Evening journal., 1900-04-27
Five Square Miles Of Territory IN Ottawa and Hull Swept
With Devastating Effect Twenty-Five Hundred Facto-
nes, Mills, Stores and Dwellings Destroyed
Northwest Gale Fans Fire
n mes Leap Across the
Ottawa River.
BUSINESS PART OF HULL GONE
Big Roman Catholic Cathedral Saved,
But Many Churches and Costly Public
Buildings Have Been Destroyed.

Ottawa, Ont, April 27.-Five square
miles Of territory burned over, more
than $500 dwellings. factories, mills,
stores and other buildings destroyed.
entailing loss estimated to reach $780,
600 900, and between 1900 and $4,000
men, women and children homeless is
a summing up Of the havoc wrought
by FIRE which ragged at Hull and in
Ottawa since IL o'clock Wednesday
morning until midnight before it was
under control.
Most OF the lumber piles In Ottawa
and Hull have disappeared and are
now mere heaps OF charred wood and
ashes. Half a dozen churches and
schools. a number of mills, the Hull
water works the Hull court house and
Jail. the postoficc, the convent-al-
most every business place, and about
1000 dwellings and shops In Hull have
been destroyed Indeed, practically
nothing of Hull Is left but a church
and few houses beyond II.
The spot where the fire originated
Is about a quarter of a mile from the
main street of Hull, and as a gale was
blowing from the northwest, right In
the direction OF the lumber piles and
mills on both the Hull and Ottawa
shores OF the Ottawa river and Chau-
diere Falls. IL was soon seen that the
| FIRE was almost certain TO be a large
one. By 1880 the fire had got good
hold on Main street and the entire
street. with dozens of cross streets, was
burned. Practically there Is not
house left in the street. About this
] ..T II.
half a mile and ignited Eddy's wood
| yard, near the match factory. It was
soon In flames and the so mile an hour
gale which was blowing drove a high
column of fame across Bridge street
and set fire to the Eddy paper mill and
the other buildings Of the company.
/ The fire at this time also sprang across
the Ottawa river and caught the sheds
IN the rear OF the Mackay Milling COM
pany on Victoria Island. and in few
minutes the lumber piles on Victoria,
1 Chaudiere Islands, one OF the power
houses OF the Ottawa Electric COM
pany. the Victoria foundry and half
the buildings on the two islands were
In flames.
In this city Il is estimated that be-
sides the mills, factories, ETC., burned
/
total loss here is estimated at S15,000,-
600 and the insurance at 50 500, 900.
The business portion of Hull is all
gone. and over half of the residences.
The Roman Catholic cathedral has
been saved, together with the Charles
Eddy sulphite works. Gilmour &
Hughson's mills are also standing.
The only means OF communication be-
/ nd IIft1I fr I.rrh hoo
Coming TO the Ottawa side OF the
river. that portion of the city east OF
Division street, the old boundary line
OF the city before Rochesterville was
annexed, was almost entirely burned
down. Here and there a building re-
mains.
The fire crossed the Ottawa river
in the afternoon, took hold among the
lumber piles on the brink Of the river
and extended TO the lumber yards and
mills. The result is that the whole Of
that part of Ottawa known as the
Chaudiere flats, surrounding the Can
adian Pacific railway station, where
the lumber mills are located, is fire
swept. The station was one of the
first buildings to CO. The only build
ing standing in the whole area is that
of the Ottawa carbide factory, which is
newly erected and fireproof From the
fats the fire extended across the
Richmond road on to Rochesterville
and as far as the experimental farm.
Westerly the fire took in Hunton-
burgh and Mechanicsville, so that on
the Ottawa side of the river there is
a larger area covered by fire than on
the Hull side.
The large cliff which extends from
the ottawa river back to Christ church
and st. John the Baptist church on to
Rochesterville was the only thing
which stopped the whole city OF Of
tawa becoming a prey to the fire.
Shortly after noon the wind, which was
blowing previously in a northwesterly
direction, changed to a southeasterly
direction, and in this way what re-
manned Of Ottawa was saved.
7 The casualties so far reported are
Miss Cook, and cid woman, who lived
S on Wellington street. near the French
church. and who was burned In her
house to a crisp. An unknown man
was found dead on the Canadian Pa
cific railroad tracks. James Maven,
Of Queen st. West. is reported 20 be ia
/, tally injured, ana some pieces OF timber
fell on James Merfyfeid. who was
taken to the hospital