited before by a conflagration Of such
dimensions. OF the $500 people that
Inhabited the place few have homes Of
their own tonight. Over 5000 have been
taken in by the residents OF the sur
rounding country and neighborins
towns. while the remainder Of the SUI
serers have gone to Halifax or are shell
tered in army tents erected in the vacant
plots tonight by a detachment OF Brit
ish troops from the garrison city. The
disaster Is appalling in it's extent
The fire started in a barn behind the
Marine block in the heart Of the bust
ness district. The high gale prevailing
carried the flames to other buildings be-
fore the firemen had time to get to work.
and in a short time the showers OF
sparks, carried in all directions. had le-
nited a score Of buildings. The occu-
pants OF dwellings had time to hurry
on some clothing and to drag some
household goods into the streets, but
thera w,s no n,ace of sase.v IN w,h ,ch
ANYTHING co,,d he removed quickly
enough to save 1t from bang destroyed
mr. damaoAd The s,rea cm = -clean
pan from rho vater.s edre nm the ba,si-
ness from, tn the forests in the rear
ho,,ded nv Ferry un, nm ,be ,so,th aide
and NV Fart Eau,ar a nm rho north
Dnrinq the nast few vears MANY hand
soma brick ]strno,ures have been erected
hn, tbese were generally c~ontie,rp,s TO
old wooden buildings and al, went to-
ee,ber before The furious flames. The
origin of the fire IA sometime wysteri-
ma A severe lightning storm n,ssed
over The town before the flames burst
forth and some think the harm in which
rho Arst s,arted NAV have been struck
NV lightning but MANY ~s,ronelv suspact
,ba, the co~nAaprat;on originated from
Nh. oro,a..ness NJ, anna dr,rIen man
whon morninv hrole tho s;te nj,
u,nd.or u,.o onana ~ a0so,,t,on with
h,narad. q, frantic +b;n,v-clad md dea-
,,,,,ta mon ona women and children
ru,,h,,. h,ok .nd tor,h ,hro,,oh tho
80, ,t.o..s rort,n.,.,v M live,
vare ,o., ,nbsu,ob tho street were
n.-,,o,,. viii av,no hr,.k. and s,,h.
r,h,cb ,ha aerce bnrric,ne drove from