The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-09-12

VANCOUVER. B, c.. Sept. 1.-THE
INV q, New Westminster has been Wis
r,i By a terrible conaagration, causing
Ne loss of millions. The fire started
.sout midnight from spark from a
r,,ner on the water front. A fierce
ale was blowing at the time. Within
bree hours all the buildings along
tenth street were blazing. Handsome
b,cks, banks and churches went up in
smoke. Two newspaper officers are
rome The Canandian Pacific railway
station. three river steamers. the rail-
vsy bridge. the cathedral and many
private residences are destroyed. Hun
tr,ds OF people are homeless and relief
/, being rushed from Vancouver. Two
women are reported to have died from
shock. The telegraph office at West
Minister has been destroyed.
Returning to Vancouver from New
Westminster Is like coming from land
Of desoatlOn and ruin to another of
smiling plenty. In New Westminster
not store of the business section re-
mains standing. Despair and suffering
are the 10; Of hundreds of poor home
less folk. Food. clothing and aid of all
kinds is being dispatched from Van
couyer to the III fated city.
The Lo,u Of Life.
Al the time of writing tits not known
hoR many people have lost their lives,
bu, It Is feared several must have been
burned to death. 1t is said that Camp
bell, fireman, fell from the roof OF a
burning building and was killed and a
woman dropped dead from fright Two
other women who were I'll died while
bsIng taken from their homes.
New Westminster to-day is without a
store Of any kind, without newspaper
,ld without food. save that which is
being hurried over from here. It is Inn
Tos,Ible now to estimate the amount Of
damages. but 1t ranges up in the hun
d,eds OF thousands. Every Industry
ave the big Royal City planning mills
and Glove Canning Company has been
wiped out. Every merchants oflice has
been burned. Bankers. hotel men, saw
mill men, Gamers, merchants of all de-
s:rip,Ions have nothing left in which to
DO business.
Block After Block swept Away.
The fire was frst noticed at Brach-
man & Kerr's wharf in Front street.
Block after block caught fire rapidly
and in few minutes there was nothing
left OF what had been the business por-
ton o! New Westminster.
The FIRE swept down Caravan street
and quickly encompassed the big brick
cour; house and the wooden city hall
Fortunately there Is a big open space
here and the flames were not able to
leap far enough to take the big Central
school. Agnes street, however, had got
aIIght and one side OF Royal avenue, all
the houses there being completely
destroyes.
The fire gained great headway owing
to the fact that the flremen lost a great
deal OF hose by burning. This morning
there was no water supply for the prI-
vate use OF the burned out citizens.
There was not single butcher shop,
baker. or provision chop that was not
Destroyed and there was only one small
hotel saved.
The Columbian newspaper has not
'nsIs line of type left. Some of the
burned out people retired in the early
hours OF the morning to the open front
opposite the school house. They COW
cred themselves with blankets and lay
down 10 sleep.
Al! they had was lost.
The loss by the FIRE at New westmln-
titr is roughly estimated at $500. 900,
With Insurance OF 3l,5OOOOO. The Lon
goH Assurance Company are said to be
lae heaviest losers. The buildings on ten
streets were destroyed. The vaults OF
'Ae bank buildings wlthstood the tlre.