The Yale expositor., 1899-05-26
DAWSON CITY BURNED OUT.
Loss Estimated at Between One
and Two Million Dollars.
DESTRUCTION is COMPLETE.
One Hundred and Eleven Buildings. EN-
bracing the Business Center of the
Town, Consumed-Food Obtainable,
but Houses Cannot Yet BE Rebuilt.

Victoria, B. c., May 23.-The great
fire, so long threatened, has over
whelmed Dawson City, and nothing Is
left OF the center of the Klondike me-
tropolis save a heap of ashes.
One hundred and eleven buildings,
large and small, were consumed.
Fortunately for the inhabitants the
big warehouses of the Alaska CONNER
cial company and the North American
Trading and Transportation company
escaped untouched with all their con-
tents
Strangely enough, the fire was
caused as had been its predecessor that
all but obliterated the town, through
the upsetting of lamp.
The loss is estimated at between
$1,000,000 and $2,O00,000. There was
no fatality.
The fire commenced in the heart OF
the business section at 3 a. m, the
point of the starting being a cabin
close to the opera house and just above
the waterfront strip. An abortive at
tempt was made to eXtinguish the
blaze before an alarm was sounded,
and in this way delay was caused that
gave the fire Roadway. A strong north
wind was blowing and the fire, travel
ing in sheets and clouds rather than
in flames, soon swept up buildings in
its way along the main thoroughfare.
the burned area taking in all the
waterfront buildings abreast of the
same blocks.
Within half an hour from the time
it started the fire had crossed the street
twice, burned through and spread to
Second street, every important build
ing in what was broadly known as the
business section being consumed.
The firemen in their first half hours
work accepted the nevitable-aban-
doning the effort to stay the flames,
and devoting themselves to the sal
walton OF property in buildings some
what removed from the sweep of the
fire.
Not a single building was left as
landmark, from Timmins' Royal cafe
down to and opposite the Fairview o.
tel. In this district were all the struc
lures erected in 1897 and 1898; indeed,
not a pioneer building is left to the
town.
When the obliteration OF the city APP
peared certain the citizens became
panic-stricken, and even when they
could have been of service, rushed to-
ward the hills back of the town.
OF course there was no insurance on
any property and the stocks of the
commercial companies will be severely
taxed in meeting the demand for ne
cessities, all private stores Of food and
clothing having been destroyed within
the radius of the fire.
Manager Godfrey of the Bank OF
British North America estimates the
Dawson loss at Sl000,000, and his
banks loss at $500, 900. Other estimates
place the loss considerably higher.
1t will be impossible for any preten-
tious effort at rebuilding to be made
until navigation opens, for at present
there are not 5000 feet of rough lum-
Der in the entire district Materials of
all sorts are equally scarce.
Provisions have not been advanced
in price, nor clothing, the companies
being determined, apparently, to do all
in their power to relieve the general
distress.
A rough estimate places the loss in
gold and paper money alone at $780,
600, chiefly in the destruction of the
Bank of British North America, the
flreproof vault in this institution hav-
ing belied its name.
A letter which was brought by the
messengers with the news of the fire
notes that before the ashes of the
bank had time to cool men were work
ing on the spot with rockers, there
being a probability that much of the
lost gold will be recovered in this
manner.