Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-23
DISASTROUS FIRE At DAWSON.
Dusiness Centre of Iiiondfkc Cis
Wiped Out-Loss, ~. 100000.

Wiped Out-Ioss, Sf,OOo.ooo.
An extra edition of the skaguay Alas
kan contains the following report. wired
from Bennett TO Skaguay:
another disastrous fire has visited
Dawson City. this time fairly wIplns out
the entire business centre Of the town,
creating losses that will aggregate $1,000
600. with not dollars worth of insurance.
The news was tclegraphed from Bennett
this afternoon by the special correspond
ent of the Daily Alaskan. who received
It from a man named Tokales. who had
just reached Bennett from long ana
perilous trip out from Dawson over broken
trails. open rivers, and dangerous lakes.
FIRE ON APRIL list.
"Mr. Tokales reports that the fire &C.
CURED on April 2lst in the heart of the
business centre OF the city, beginning near
the Opera House. on the water front. and
spreading with unusual rapidly, driven
by a strong wind. destroying everything
i'm it's way on that street down 10 and
including Donahue & Smiths establish
ment, and taking In all Of the waterfront
buildings abreast Of the same blocks. The
fire crossed the street. burned through,
and spread over to Second street. cover
ing the principal business portion OF
Dawson, leaving it all in ashes. with the
firemen powerless to do anything. The fire
consumed everything from the Simmons
Royal cafe down to and opposite the
Fairyiew Hotel.
WORST IN ITS HISTORY.
"The fire was the most disastrous that
has ever visited Dawson. Every building
burned like finder, due to the fact that
they had been standing for nearly two
years, and the logs were as dry as pow
der. The fire spread with such great ra-
pdity that persons were unable TO save
anything in the way Of furniture. goods.
and clothing, 50 that the losses when
footed up promise to be even greater
than at first estimated.
among the most prominent firms burn
ed out were the Royal Cafe. Donahue d
Smith. Mcclellan & McFeely. Parsons
Produce Company. Aurora saloon, Bode-
ga saloon. Madden House. Hotel Nicto-
ria, Mcdonald block, Bank Of British
North America, and scores of smaller
firms and business houses.
y
This fire came at time when the
mills and dealers in building materials
had exhausted their winter supply, and
were awaiting the opening of navigation
to replenish their stocks The results are
that there is a famine in all kinds of
building material and furniture. such as
sashes. doors, locks. hinges, etc. The few
articles still remaining outside of the
burned district have quadrupled in prices.
Doors are selling for $}j each door locks
IS each. and everything else in proportion.
The town is paralyzed. because nothing
can be done until the opening of navga-
ton. which will not be for several weeks"
Dawson has had other baptisms by fire.
The first was in the spring of 9S, caused
by two drunken men upsettiug a stove
and starting the blaze, which nearly
wiped the camp out of existence. The Sc
cond was due to a dispute between two
women.
One Of them. Dolly Mitchell, threw a
lighted lamp at her opponent to enforce
an argument. and the blazing oil ignited
the light framework inside "A cabin. y
strong wind was blowing and the flames
spread rapidly.
The estimated loss of the first fire was
between $4,000. and $4,000. Navigation
had closed. and there was no possibility
Of getting any more goods for months to
come.
The miners devoted their exertions al
most entirely to saving the stock of whis-
key. There was only enough for eight
months. and the miners succeeded in res
cuing every gallon, but all the clothes
were burned.
The second fire was almost as disas-
trous, and I'm both of them thousands of
dollars worth of god-dust was found in
the ruins. The huge warehouses; Of the
commercial companies were saved. with
their valuable stores.
In its general physical aspect Dawson
does not resemble the mining camps of
the far West. There are dance halls and
gambling dens and the usua. mining out
fits. but the topography Of the country
makes it differ materially from old Dead
wood. or Leadville, or the later camp OF
Cripple Creek.