The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-01

Ottawa, Ont, April e., $50 p. NJ
The city of Hull has been burning since
noon today and all tina remains at the
time of writing is a small corner in the
east end of the city and before long it,
too, will be in ashes. There are a few
houses standing in the suburbs Of the
burned city.
Hull has a population of about H.
600 people and more than half them are
homeless tonight. The entire business
par of the city, including the court
house, pOstoffice, public buildings and
newspaper offices, is one mass of ruins.
The population is almost entirely COM
posed Of people who work in the mills
or who derive their business from
those works.
The fire crossed the Ottawa river in
the afternoon, took old 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 Canadian Pacific
railway station, where the lumber mills
are all located, is fire swept. The MY
building in the whole area is that of the
Ottawa carbide factory, which is new
" erected and fire-prOof.
From the flats the fire extended
across the Richmond road onto Roches-
terville and as far as the experimental
farm. Westerly the fire took in HUI
tOnburg and Mechanicsville, so that on
the Ottawa side of the river there is
a larger area covered by fire than On
the Hull side.
1t is estimated hat at the present
time the number Of people homeless
in the two cities and suburban towns
is not less thar = 1000 and it may reach
15,e0s.
The government has given the drill
hall and the city the large exhibition
buildings to accommodate the suffer-
ers. All Institutions have lent a hand
to aid the distressed. The only in
dustry left standing in Hull is the
HOulmer * Houston lumber mill at the
extreme end. beyond the city limits.
n it is still in danger. The large
Roman Catholic cathedral is surround
ed by flames. Nothing can be done to
stop the fire. 1t will burn itself out TO
the waters edge.
The Hull Lumber Company's mills,
the extensive works of f. 3. Eddy,
both match Il paper factories, as we'll
as his residence, are all in ruins, as
dS lHS llCldI pIluSS,
which connects the city of Ottawa with
Hull.
on the Ottawa side of the river the
loss is still greater. There are in ashes
the Bronson & Western Lumber Com
pany mills. the j. r. Booth lumber
mills, the Mckay Milling Company, the
Ottawa electric railway owe house,
the Martin & Warnock mills, the Vic
tOria foundry, the Ottawa Saw Works,
the Ottawa Speciality Company, the
Pain planning mills and several other
industries. There are also some fine
residences included in this area, in
Guiding that of ]. r. Booth, valued at
500. 900.
When the fire was seen to be disas-
trouS, the acting minister of public
works teIegraphed to Montreal, Peter
boro and BTOckville for fire appliances
and all assistance hat could be sent
but although they arrived speedily
they were of no avail. Nothing could
stop the ravages of the fire, which
leaped over whole blocks and broke GU
in all directions.
The Canadian Pacific railway station
a wooden structure, was n of the first
buildings to go. a large cliff which ex-
tends back from the Ottawa river anG
were all that saved the whole city OF
Ottawa becoming a prey to h fire
Shortly after noon the wind, which hac
been blowing nOrthweSterly, changed
to S~Outheasterly, thus saving hi re
manned of Ottawa
1t is almost idle to talk of losse:
while the fire yet burns and with {
change of wind would certainly SWEEP
the city. but a moderate calculation
would be somewhere between ffteer
and twenty millions of dollars. Tht