Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-05-03
CANADA'S GREATEST FIRE
The COnaasratiOn Visits Hull and The
Western District Of Ottawa.
OVER 5000 FAMILIES HOMELESS
The Loss From $l5, 900, 900 to
Sl7,Ooo.OOo.
FIRE BELT FULLY FOUR MILES LONG

Montreal, Canada, April GA
special from Ottawa to the Star says;
1.-THE greatest fro in the history Of
Canada was that which visited Hull
and the western district of Ottawa
yesterday. Tho loss is roughly esti-
mated at from S15, 600, 600 to SIT, 900, :.
600. Over 5000 families have boom
rendered homeless. There is no means
OF arriving at absolutely reliable con-
illusions in these reports as yet, but
the numbers cannot well be below
these figures The major part of ull,
with its immense industrial estab-
lishments and the homes OF their
operatives, was swept clean, as we'll as
the Victoria and Dalhousie wards in
Ottawa. The valuable lumber piles are
now sinouldering, and the loss on
this score alone cannot be less than
SO, 900, 200.
1.-THE sensational stories Of the origin
of the confiagration have no foundation
in fact. The fire broke out In the
centre of Hull early in the morning,
but that il common occurrence there,
and attracted little attention. Before
noon, it had devastated great part Of
Hull, and spread toward the river,
famed by a strong wind, threatening
and ultimately destroying five Of E. b.
Eddy's Mills Before O'Clock, 1t had
leaped the Ottawa, and SWEPT across
Of IT. Nothing more grand could be
imagined as spectacle. Considered
as to its consequences, no greater
calamity has visited Canada 10 years.
There was belt of flame fully four
miles long and at least half mile
wide. Dark clouds of smoke streamed
southwestward from the burning dis
trict all day, and yet the sun shone
clear and bright, changing the inky
blackness to amber, and away up Ia
the Sky to the appearance of summer
cloud, while beneath it was a long line
CT flame, fierce and irrepressible. All
night long, the city was lit up by the
glare. The dominion government is
among the heavy losers. the Chsudiere
bridge having toppled into the river
from the warning effects of the heat.
Fireman John Watkins OF No. 1
Queen street west. Mrs. Cook, an
invalid, as suffocated in her bed, on
Queen street west, before help could
reach her. A man, unknown, was
found dead on the Canadian Pacific
railway track in Rochesterville John
Neyan, a builder, was taken to st.
Luke's Hospital, badly burned mud
hurt. James Merrifield Of Queen street
west, was also taken to the hospital,
seriously injured by falling building.
There were some narrow escapes
Most of the lumber piles In Ottawa
and Hull have disappeared, and now
mere heaps OF oharred wood and ashes
mark their sites. Half dozen churches
and schools have been burned, land the
Eddy Co. 3 paper pulp mills and match
factory, e. 3; Eddy's residence, the
Bronson & Weston mills, the Hull
mills, the Mckay Co. IS premises, one
of the power houses of the Ottawa Eleo-
trlo Co., the Hull water works, the
Hull Court House, Jail and postofiice,
the convent, almost every business place
and about 1000 dwellings in Hull have
been destroyed. Indeed, practically
nothing of Hull is left but church
and few houses beyond it. The only
lumber mills standing in Hull are the
Gilmour & Huston miils,a the extreme
end. The steel suspension bridge which
connected Ottawa with Hull was also
desti Dyed. On the Ottawa side, many
fine residences we're in the fire area,
including that of j. r. Booth, which
alone was valued at 800, 600 The resi-
dence of his son-in-law, A, II. Fleck,
duu HUI. .S1bOTRo Il OstoT . IcbiaouCos
in the same locality, were burned. The
Canadian Pacific railroad depot. on the
Chaudiere Flats, burned quickly.
1.-The fire broke out in the house of
Mr.. Kirouac, on Cbaudiere street, Hull.
1t is said that Mrs. Kirouac was light
ing the stove, to get dinner, and set
the chimney on fire. The flames spread
to the roof, quickly communicated to
adjoining houses, and were coon beyond
CONTROL ~ SS{5f
Ottawa, Canada, April 27.-At5 q.
m. today, the fire which had ragged
here and in Hull since IL o'clock
yesterday morning was under control.
The number of buildings destroyed, will
probably aggregate $500 Between
1900 and $1,000 men, women and
children are homeless. -Four lives were
lost tNf
QnnV EnIlMn IN TILE nupICTtAuh