The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-10-18
FLAME SWEPT
The Pretty Nova Scotia Town AL
most 0bliterated,
THREE THOUSAND HOMELESS.
The Fire Burned For six Hours, Fan-
ned by violent Northwest Gallo.
Many of the Inhabitants Now Living
I'm Army Tents.


ned by violent Northwest Gallo.
Many Of the Inhabitants Now Living
in Army Tents.
Halifax, N. s., oct IS. - Historic
windsor, one of the most beautiful
towns in the province was devastated
by fire yesterday. For six hours, be-
ginning shortly before a. M, the FIRE,
famed by "a violent northwest gale,
ragged so nercely 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 be-
fore noon the town had been almost
completely eaten up, the area covered
by the flames being almost a mile
square, and Of the 400 or more buildings
occupying this section barely half a
dozen scorched structures remain. Only
one hotel is left standing
No Nova Scotia town has ever been
visited by a connagration of such di-
mensions. OF the $500 people that in
habitated the place few have homes OF
their own today. over 5000 have been
taken i'm by the residents of the sur
rounding country ana neighboring
/ towns, while the remainder of the suf-
| ferers have gone to Halifax or are
/ sheltered in army tents erected in the
/ vacant plots by a detachment of Brit
! ish troops from the garrison city. The
i disaster is appalling in it's extent.
The fire started in a barn in the heart
Of the business district. The high gale
prevailing carried the flames to other
buildings before the iremen had time
to get at work. and in a short time the
CHI f,F ar1F IN, oil
rections had ignited a score Of build
ings. The occupants Of dwellings had
time to hurry on some clothing and tc
drag some household goods into tho
streets, but there was no place OF
safety to which anything could be re-
moved quickly enough to save it from
being destroyed or damaged The flame.
cut a clean gap from the waters edge
on the business front to the forests il
the rear.
During the past few years many
handsome brick structures have beer
erected, but these We're generally con
tiguous. to old wooden buildings. ant
all went down before the furious flames
The origin of the fire Is somewhat mys
terious. a severe lightning storm
passed over the town before the name
burst forth and some thus the barn b
which the fire started may have beer
struck by lightning but many strongly
suspect that the connagration origi
mated through the carelessness Of some
drunken man.
When morning broke the site at
Windsor was a scene Of desolaton, witt
hundreds of frantic, thinly clad anc
destitute men, women and children
rushing back and forth through tn,
smoky streets Fortunately no lives
were lost, although the streets were
perilous with flying bricks and states
which the fierce hurricane drove lik,
thunderbolts from the roofs. In tn
hurry and excitement horses and cattl
in the stables were forgotten and man,
perished in the flames or were suf
fooated from smoke
Relief measures were started i'm Hall
fax at an early hour, and yesterda.
afternoon a train load of provisions
tents, blankets, etc, arrived from tn
provincial capital.
The total loss is estimated roughly a
81, 1000 600. While a number of the heavi
est losers are partially Insured am
some Of them pretty we'll covered tn
total insurance Is thought not to b
more than half a million,