Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-24
FIRE AT MONTREAL.
Nearly 100000 Loss in
the Business Section.
Flames Sweep Through the Streets
from 8 P. N. TO IA. M.
Board Of Trade Building Destroyed Cold
hamperei the Fircmcn.

| Montreal Jan. 23.-1 A. None of
' the most disastrous fires from which
| tbs city has ever suffered began at
s o'olOck last night. and notwithstand-
ing the heroic efforts of the entire fire
department. the progress of the flames
, were not checked until | O'Clock this
morning At | o'clock the fire had des-
troyed property valued at between
s.. 5oO,o 900 and s3.OOo,CoO. and was still
burning, though the appearance was
that the frcmen had at last got it
| under control.
| Included IN the property burned is
the splendid Board of Trade building
| which cost over 100000, with over 100
tenants and half a dozen large firms
and two scores of smaller concerns
| The weather was cold and the fremcn
were greatly hampered in this respect
Outside of the Board OF Trade build
| ing there was not a modern structure
| among those burned.
| The narrow streets, antiouated build
| :ncs and the inllammable nature of the
| stocks they contained made combin-
| ation of material against which the de-
partmcnt was powerless. The fire prac-
| tically burned until it came to open
space, which gave the fircmcn an op-
| poi tunty for effective work. For n
time il looked as if the flames would
spread along Commissioner street to
/ the Grand Trunk office building in the
| course of erection there.
| Numerous crowds of people damned
| the narrow streets, greatly impeding
the work Of the firemen. Women faint
| ed their clothes were torn and a few
were slightly injured in rushes for
| safety.
| The following are estimates of the
| principal losses: Board of Trade, $500,
| 600. insurance. 100000; tenants. $780,
| 600: SAKE & Co. wholesale clothiers.
$40. 600: n. a. Nelson & Sons Co. fancy
goods 100000 Beadmore & Co. tan
| ncrs. 500. 900: Silverman, Boulter & Co.
hats, etc. S125.0Oo: Coristine & Co.
| furs. 5000. 900: c. Scybead Sons & Co.
$50 000 Redmond. Greenlee & Co. hats
| and furs. 1000: H.. Levy. woolens.
| etc. 500. 600: c. a. ChOullau & Co.
| commission merchants. 5000; r. Levy
& Co.. furs. $4,000; Gilmour Bros. &
| CO.. commission merchants, $4,000; La
Porte. Martin & Co. $4,000: j. Cohen
& Co.. wholesale cl0thiers. 100000.
| The fire started at sos in the prem
| ses of NJ. SAKE & Sons. wholesale
| clothiers, on the corner of Lemoine
and St. Peters streets The firemen
| found the building a three story stone
structure. a solid mass of flames, the
! fire having apparently started in the
basement and rushed up the elevator
shaft in the rear of the store.
Second and third alarms were sent in
| Immediately on the arrival of the di-
vision chief. but before they came the
flames had leaped across St Peters
street to the big fve-story stone build
ing occupied by II. A. Nelson x Sons
| Co.. fancy goods. etc. Here it spread
rapidly and in almost an instant it
seemed as if the entire building was
a roaring furnace.
The warehouse of Beardmorc & Co,
tanners. adjoining Nelson to the south.
was next attacked, and from there the
flames communicated to the establish
ment of Silverman, Boulter Co.
wholesale hatterS and furricrS.
Continuing down st. Peters street to
the corner of ST. Paul street the flames
licked up the premises of j. Rordeau
& Co. hats caps etc. st. Peter street
for an entire block was a mass of
| flames on either side.
In the meantime a great tight was
being made to save the big Board OF
Trade building erected at Il cost of
$500. 900 and adjoining the Mason build
ing on the north side. But the flames
soon reached tho big wholesale fur eS-
Establishment Of James CoriStinc & Co,
next to the Board of Trade building,
and went through it like a finder box.
Then it was seen that the Board OF
Trade building would have to GO Sol
id sheets Of flames spranE out and up
and seized hold Of the big building in
dozen different places, driving the
fircmcn back.
Bv this time every piece of fire ap-
parat,Is in the city was III use. The
fire dashed across the narrow street
md attaCkod the premises of ThoS. pa
wilson Il 90. manufacturing tinsmithS,
then spreading both east and west.
The premises of ThoS. Davidson d Co.
II. Levi, dry goods and half dozen
other smaller concerns on the south
SIDE Of st. Paul street, went next, ana
on Lemoinc street the wholesale gro
Gerry store of La Porte, Martin Il co.
took fire After the fircmcn had aban-
doncd all hope of saving the Board OF
Trade building. they concentrated their
efforts mainly on this building. At 1890
it looked as if the building might be
saved.