The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-22
Fire Breaks Out In the klOn-
dixie Metropolis.
Destroys the Entire Business
Portion of the City.
LOSS OF s1,OOO,OOO
People Were Unable to Save
Anything of Value.
No Building Material to Repair
the Damage.

Victoria. b C, May Pan extra
edition of the Skaguay Alaskan. .receiv-
ed by the steamer Lees, contains the
following report. wired from Bennett to
Skaguay just previous to the sailing of
the steamer:
Another disastrous fire has visited
Dawson City. this time fairly wiping
out the entire business center of the
town. creating losses that will aggre-
gate 81. 600, 900, with not a dollars worth
of insurance. The news was telegraph
ed from Bennett by the special CORES
pondent of the Daily Alaskan, who re-
ceived il from a man named Tokales.
who had just reached Bennett from
long and perilOus trip out from Daw-
son over broken trails, open rivers and
dangerous lakes"
Mr.. TokaIes reports that the fire oc-
CURED on April p, in the very heart of
the business center of the city, COM
mencing near the opera house, on the
water front, and spreading with unus-
ual rapidity. driven by a strong wind,
destroying everything in its way on
that street down to and including Dom
ahue & Smiths establishment, and TAX
ing in all of the water front buildings
abreast of the same blocks.
The fire crossed the street, burned
street covering the principal business
portion of Dawson, leaving it all in
ashes with the firemen helpless and
DOwerless to do anything. The fire
consumed everything from the Sim
mons Royal cafe down to and opposite
the Fairview hotel. All the buildings
burned like tinder due to the fact that
they had been standing for nearly two
years and the logs We're as dry as pow
der The fire spread with such rapid
ity that the people were unable to save
anything in the way of furniture. goods
and clothing, SO that the losses when
footed up promise to be even greater
than at first estimated.
Among the prominent firms burned
out were: The Royal cafe, DOnOhue u
Smith. Mcclellan < Merely. Parsons
Produce company, Aurora saloon, Bode-
ga saloon. Madmen house. Hotel Vic
tOria, Mcdonald block. Bank of British
North America and scores of smaller
firms and business houses
This fire came at a time when the
mills and dealers in building materials
had exhausted their winter supply and
We're waiting 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 sash, doors, locks. hinges etc.
The few articles still remaining out
side of the burned district have qua
druped in price Doors are selling for
thing in proportion. The town is para
lyzed. because nothing can be done un-
til the opening of navigation, which
viii not be for several weeks.
STARTED BY A LAMP
Victoria. B. c., May 22.-No further
details of the Dawson fire have been
received. The only accident known to
have occurred befell a fireman who was
severely hurt a bout the head by blaz-
ing log which was blown from a burn
ing building. 1t is stated that the wo-
man who upset the lamp which caused
the catastrophe and other inmates and
occupants of the house have been ar
rested and may be severely dealt with
report is also current here that only
the Bank Of British North America OF
the chartered financial institutions was
destroyed. not both it and the Bank of
Commerce.
Riley Tokales and Hume, the men
who bro uSht out the news of the fire
are reported to have collected hundreds
and even thousand of dollars as private
mail carriers for the prompt delivery OF
the communications of which they were
bearers. one of these was addressed to
the inspector of the Bank of British
North America and cOnsidera bly, re-
duceS the amount of the banks loss by
the fire. 1t is understood the record Of
the bank notes consumed was destroy
ed with them, but il is nevertheless
quite possible that this will not mean
lost money