Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-05-03
MILLIONS IN ASHES.
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE BREAKS OUT
IN HULL, CANADA.
Loss of $2O,OOO,OOO = Flames Sweep
Across River and Wipe Out Indus
trial District of Ottawa-Many Cas-
ua1ties Reported.

One of the most disastrous fires IN the
history Of Canada broke out at Huil at
III o'clock Thursday morning. Inc loss
at 10 o'clock Thursday night was esti-
mated at upward of $1S,0OO,OOO. Hull IS
a place of 10000 people, on the Quebec
side of the Ottawa river.
Famed by a furious gale of wlnd from
the northwest, which continued with un-
abated violence all day and far into the
night. the flames swept everything before
them, wiping out the whole city, crossed
large sections of territory. ran through
the vast lumber yards, filled with piles OF
pine lumber, and into the OttaWa-Chau-
diere district.
In a half hours time from the outbreak
the flames were beyond the control OF
both the fire departments of Hull and Ut
tawa. and within an incredible space OF
time had swept pathway mile long
through Hull, leaped across the narrow
part Of the river at the Chaudiere fans,
and had gained footing among the lum-
Der piles on the Ottawa side. From
thence it cut wide swath through the
whole of the western portion of Ottawa,
through Rochestervillc, and into the sub
urb Of Hintonburg. The pathway OF the
flames was about FIVE miles in length
Most of the buildings which were burn
ed at the outset were wooden, and the
flames, forced by the high wind, licked
them up like shavings. Household eff
fects that were carried into the streets,
and such as were placed upon carts for
removal, were consumed III many In
stances where they stood
The whole industrial district of Ottawa
has been completely wiped out. This in
cludes the great factories of e. B. Eddy,
consisting of woodworking, match, pulp,
and paper factories, valued at 81 ,5OO,O
The large lumber mills of Booth, Bron-
son, the Hull Lumber Company, Gilmour
& Hugeson and others, together with
the flour mills of Mckay, were also de-
stroyed. AS result 1000 operators are
thrown out Of employment and 10000
persons rendered homeless in both cities.
About 100 100000 feet of manufacture
ed pine lumber has been consumed.
Practically the whole of the city of Hull
is blotted out, and had the wind been
blowing from westerly direction, moth
ing could have saved Ottawa from like
destruction.
The fire originated, it is said, from a
defective chimney. but not an hour had
a
on the Ottawa side when flames We're
seen to break out in three different places
in that city over an extent of two miles
from the river side. Another suspicious
circumstance was the outbreak Of the fire
at Gilmour's lumber mills, two miles
down the river on the Hull side and to
windward of the main fire. This was
undoubtedly the work of an incendiary
Other coincidental fires in Ottawa which
during the day broke out in unexpected
places, were also, it is thought, the work
Of fire bugs
The Ottawa Electric Company's princ-
pal power house was burned early in the
day and the street car service was put
out of business. The Parliament build
ings were at one time threatened by the
burning timbers which foated down the
river and several times set the bushes
in the escarpment af1ame. All business
in the city was suspended and the House
Of Commons met for few minutes, then
adjourned.
Many serious accidents happened, but
so far as reported there have been only
three fatalities, one being that of Chief
Benoit, of the Hull fire brigade, who
was SO seriously burned that he died, but
with such large and rapidly spreading
fire the death list must be larger
The Canadian Pacific Railway depot
and much rolling stock standing in the
yards was wiped up by the flames. The
iron traffic bridge, which is the only one
at present between Ottawa and Hull is
also gone and travel can now only be
made by ferry.
A conservative estimate of the total
loss so far sustained by the two cities is
placed at from $15,0O0,OOO to $2O,OOO,-
600, of which the loss in lumber alone
will amount to over $10OOO,OOO.