The herald., 1897-10-18
TWO TOWNS
BURNED UP
The Citizens Left Without
Shelter
AT HISTORIC WINDSOR
Not Half a Dozen DWELL
ings Remain
GOODS PILED IN THE STREETS
QUICKLY REDUCED TO HEAPS OF
ASHES
A Placer County Mining Town Takes
Fire and Two People Meet
Death-A Fatal Fire at
GOODS PILED IN THE STREETS
QUICKLY REDUCED TO HEAPS OF
ASHES
A Placer County Mining Town Takes
Fire and Two People Meet
Death-A Fatal Fire at
New York ~
Associated Press Special Wire.

HALIFAX, N. s., oct. I.-HlStorIc
Windsor, one Of the most beautiful
towns in the province, was devastated
by fire this morning. For six hours, be-
ginning shortly before a. M. the fire,
famed by violent northwest gale.
ragged so fiercely that the local fire de-
partment was absolutely helpless to
cope with 1t, 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 COM
pletely, the area covered by the flames
being nearly mile square. OF the 400
or more buildings occupying the town,
barely half dozen structures remain.
Among the buildings that escaped were
the Windsor cotton factory, Kings col
lege, the Anglican church, the Edgehill
school for girls and the Dufferin hotel.
The latter is the only hotel left stand
ing. No Nova Scotia town has ever been
visited by confiagration Of such d.
mensions. OF the $500 people that in
habited the place few have homes OF
their own tonight. Over 5000 have been
taken in by the residents Of trc SUI
rounding country and neig Aoorirg
towns, while the remainder Of the sut-
ferers have gone to Halifax or ar shell
tered in army tents erected in The va-
| cant plots tonight by detach1ners Of
British troops from the garrison city.
The disaster is appalling in its extent
The fire started in barn behind the
Marine block. in the heart of the busi-
ness district. The high gale prevailing
| carried the flames to other buildings
before the f1remen had time to get at
work, and in short time the showers
of sparks were carried in all directions.
sand igrited score of buildings. The
occupants of dwellings had time to hur-
ry on some clothing and to drag some
household goods into the street, but
there was no place Of safety to which
anything could be removed quickly
enough to save it from being destroyed
or damaged.
The flames cut 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 Ed
wards on the north.
During the past few years many hand
some brick structures have been erected,
but these were generally contiguous to
old wooden buildings, and all went to-
gether before the furious flames.
The origin of the fire is somewhat mys.
terious. A severe lightning storm passed
over the town before the flames burst
forth and some think the barn in which
the fire started may have been struck by
lightning, but many strongly suspect
that the conflagration originated
through the carelessness of some drunk
en- men.
When morning broke the site Of
Windsor was scene of desolation, with
hundreds of frantic, thlnly clad and des-
titute men, women and children rushing
back and forth through the smoky
streets. Fortunately no lives were lost.
although the streets were perilous with
| flying bricks and slabs which the fierce
hurricane drove from the roofs like
thunderbolts. In the hurry and excite
ment horses and cattle in the stables
were forgotten and many perished in
the flames or were suffocated from
smoke.
The ruins are ablize tonight the
smouldering embers having been famed
into a blaze and the heavens are lit
with flames which cast their reflection
across the river on either side as far as
the eye can see. The occupants of the
few houses that remain, are keeping
awake tonight, fearful that the fire
will spring up again. The wind has
moderated somewhat ard there is no
likelihood of further disaster.
Relief measures were started in Hall
fax at an early hour anG this afternoon
trainload of provisions, tents, blan-
kets, ETC., arrived from the provincial
capital Aboard today's train were
Geva Montgomery Moore, Governor
DAILY, Mayor Stephen and 100 men Of
the Royal Berkshire regiment and
Royal Engineers, who were brought to
attend to the erection of tents and aid
in the relief work.
The total loss is estimated roughly at
SO, ,0o0 900. While a number OF the heav-
lest losers are partially insuredi and
some of them pretty well covered. the
total insurance is calculated to be not
more than half a million.
The principal losses are: C. M. Shaw's
Marine block, $4,000; W. H. Curry &
Co., $4,000; Shaw Bros. $4,000; Paysart
block, s1S,c00; Graham's block, 500, 900:
Victoria hotel, s15,OU6; Blanchard block,
$22, 600; c. & G. Wilson's block, SIS. 1000:
Dimock & Armstrong. $22 600; j. b.
Shaw's block, s21.o00; c. H. Dimock's
block, $4,000; building of Murphy &
WOODS $1,000; Commercial block, $685.
900; c. P. Shaw, $4,000; c. D. Geldert 8