The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-11
SWEPT BY FLAMES
GENE OF HULL FIRE AT OTTAWA
is REVISITED.
HUNDREDS OF HOUSES BURN.
MILLIONS OF FEET OF LUMBER
ARE DESTROYED.

Iohn white, just Released from the
Penitentiary, Found in the vi
cjuity Where the Fire Started
and Was Put Under Arrest-FOr
Wore Than an Hour After the
Fire Was Discovered No Water
could BE Thrown Upon It-Area
More Than a Mile Long and Quar-
ter of Mile Wide Swept.
ottawa, Ont, May 10.-A fire, sus-
pected of being of incendiary origin,
this afternoon and evening destroyed
hundreds of houses and millions of feet
of lumber in this city.
John White who has just been re-
leased from the penitentiary after serv-
ing a term of Imprisonment for
arson, was caught near where
the fire was first discovered. He was
taken to the police station and will be
charged with starting the disastrous
conhagration.
The fire originated within stones
throw of where the great Hull fire of
April &C. 1900, was checked. The Hull
fire started on the opposite side of the
river and spread to the Ottawa side,
destroying millions of dollars worth of
property 1t burned out near where
the ottawa and Parry Sound Railway
enters the western part of the city, and
it was in the lumber yards near the
railroad that to-days fire originated
Two hours before the principal fire
started two smaller blazes were dis
covered and quickly extingushed in the
lumbe.pyards near the Canadian Pacific
Railway. Ii was $3.50 o'clock when the
third fire was discovered. When the
brigade arrived at the scene, it was
found that the water main had been
damaged, and no water could be OBJ
tanned.
When the brigade did get water the
fire was utterly beyond its control. 1t
swept along over the same ground that
the former fire had gone, the only diff
ference being that it was going in the
opposite direction. There is a large
cliff which extends from the Ottawa
river into the corner of Margaret and
Preston streets. The fire area was on
the flats below. At two or three points
it came very near getting over the
cliff, and had it done so nothing would
have saved the city.
At $50 o'clock tonight the fire was
under control and confined to the fol-
lowing area: The ottawa and Parry
Sound Railway on the south, Division |
street on the east, First avenue on the |
west and the Richmond road on the |
north. From Parry Sound road to the |
Richmond road is about one mile and |
from First avenue to District streets is |
one-quarter of a mile.
While the fire was burning fiercely |
among the lumber piles, the whole !
brigade, which had been summoned, |
were forced to remain idle. For more |
than an hour not a drop of water was |
thrown into the flames. A stiff south |
west wind was blowing, and by the |
time the water main had been repair |
ed, the lumber yards were mass OF |
glowing embers.
From the lumber yards the flames |
spread to a group of frame houses on |
the outskirts of the city, formerly |
known as Rochesterville, but which is |
now united to the city. Every house |
in the little settlement was destroyed |
Another lumber yard in a thiniy set
tied section northeast of Rochesterville |
was swept by the fire, in an incredib- |
ly short time This brought the hre |
10 the more thickly settled sections.
After leaving the lumber piles, the |
flames swept over Pine street. winch |
runs east and west, down Willow |
Polar, Anderson, Eckles, Somerset, |
Sprune, Elm, Maple, Albert ana on |
to the Richmond road, or, properly
speaking, Wellington street, where II
was stopped q, short distance from the |
Canadian Pacific Railroad depot.
At D. m. it was feared that the |
fire would get over the cliff, on the top |
of which is ST. Jeanne Baptiste Churcn |
In the rear and a short distance pack
from the church is the residence or the |
late David Mills. The family began |
moving out at p. M, and the hearSe
Was in readiness to move the remains
of the distinguished Canadian, should
the necessity arise. The firemen sue
ceeded in keeping back the flames.
Fifteen million feet of lumber were
destroyed. 1t belonged to J. X.
Booth, and was sold. The loss on the
lumber will be about 100000.
The buildings burned were pr1ncl- |
pally dwelling houses and stores. They
We're all built since the last fire. The
loss on the buildings is estimated at
various figures tonight. Mayor COOK !
said that there were from 500 to 500
families homeless, or about 1000 IN
dividuals. All the parties are supposed
to be we'll insured.
The Mayor said the city would OPP
pose any aid being asked from out |
side Canada, and personally he thought |
that the city should grapple with the
situation without any appeal for out
side help.
Mayor Cooke estimated the loss on |
the buildings at 100000 making to-
tai loss of $500, 900.