The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-09-17
IlEW WESTMINSTER BADLY BURAEI.
4 British Columbia Town Loses
Every Business House In
s el.a Ctr 4

eud O1Sye
Vancouver, D. c., Sept. 13.-New
Westminster, the chief city on the
Frazer river, presents a fearful scene
of desolation, fire having yesterday
wiped out the whole Of the business
portion. There is not a public build
ing standing in the central portion Of
the city. Famed by fierce wind, al
most q gale, q fire which was scattered
on the water side by sparks from n
passing steamer, spread with such
awful rapidity that ten streets were
blazing in three hours and only smok-
ing ashes mark the spots where scores
of houses formerly stood. Handsome
blocks, banks and churches went up in
smoke. The cathedral of the diocese.
and two newspaper offices are gone as
well as the Canadian Pacific railroad
station, three river steamers, a rail-
way bridge and a number of private
houses. The telegraph Office at New
Westminster has been burned. The
burned city is twelve miles from here.
Not a stone Of the business houses re.
mains standing. Despair and suffer
ing r the lot of hundreds of poor,
homeless folks. Food, clothing and
aid of all kinds is being dispatched
from Vancouver to the i'll fated city.
At the time of writing it is not
known how many people lost their
lives, but it is feared several must
have been burned to death. 1t is said
that q fireman named Campbell fell
from the roof of a burning building
and was killed, and that a woman
dropped dead from fright. Two 9TH
er women who were ill died while be-
ing taken from their homes. /.
1t is impossible just nov to estimate
the amount of damage, but it reaches
up in the hundreds of thousands. Ev-
cry industry save the big Royal City
planning mills and the Glove Canning
company has been wiped out. Every
merchants Office has been burned.
Bankers, hotel men, sawmill men,
Gamers, merchants of all descriptions
have nothing left in which to do bust.
ness.
The fire was first noticed at Brach-
man & Kerr's warehouse on Front
street. From there it spread down to
the Canadian Pacific railway station.
It crossed the street there and went
up the other side of Front street and
also Columbia street, the chief bust.
ness thoroughfare of the city. Block
after block caught fire rapidly and in
a few minutes there was nothing left
of what had been the business portion
of New Westminster. From Colum.
bia street the fire spread up hill to a
huge building built on pile in a gulley
bridge by Caravan street. From this
point it spread all around. The Epis.
copal cathedral, the Baptist church.,
the Central Methodist church and a
large number of residences all went
up in smoke and the inhabitants had
to fee for their lives.
The fire swept down Caravan street
and quickly encompassed the big
brick court 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 on the
big central school. Again east, how
ever, it had got on one side of Royal
avenue, all the houses there being
completely destroyed. The fire gained
great Roadway owing to the fact that
the fircmen had lost a great deal of
hose by burning. This morning there
was no water supply for the private
use OF the burned out citizens. There
was only one small hotel saved.
Some of the burned out people re-
tired in the early hours of the morn.
ing to the open front opposite to the
school house. They covered themselves
with blankets and lay Gown to sleep.
All they had had been lost.
The loss by the fire at New. West
minister is roughly estimated at 3d.
500, 900, with insurance of $1,000, 900.
The london Assurance company is
said to be the heaviest loser. The
buildings on ten streets were de-
stroyed. The vaults of the bank build
inys withstood the fire.