The herald., 1898-09-13
AT NEW WESTMINSTER
Enterprising Citizens Are Already
Beginning to Rebuild

VANCOUVER, B. c., Sept. 2.-At New
Westminster this morning there are many
peculiar scenes after the fire. On wide
open space Just beyond where the fearful
fire stopped city of tents has arisen. Here
the provincial government and Vancouver
authorities have housed in tents lent by
the militia department. all homeless suf-
ferers. Blankets by the hundred formed
beds, and burned-out families seem to be as
comfortable as possible under the circum-
stances. All through the unfortunate VIC
Tins of flames have borne ruin stoically.
All through the hours of the confiagration
they were calm as DEATH today they are
Just the same; their losses have made them
almost insensible to thought. During the
fire the roaring of the flames and the shout
ing of the firemen and Chinese, no crying or
panic was seen or heard in crowds of burn
ed-out and destitute people. They only
appeared to be intent on saving what they
had been able to rescue from their de-
stroyed homes and watched with .nquisi-
tive faces the terrible havoc made by their
unrelentng foe and quietly wondered when
the fire would burn itself out.
As usual at fire, number Of robberies
took place and more than one store was pill
laged. A jeweler alleges that he had a
number of watches stolen. while It is said
till was stolen from bar.
Johnson's boot store was entered while
some of the stock was being taken out, and
several men were noticed deliberately help
ing themselves to boots which might At
them. johnson says that the firms loss
will amount to about $1,000 or $1,000.
The chief OF police, when asked If there,
had been ary arrests on account of loot
ing, answered in the negative. He said 1t
was impossible 20 watch everybody, but he
could see there had been little or no ;hiev-
ing. His theory of the origin Of the fire
is that spark from one of the steamers
must have ignited hay on Frackman &
Kers wharf.
at was the wors; thing I ever saw" he
said There is no way Of describing the
course of the fire; it seemed to come from
everywhere"
Already active merchants OF The city are
starring 10 rebuild stores and renew busi-
ness.
Annandale, the grocer. whose premises
were totally destroyed in the fire, started
building a new store yesterday afternoon,
and will open today. He Is nothing II not
The Canadian Pacific Railway Company
only lost one refrigerator car, the station
and baggage room. but verythng of value
was saved
One sick mother In New Yves minister had
to be carried out of house In danger but
suddenly remembering that her 3-year-old
child was In the burning building, she sent
her husband back to look for the child. and
he found the child crouching down by the
stove, terror-stricken. The rescue was ac-
complished jus: in time. 1t is reported sew
eral horses were burned to death.
The fire insurance companies interested in
he losses are: London Assurance Com
pany, insured all the Sun Life properly,
estimated at about Loco, ,OO0 the CONNER
cial Assurance; the Royal; the London and
Lancashire the Sun; .he North British and
Mercantile; the Liverpool and London and
Globe; the Union Bri.ish-American; the
Hartford, Connecticut; the Insurance
Company; the Atlas; the Guardian; the
Manchester; the Western Of Toronto; the
Northern; the Phoenix OF London; the
Phoenix Of Hartford; the Lancashire; the
Insurance Company Of North America; the
National of Ireland; the Scottish Union
and the National.
The street railway company began bust