Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-10-19
Historic Windsor N. s., Almost
Wiped Out of.Existence.
For Six Hours Fire RACES Among Bust
IS Blocks and Dwellings.
1000 People Are Homeless While the Loss
Will Reach 100000.

raSeu so uerCeIy tndL Jne local lire uc-
partment was absolutely helpless to
cope With it, and within half an hour
after it's discovery the mayor began to
call for outside assistance. Long be-
fore noon the town had been almost
completely eaten up, the area covered
by the flames being almost mile
square ard of 400 or more buildings
occupying this section, barely half
dozen scorched structures remain. All
is waste of ruins. The buildings that
escaped include the Windsor cotton
factory. Kings college. the Anglican
church, Edgehill school for girls, anu
Dufferin hotel. The latter is the only
hotel left standing.
No Nova Scotia to IN has ever been
visited by a confiagration of sucn
dimensions. OF the $500 people inhab-
iting the place, there are very few who
have homes of their own, tonight. over
5000 have been taken by residents of
the outskirts of the surrounding coun-
try and ncighboring towns, while the
remainder of the sufferers have gone
to Halifax or are sheltered in army
tents erected in the vacant lots, this
evening, by q detachment of British
troops from the garrison city. The
disaster is appalling in it's extent and
dread consequences, to recover from
which will be matter of many years.
The fire started in a barn behind the
Marine block, in the heart of the business
district. The high gale prevailing carried
the flames to other buildings before the
fremen had time to get at work, and in a
short time the showers of sparks carried
in all directions had ignited a score of
buildings. The occupants of the dwellings
had time enough to hurry on some cloth
into the streets, but there was no place
of safety to With anything could be re-
moved quick eLeugh to save it from be-
ing destroyed or damaged.
The flames cut a clean gap from the
waters edge on the business front to the
forests in the rear, bounded by Ferry hill
on the south side and by Fort Edward on
the north. During the past few years.
MANY handsome brick structures have
been erected, but these We're, generally
speaking, contiguous to the old wooden
buildings, and all went down together be-
fore the furious flames to stay which was
beyond the power of man..
The origin of the fire Is somewhat mys-
FERROUS. A severe lightning storm passed
over the town before the flames burst
forth. and some think the barn in which
they started may have been struck by a
flash from the clouds. but many strongly
suspect that the conf1agration originated
through the careleSSneSS or worse act of
one or more drunken toughs.
When morning broke, the site of Wind
sor was a scene of desolatiOn, with hum
dreds of frantic. thinly clad and destitute
men, women and children rushing back
and forth Through the smoking streets.
Fortunately no lives were lost. although
the streets We're perilOuS with flying
bricks and slates. which the fierce hurri-
cane drove like thunderbolts from the
IT, hN pik
horses and cattle in the stables were for
gotten and many persisted in the flames
or suffocated from smoke. Others were
turned adrift and they are. tonight, roam
ing the streets, almost mad with cold and
fright.
The ruins of the fire are ablaze, tonight.
The smouldering embers have been
famed into a blaze, catching the piles of
coal which are lying all around the burn
ing premises. and the heavens are lit with
the flames. which cast their reflections
across the river as far as the eye can see
on either side. No effort has been made
to quench these fires. and naturally the
occupants of the few houses that remain
are afraid that the fire will spring up
again. The wind has moderated some
what and there is no likelihood of fur
Their disaster.
Relief measures were started in Halifax
at an early nour, and, this afternoon, a
trainload of provisions. tents, blankets,
etc. arrived from the provincial capital.
Aboard the train We're Gen. Montgomery
Moore. Governor DAILY, Mayor Stephen
ment and Royal Engineers. who were
brougl. to attend to the erection of the
tents and aid in the relief work.
The total loss is estimated roughly at
losers are partially insured and some of
them pretty well covered. the total in
Surance is calculated to be not more than
$500. 600 The principal losses are the fol-
lowing:
c. NJ. Shaw's Marine block. $4,000; w.
II. Curry & Co.. $4,000; Shaw Bros. $1,000;
Paysents block, $4,000; Graham's block.
block. $4,000; c. & G. Wilson'S block.
SIS. COO; Dimock & Armstrong. $22. 600; j. b.
shaw's block. $4,000; G. H. Dmock' $
block o9e building 81 Of r. ~ Murphy
Geldert &, Co.. $4,000: A.. E. Robinson,
$12t00 Churchill's block. $4,000: Keith's
IRISH block s21, 900; Borden's block. $4,000;
postotlice and custom house, $4,000; EN-
pire block. $4,000; John Lynch &; Son.
$4,000; Avon hotel. $4,000; Somerset house
Court house. $4,000: Methodist church.
sl5.OoOO: Baptist church. $1,000; Presby-
terrain church, $4,000: Catholic church,
Dewofe Smiths residence, 10000; Wind
sor Foundry Co.. $40. 900; Electric Co.,
$50, 600; Windsor Plaster Co, $4,000.
AMONG the liner TeSlueHceS destroyed
were those of DR.. Black. DIR. Moody, DR.
Gossip, DIR. Reid. Windsor Hotel. John
Keith. John Lynch. Mrs. G. e. Forsyth
John Doran. w. OBrien. T. b. Smith
w. NJ. Christie. w. A. Smith, ]. E. Ora
ham, Mrs. j. +. Carver. r. B. Dakin
Hon. NJ. II. Goudge. Mayor Joshua Smith
J.. q. Gelert and Arthur King.
The fire insurance companies which ara
hcsvy losers are the following: Royal
5000, Queen. s23.00O: Guardian. $4,000
sun. s24.eO0; Acadia, 100000; Halifax
s60UaO.
Windsor is commercial port of con
siderable Importance lat the head o
Mines bay. an arm of the bay of Fundy
The chief article of commerce is gypsum
ard many vessels are engaged in the car
rying trade with the United States. Their
were In the town before the fire, sever
churches. two banks. three hotels. al
iron foundry. furniture factories. ship
yard and several saw mills and one week
l.' newspaper.
Windsor gives its name to the Windso
& Annapolis Railroad. on which it is 10
Gated. About ono mile from the railroa
station is the famous Kings College. tn
Oldest institution of the kind in Canada
Gen Morrison F.yorx Tracy.
N.,tw York. Oct. 17.--An interview il