The Portland daily press., 1899-05-22
DAWSON CITY BURNED.
Metropolis Of Klondike
\ Visited by Fire.
Entire Business District Has Been
Wiped Out.
City Destitute Of Build
ing Material.
Must Now Await Opening of
Navigation.

Victoria, B. c., May 2i.-An extr
edition of the. .Skaguay Alaskan received
by the steamer Tee at midnight 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 business section of the town, creating
losses that will aggregate 81 100000 with
not q dollars worth of insurance. The
news was telegraphed from Bennett this
afternoon by the special correspondent OF
the Daily Alaskan, who received 1t from
a man named Toksles, who had just
reached Bennett from long and perilous
trip out from Dawson over broken trails,
open rivers and dangerous lakes. ~
Mr.. Tokales reports that the fire oc-
CURED on April 81 in the very heart of
the business center of the city, commenc-
ing near the opera house on the water
front and spreading with unusual rapidi-
ty driven by strong wind destroying
everything in its way on that street, down
to and including Donohue s. Smiths
establishment and taking In all water
front buildings abreast of the game
blocks The fire crossed the street, burned
through this, spread over to Second street.
covering the principal business portion
Of Dawson, leaving 1t all in ashes, with
the Hremen helpless and power'ess to do
anything.
The fire consumed everything from the
Simmons Royal Cafe down to and oppo-
site the Fairview hotel. AL the build
ings burned like tinder, due to the fact
that they had been standing for nearly
two years and the logs were as dry as
powder. :The;ire sprea with such rapid
ty that the people were unable to save
anything in the way of furniture, goods
or clothing, SO that the losses when foot
ed up promise to be even greater than at
first estimated.
Among the most prominent firms
burned out were:
The Royal Cafe, Donohue s. Smith, Nc
Lellan g. McFeely, Parsons Produce com-
pany, Aurora saloon, Bodega saloon.
Madden house, Hotel Victoria, Mcdonald
block, Bank of British North America
and scores of smaller firms and business
ouses
This fire came at time when the mills
and dealers IN building materials bad
exhausted their winter supply and were
waiting the opening of navigation TO
replenish their stocks The results were
that there is famine in all kinds of
building materials and furniture. suoh as
doors, sashes, looks, hinges, etc.
The few articles still remaining outside
of the burned district have quAdrupled in
price. Doors are selling for $3b each;
door locks s. each, and everything In pro-
portion. The town is paralyzed because
nothing can be done until the opening OF
navigation which will not be for several
weeks.
Another report brought down by I. S.
Humes. q son of Mayor Humes of Seattle.
state that the loss Is "a, ,000, 900. In all Ill
buildings were 2burned. The fire was
caused by q drunken woman upsetting a
lamp In q notorious house. None OF the
big warehouses of the Alaska CONNER
cial company or the North American
Trading and Expectation company was
touched by the lire, 80 there will be no
shortage Of provisions even If the lake
should not open before the middle OF
June which Is now predicted.